Edmund - Origin and Meaning of the name

[ 2 syll. e-dmun(d), ed-mu-nd ] The boy name Edmund is pronounced as EHDMahND ^KEY. Edmund is largely used in the English and German languages, and its origin is Old English. The name's meaning is wealthy guard, protector of wealth. Two-element name derived from the elements 'ead' meaning wealth, blessed ; 'mund' meaning protection, protector. Eadmund (Old English) is an older form of Edmund. The name was borne by various early saints and members of royalty, notably Edmund the Martyr (841-869), the King of East Anglia who was killed by pagan Vikings for his faith. He was buried at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, which was named after him. Many subsequent miracles there were ascribed to him, and his cult following promoted the adoption of the name throughout Europe. The name was also borne by Edmund Ironside (988-1016), the English King who got his surname for his valiant defense against the invading Vikings led by King Canute. The name remained in use in its current form by medieval English speakers after the Norman Conquest, before experiencing a dip in popularity in the 15th century. In literature, it is borne by the illegitimate son of the Duke of Gloucester who usurps his brother Edgar's birthright in the Shakespeare tragedy King Lear (1603-1606). The name Edmonda (Italian) is the female equivalent of Edmund.

Edmund has 25 variants that are used in both English and other languages. Variants of Edmund used in English include Eamon (also used in Irish), Eamonn (also used in Irish), Edmon (also used in Russian), and Esmond (also used in French). Other English forms include the short forms Ed, Ned, and Ted, the pet forms Eddie, Eddy, Neddie, Neddy, Teddie, and Teddy, and the variant spelling Edmond (also used in Dutch, French, and Russian).

Foreign variants of Edmund include Edmondo (Italian), Edmundo (Portuguese and Spanish), Edmunds (Latvian), Eumann (Scottish), Éamon (Irish), Éamonn (Irish), Mundek (Polish), Mundo (Spanish), Odi (Hungarian), Odon (Hungarian and French), and Ödön (Hungarian).

Edmund is uncommon as a baby name for boys. At the height of its usage in 1914, 0.116% of baby boys were given the name Edmund. It ranked at #130 then. The baby name has since dropped out of favor, and is now of very modest use. In 2008, within the group of boy names directly linked to Edmund, Eddie (English) was the most frequently used.

Baby names that sound like Edmund include Edmond (Dutch, English, French, and Russian), Edmondo (Italian), Edmundo (Portuguese and Spanish), and Atyaananda (Indian).

Details of famous persons named Edmund:
Actor Edmund Kean, born 17 March 1789 - 15 May 1833, London, England.
Mountain Climber Sir Edmund Hillary, born 20 July 1919 - 11 January 2008, Auckland, New Zealand.
Philosopher Edmund Husserl, born Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl, April 8, 1859 - April 28, 1938, Prostejov, Moravia.
Poet Edmund Spenser, born 1552 - 13 January 1599, London, England.
Poet Edmund Blunden, born Edmund Charles Blunden, 1 November 1896 - 20 January 1974, London, England.
Politician Jerry Brown, born Edmund Gerald Brown, Jr., 7 April 1938, San Francisco, California.
Politician Edmund Muskie, born Edmund Sixtus Muskie, 28 March 1914 - 26 March 1996, Rumford, Maine.

---

Name Popularity Trend + Variant Popularity ChartVariant Popularity Trend + Variant Popularity ChartSound-Like Popularity Trend + Sound-Like Comparison Chart