Brunhild
/ˈbruːn.hɪld/noun
A legendary Germanic female name borne by a powerful warrior queen in medieval epic.
Did you know?The name is built from two old Germanic battle-elements, and the second part, *hild*, survives in names like Matilda and Hildegard, where it still carries the memory of combat.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brunjō
“armor, breastplate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hildiz
“battle, fight”
Old High German
OHG
Brunihilt
“a personal name meaning roughly “brown armor/battle””
Old Norse
ON
Brynhildr
“the legendary Valkyrie and warrior queen in heroic tradition”
Middle High German
MHG
Brünhilt
“the name in German heroic epic, especially the queen in the Nibelungen tradition”
Modern English
English
Brunhild
“the modern form of the legendary Germanic name”