Name profile

BoyPronounced American English /ˈɛd.wəɹd/; British English /ˈɛd.wəd/; Polish /ˈɛd.vart/English language family

Edward

A name meaning "rich guard".

Quick answer

Edward is a boy name meaning "rich guard".

Pronunciation: American English /ˈɛd.wəɹd/; British English /ˈɛd.wəd/; Polish /ˈɛd.vart/.

GenderBoy
Meaningrich guard
PronunciationAmerican English /ˈɛd.wəɹd/; British English /ˈɛd.wəd/; Polish /ˈɛd.vart/
Language familyEnglish

Meaning and history

The name means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward. This is one of the few Old English names to be used throughout Europe (in various spellings). A famous bearer was the British composer Edward Elgar (1857-1934). It was also used by author Charlotte Brontë for the character Edward Rochester, the main love interest of the title character in her novel Jane Eyre (1847).

Notes and context

Usage: english, polish