Anselm
AN-selm
A strong old Germanic name meaning “divine helmet” or “protector of society.”
Meaning
Anselm comes from Germanic name elements often explained as “helm” plus a divine or protecting element. In the 19th-century sources provided, it is glossed as “divine helmet,” and another source explains it as meaning “protector of society” from an older German form, Ans-helm. These are closely related protective-name interpretations rather than conflicting meanings.
Origin
Old High GermanGermanEnglishFrenchmasculine
Fun fact
The name spread widely on the Continent and appears in forms like Anselme, Anselmo, and even shortened versions such as Anso.