Hrothgar
/ˈhrɔːθ.ɡɑːr/noun
The name of a legendary Danish king in Old English epic poetry.
Did you know?Hrothgar is a heroic Old English name built from elements meaning “fame” and “spear,” a very common Germanic naming pattern that treated names like destiny spells.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hrōþiz
“fame, glory”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gaizaz
“spear”
Old English
OE
Hrōðgār
“Hrothgar, a personal name meaning roughly “fame-spear””
Old Norse
ON
Hróarr
“a related Germanic personal name form in Scandinavian tradition”
Modern English
English
Hrothgar
“the conventional modern spelling of the legendary king’s name”