Guthlac
/ˈɡuːθlɑːk/noun
An Old English male personal name, best known from the Anglo-Saxon saint Guthlac.
Did you know?Guthlac is an Old English personal name formed from *gūð* (“war, battle”) + *lāc* (“play, sport, ritual offering”), showing how early Germanic names could fuse violence and sacred action.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gudą
“war, battle”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*laikaz
“dance, play, game, ritual performance”
Old English
OE
Gūðlāc
“a personal name meaning roughly “battle-play” or “battle-offering””
8th Century
Latin
Guthlacus
“Latinized form of the Anglo-Saxon saint’s name”
Modern English
English
Guthlac
“the historical Old English name, chiefly known from the saint”