Archibald (name)


Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements :wikt:erchan|erchan and bald "bold".
Medieval forms include Old High German Erchambald, Erkanbold, Erkanbald and Anglo-Saxon Eorcenbald.
Erkanbald, bishop of Strasbourg was also rendered Archaunbault in Old French. The Anglo-Saxon name did not survive, and the modern given name in English derives from the introduction of the Old French name, with a secondary association of its first element with the Greek prefix :wikt:arch-|archi- meaning "chief, master", to Norman England in the high medieval period.
The form Archibald became particularly popular among Scottish nobility in the later medieval to early modern periods, whence usage as a surname is derived by the 18th century, found especially in Nova Scotia and in Scotland.

Given name

English diminutives or hypocorisms include Arch, Archy, Archie, and Baldie .
Variants include French Archambault, Archaimbaud, Archenbaud, Archimbaud,
Italian Archimboldo, Arcimbaldo, Arcimboldo, Portuguese Arquibaldo, Arquimbaldo and Spanish Archibaldo, Archivaldo.
Archibald is used as the anglicization of the Gaelic given name Gille Easbuig.
The given name Archibald was comparatively popular in the United States in the late 19th century, peaking at rank 290 in 1890, but it rapidly fell out of fashion in the early 20th century, falling below rank 1,000 in popularity during the 1920s.

Variations

Medieval

In the late medieval and early modern period, the given name Archibald became popular among Scottish aristocracy in particular. See Archibald Campbell, Archibald Douglas, Archibald Hamilton, Archibald Montgomerie, Archibald Napier, Archibald Primrose for lists of individuals with these names.
Arcomboldo or Arcimboldi was used as a surname in Renaissance Italy; see Giovanni Arcimboldi, Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Archibald is a modern Anglo-Saxon surname. Derived from the given name, it becomes frequent in Nova Scotia by the later 18th century. Early bearers of the name associated with Nova Scotia include:

Nova Scotia

The surname becomes more widespread in the English-speaking world in general during the 19th century:
;Canada
;United States
;Australia
;New Zealand
;United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, Archibald is mostly found as a Scottish surname.