| Pronunciation | /ˈhɜːrmən/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Germanic languages |
| Meaning | army's man |
| Region of origin | Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Hermann, Armand, Armando, Ermanno, Harmon, Armin |
| Popularity | see popular names |
Herman is a masculine given name, from an ancient Germanic name consisting of the elements harja- "army" and mann- "man". Hermine is the feminine form of Herman.[1] It is first recorded in the 8th century, in the forms Hariman, Heriman, Hairman, Herman.[2]
It regained popularity in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, particularly in the United States amongst German Americans.[3]
Herman remains widely used in Dutch and Scandinavian languages. Variant forms include German Hermann; French Armand; Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Armando; Italian Ermanno.[3]
Herman has also been in use as a German surname since the 16th century.[citation needed]
The name of Arminius, the 1st-century leader of the Cherusci, became identified with the name Hermann in German historiography in the early modern period; thus, Arminius is traditionally known as Hermann der Cheruskerfürst in German. The name of Arminius is in fact from a stem ermen- "strong". The conflation of this element with the name Herman may indeed date to the medieval period, via variant forms such as Ermin, Ermen, Erman, Ermanno, feminine Ermina, Ermana, Hirmina, Hermena.[4]