Robert
ROB-ert
A classic Germanic name meaning “bright fame,” though some older name books also gave it as “red beard.”
Meaning
Robert comes from an old Germanic name built from elements commonly understood as “bright” or “famous” and “fame,” giving the sense “bright fame.” In some 19th-century name books, Robert is also glossed as “red beard,” reflecting an alternate historical etymological explanation found in older sources. The name came into English through Old French and has long been one of the standard Christian names in Europe.
Origin
GermanicOld FrenchEnglishmasculine
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that the German name Ratprecht became in English both Robert and Rupert.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.