Origin: |
Rupert is the English form of Ruprecht which is itself the German form of Robert. Both derive from the Old High German name Hrodberht, from hrod- "fame, glory," and -berht "bright." |
Usage: |
Ruprecht itself can be found in use in Germany from the early Middle Ages, and like Robert in Britain, it was a fairly common name borne by saints and royalty. The latinised Rupertus can also be found be found alongside Robertus in French documents in the 11th century. Two notable German saints to bear the name were Saint Rupert of Salzburg (c. 660–710) and Saint Rupert of Bingen (712–732), while Rupert of the Palatinate (1352–1410) was King of Germany. Despite these namesakes, and its common use in Germany, the name never picked up use in medieval Britain. Why would it? We were happily using the cognate Robert which had been brought over by the Normans where it reinforced the Old English Hreodbeorht. It wasn't until the 17th century, and the arrival of Prince Rupert of the Rhine (1619–1682) to our shores, that Rupert began to pick up use in Britain. Named after the 14th century King Rupert, Prince Rupert was the son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart, sister of King Charles I. Rupert was a true Renaissance man: general, admiral, scientist, sportsman and colonial governor. He was, and still is, most famous for his prominent role as a Royalist commander during the English Civil War and was considered a Royalist icon. The name was used by his many admirers. Even in 1881, we find that Rupert was most common in areas where Prince Rupert had had some involvement, such as Staffordshire and Buckinghamshire, where Rupert is known to have had military involvement during the Civil War. It was rare in Scotland and Wales which, for obvious reasons, didn't have the same links to the English Civil War. The name was never wildly popular, however. Robert -- a name by which was also known by his contemporaries -- continually remained the dominant form in Britain. During the late 19th century, Rupert consistently ranked in the third quarter of the top 200 in England and Wales: 1860: #226 Registered births per decade in England and Wales:
Throughout the 20th century, one of the most enduring images for the name is that of Rupert Bear, a children's comic strip character created by the English artist Mary Tourtel in 1920 that later became the subject of many children's books from 1928 onwards and four television series (1967-77; 1985-88; 1991-97; 2006-08). Jilly Cooper gave the name a rakish quality when she gave the name to the central character of her Rutshire Chronicles series (1986-2016).
In 2015, Rupert ranked #143 (396 births) in England and Wales and #529 (5 births) in Scotland. |
Famous Bearers: |
History: * Saint Rupert of Salzburg (c. 660–710), first bishop of Salzburg. Contemporary: * Rupert Keegan (born 1955), English Formula One driver. Literature and Other Media: * Rupert Bear, a cartoon bear created by Mary Tourtel. |
Variants: |
Ruprecht (German), Roopertti (Finnish) |
Pronunciation: |
ROO-pət [key] |
Possible diminutives: |
Rue, Rhett, Rep |
Sibling Names: |
Felicity Arabella Jemima Aurelia Edith Philippa |
Name Lists: |
Upright Elegance Victorian Darlings European Royal Names Gilbert and Sullivan Names |
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Thanks to Emma for requesting this post.