Roderick

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A name of Old German origin meaning 'famed ruler' or 'famous power' attributed to various historical and literary figures
2. Referring to a male given name often associated with characters in Gothic literature or as a surname stemming from nobility
3. Denoting a traditional name used in English-speaking countries, often characterized by its strong historical and cultural associations

Etymology: Walter Scott gave this name a second life. Medieval English had a name Roderick from Germanic roots meaning roughly "fame" and "ruler" (the first element is linked to words for fame and renown, the second to "ruler", ultimately related to Latin "rex"), but it had faded from use by the time Scott published "The Vision of Don Roderick" in 1811. His poem drew on the Spanish king Roderic, and he used the name as an English translation of the Spanish Rodrigo, which is the same name in a different language. Readers took to it, and the name was revived. Scott's influence did not stop at the Spanish connection. The name also serves as an English form of the Scottish Gaelic Ruairidh and the Welsh Rhydderch, so that a Scot or Welshman bearing one of those names might be called Roderick in English. Its revival therefore drew on several Celtic and Iberian sources at once, all meeting in one English spelling.

Synonyms: Rodrick, Roderic