Thursday, February 18, 2016

-Ric Rollin'

Haha, now that song's in your head!

I love a good -ric name. And unlike many constructions, this one is pretty much exclusively male (well, I did turn up modern unisex word-name Lyric, Irish girls' name Aifric, and Thai girls' name Bundarik, but that's it!).
Eric was a 70s/80s staple, Frederick's been on the downswing for the last century, Patrick is my age (or my parents'), and Maverick is quickly scaling the US charts.
While relatively uncommon today, -rich/ric names used to be fairly widespread in Europe, thanks to good ol' Proto-Germanic, where '-rich' meant "ruler" or "power".
  • Adalrich (AHD-al-rik, Germanic)--"noble ruler"
  • Alaric (AL-ah-rik, English)--from Germanic "ruler of all"
  • Alberich (AHL-beh-rikh, German)--original form of Aubrey
  • Aldric (ahl-DREEK, French)--from Germanic "old power". Other forms include Aldéric (ahl-day-REEK) and Audric (oh-DREEK).
  • Amalric (AHM-al-rik, ah-MAHL-rik, Germanic, ah-mahl-REEK, French)--from Germanic "work power". One of the possible sources for Emmerich/Emery.
  • Ardaric (AR-dah-rik, Germanic)--poss. "brave power"
  • Athanaric (ah-THAN-ar-ik, Germanic)
  • Baderich (BAH-der-ik. Germanic)--"battle ruler"
  • Baldric (BAHL-drik, English)--from Germanic "bold power"
  • Berich (BEHR-ik, Germanic)--"bear ruler"
  • Brunric (BROON-rik, Germanic)--"armor ruler" or poss. "brown ruler"
  • Bystrík (BIS-treek, Slovak)--poss. "quick-witted"
  • Cedric (SED-rik, English)
  • Cenric (KEN-rik, Old English)--"bold power". One of the sources of surname Kendrick
  • Cyneric (KIN-eh-rik, Old English)--"royal power". Another possible source for Kendrick.
  • Eboric (EB-or-ik, Germanic)--"boar power"
  • Edric (ED-rik, Old English)--"wealth ruler"
  • Elric (EL-rik, English)--either from Old English Alfric (AL-frik) "elf power" or Athelric (ATH-el-rik) "noble power"
  • Embrik (EM-brik, Norwegian)
  • Erchamrich (EHR-kam-rik, Germanic)--"chief ruler"
  • Ermenrich (EHR-men-rik, Germanic)--"great ruler" Another possible source for Emmerich/Emery.
  • Emmerich (EM-er-ikh, German)--other forms include Émeric (ay-meh-REEK, French) and Aymeric (eh-muh-REEK, French).
  • Garrick (GEHR-ik, English)--from Occitan "oak tree", or possibly Germanic "spear power"
  • Genseric (GEN-ser-ik, Germanic)--poss. "spear power". Variants include Gaiseric (GYE-ser-ik), and Geiserich (GYE-ser-ikh, German)
  • Godric (GAHD-rik, English)
  • Guerric (gehr-REEK, French)
  • Gumerich (GOO-mehr-ik, Germanic)--"ruler of man"
  • Gunderic (GOON-deh-rik, Germanic)--"war ruler"
  • Heinrich (HINE-rikh, German)--original form of Henry "home ruler". Other forms include Henrik (HEN-rik, German, Scandinavian) and Hendrik (HEN-drik, Dutch). Another possible source for Kendrick, as well as a possible source of Emmerich/Emery.
  • Hilderich (HIL-der-ik, Germanic)--"battle ruler"
  • Imrich (IM-rik, Czech, Slovak)--form of Emmerich/Emery
  • Isanric (EE-san-rik, Germanic)--poss. "iron ruler". Also written as Isenric.
  • Jarich (YAH-rikh, Frisian)--poss. from Germanic "spear"
  • Landrich (LAHN-drik, Germanic)--"land ruler"
  • Leofric (lee-OF-rik. Old English)--"beloved ruler"
  • Lorik (LOHR-ik, Albanian)--poss. "quail"
  • Merrick (MEHR-rik, English)--from Welsh Meurig (a form of Maurice) or Germanic "famous ruler".
  • Odrich (AHD-rik, Germanic)--"ruler of riches". Variants include Audéric (oh-day-REEK, French).
  • Osric (OZ-rik, Old English)--"god power"
  • Pierrick (PYEHR-eek, French)--form of Pierre/Peter
  • Roderick (RAHD-er-ik, English)--from Germanic, "famous ruler". Other forms include Rörik (ROH-rik, Swedish), Rorik (ROH-rik, Old Danish), and Rurik (ROO-rik, Russian).
  • Romaric (RAHM-ah-rik, Germanic; roh-mah-REEK, French)--poss. "famous power"
  • Serik (SEHR-ik, Kazakh)--"support"
  • Shurik (SHOOR-ik, Russian)--diminutive of Alexander
  • Sigerich (SEE-geh-rik, Germanic)--"victory ruler"
  • Siserich (SEE-ser-ik, Germanic)--"song ruler"
  • Tarık (TAHR-ik, Turkish)
  • Theodoric (thee-AHD-oh-rik, Germanic)--"ruler of the people". Variants include Dietrich (DEET-rikh, German), Diederich (DEE-der-ikh, German), Dederick (DED-er-ik, English), and Dedrick (DED-rik, English).
  • Ulrich (OOL-rik, German, ool-REESH, French)--variants include Olric (OHL-rik) and Odalric (OH-dahl-rik). 
  • Volkrich (VOHL-krik, Germanic)--"people's ruler"
  • Waldrich (VAHL-drik, Germanic)--"ruler of power". Other forms include Waldric (WAHL-drik, English) and Gaudéric (goh-day-REEK, French), and Galdric (gahl-DREEK, French).
  • Wilrich (VEEL-rik, Germanic)--"willful ruler"
  • Winrich (VEEN-rikh, German)--from Germanic, "friend ruler"
  • Wirich (VEER-ikh, German)--from Germanic, "war ruler"
  • Witteric (VEET-er-ik, Germanic)--poss. "forest ruler"
  • Wulfric (WOOL-frik, Old English)--"wolf power". Another form is Ulfric (OOL-frik).
  • Yorick (YOHR-ik, English, Dutch)--form of George. Other spellings include Jorick (YOH-rik, Dutch) and Jorik (YOH-rik, Dutch)

And don't let the -richs scare you off! ;) There's plenty of precedent to Anglicize those German/Germanic names by changing the '-rich' to '-ric/rick' or '-ry'.
So for instance, Winrich would logically be Winric/Winrick (WIN-rik), or Winry (WIN-ree) in Modern English.
(Full Metal Alchemist fans rejoice! :p )

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