Arminius
/ɑːrˈmɪniəs/noun
A Latinized Germanic personal name, most famously borne by the Cheruscan leader who defeated the Romans in the Teutoburg Forest.
Did you know?Arminius is the Latin form of a Germanic name, but its original meaning is uncertain; the occult power here is historical, not mystical, because later nationalists turned him into a symbol of hidden resistance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Germanic
Germanic
*Irminaz / *Erminaz
“A reconstructed Germanic name element or divine epithet, probably meaning something like 'great' or 'whole,' though the exact sense is debated.”
1st Century CE
Latin
Arminius
“The Latinized personal name used by Roman authors for the Cheruscan noble and military leader.”
Early Modern Latin
Latin
Arminius
“The scholarly and historical form of the name in chronicles, histories, and classical reception.”
17th–19th Century
European Languages
Arminius
“A heroic historical name revived in literature, scholarship, and nationalist memory.”
Modern English
English
Arminius
“The standard historical name of the Cheruscan leader who defeated Roman legions in 9 CE.”
Explore more surprising origins