Egbert is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German words "ec" meaning "heir" or "noble," and "berht" meaning "bright" or "famous." Therefore, Egbert translates to "bright heir" or "famous nobleman."
The name Egbert has a rich history, being borne by several notable figures throughout the centuries. One of the most famous Egberts was Egbert of Wessex (c. 770-839), also known as Egbert the Pious, who was a king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex in England. He is remembered for his role in expanding the kingdom's territories and his support for the Church.
Another prominent figure with this name is Egbert of Friuli (c. 750-813), an early medieval ruler who became Duke of Friuli, a region in present-day northeastern Italy. He was known for his military prowess and his role in defending the Byzantine Empire against the Lombards.
While Egbert may not be as commonly used today compared to its popularity during the Middle Ages, it remains an attractive name choice due to its historical significance and strong meaning. It is also a name that has been adopted by various cultures throughout history, including English, German, Dutch, and Scandinavian. Overall, Egbert is a name with a rich heritage and a memorable sound that continues to appeal to parents seeking unique and meaningful names for their children.
The name Egbert has seen a varied number of births in the United States over the past century and a half. In the late 1800s, there was an average of about 7 births per year bearing this name. This number fluctuated slightly throughout the early 1900s, with peaks of 26 births in both 1913 and 1914.
However, from the 1920s onwards, there was a noticeable decrease in the popularity of the name Egbert. The highest number of births recorded in this period was 47 in 1921. This trend continued into the 1930s and 1940s, with only double-digit numbers seen in 1934 and 1936.
Interestingly, there was a brief resurgence in the popularity of Egbert in the mid to late 1940s, with peaks of 13 births in both 1947 and 1948. However, this proved to be short-lived as the number of annual births with this name began to decline once again.
In the latter half of the twentieth century, Egbert was quite uncommon, with only five or fewer births recorded per year between 1950 and 2000. This trend has continued into the twenty-first century, with only nine births in 2017 being the most recent data available.
Overall, while Egbert was once a reasonably popular name in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it has since fallen out of favor, with fewer than ten births recorded per year on average over the past seventy years.