TheOnomastics of theGothic language (Gothic personal names) are an important source not only for the history of theGoths themselves, but forGermanic onomastics in general and the linguistic and cultural history of theGermanic Heroic Age of c. the 3rd to 6th centuries.Gothic names can be found in Roman records as far back as the 4th century AD. After theMuslim invasion of Hispania and the fall of theVisigothic kingdom in the early 8th century, the Gothic tradition was largely interrupted, although Gothic or pseudo-Gothic names continued to be given in theKingdom of Asturias in the 9th and 10th centuries.

(Not to be confused with names inspired by themodern-day Goth subculture.)

Thenames of the Goths themselves have been traced to their 3rd centurysettlement inScythia. The namesTervingi andGreuthungi have been interpreted as meaning "forest-dwellers" and "steppe-dwellers", respectively. Later on, the termsOstrogothi andVisigothi have also been understood to mean "Eastern Goths" and "Western Goths", although all four etymologies are not without detractors.^[1]

Jordanes gives partly mythological genealogies leading up to historical 4th to 5th century rulers:

• Amali dynasty:Gapt, Hulmu, Augis, Amal, Athal, Achiulf, Oduulf, Ansila, Ediulf, Vultuulf,Ermanaric
• Vultuulf, Valaravans, Vinithariust Vandalarius,Theodemir,Valamir, Vidimer.

Another important source of early Gothic names are the accounts (hagiography) surrounding thepersecution of Gothic Christians in the second half of the 4th century. Many of the Gothic saints mentioned in these sources bear resemblance to Syrian, Cappadocian and Phrygian names, following in the baptismal tradition of that time.

Even though theMuslim invasion of Hispania (715 AD) and subsequent fall of theVisigothic kingdom in the early 8th century caused most Gothic naming traditions to be lost, a type of Gothic or pseudo-Gothic^[2] naming tradition continued in theKingdom of Asturias, which by that time had become the central driving force behind theChristian reconquest of Andalusia.Thus,Alfonso I of Asturias was originally given the Gothic name*Adafuns orAdalfuns, becoming one of the most popular names in the medieval Iberian kingdoms.

In France, where remnants of the old Visigothic Kingdom still remained (Gothic March),Gothic names continued to be common up until the 12th century.^[3]

Gothic names of the 4th to 6th centuries include:

• Name of the Goths
• List of Visigothic queens
• Amali dynasty
• Balthi dynasty

• Herwig Wolfram,Die Goten: von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des sechsten Jahrhunderts : Entwurf einer historischen Ethnographie, part I. "Die Namen", pp. 30–46.
• Richard Loewe, "Gotische Namen in hagiographischen Texten",BGDSL 47 (1923), 407–433.
• Moritz Schönfeld,Wörterbuch der altgermanischen personen- und völkernamen (1911).

• Gothic namesArchived 2015-06-28 at theWayback Machine (infernaldreams.com)
• Gothic and Suevic Names in Galicia (NW Spain) before 1200 (celtiberia.net)

• Names of Germanic origin
• Gothic language

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