| Pronunciation | German: [ˈɡɔtfʁiːt] [1] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Masculine |
Gottfried is a masculine German given name. It is derived from the Old High German name Godafrid, recorded since the 7th century, and composed of the elements god- (conflated from the etyma for "God" and "good", and possibly further conflated with gaut) and frid- ("peace" or "protection").[2]
The German name was commonly hypocoristically abbreviated as Götz from the late medieval period. Götz and variants (including Göthe, Göthke and Göpfert) also came into use as German surnames. Gottfried is a common Jewish surname as well.