Name profile

Theobald

A name meaning "bold people".

PronunciationEnglish /ˈθiː.ə.bɔld/
Usage languagesEnglish, German, Germanic

Meaning and history

The name means “bold people,” from the Old German elements theod, meaning “people” (Old High German diota, Old Frankish þeoda), and bald, meaning “bold” or “brave.” It was borne by a 6th-century Frankish king of Austrasia, and the Normans later brought it to England, where it joined an existing Old English cognate. Medieval forms such as Tibald and Tebald were commonly Latinized as Theobaldus, and the name had become rare by the 20th century.