Gunhild
/ˈɡʊn.hɪld/noun
A feminine Germanic given name composed of elements meaning battle and battle.
Did you know?Gunhild combines Old Norse Gunnr, the name of a Valkyrie associated with battle, with hildr, another poetic word for battle and a common Valkyrie-name element.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gunþiz + *hildiz
“Battle or combat + battle or conflict; the ancestral elements later forming the name.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
Gunnr + Hildr
“Gunnr was a Valkyrie name, while hildr meant battle and also appeared in female names.”
Viking Age
Old Norse
Gunnhildr
“A compound personal name interpreted as “battle-battle,” with both elements carrying martial imagery.”
Middle Ages
Old Norse
Gunnhild
“A medieval spelling and shortened form of the Old Norse compound name.”
Medieval English
English
Gunhild
“An anglicized form preserved in historical records and genealogical naming traditions.”
Modern English
English
Gunhild
“A rare feminine given name retaining its Germanic and Norse form.”