Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Reinhard

Meaning — A Germanic masculine name composed of "ragin" meaning "counsel", "judgment", or "power" and "hard" meaning "brave", "hardy", or "strong" — thus "strong in counsel" or "brave advisor". The name was borne by several medieval German ecclesiastics and nobles. Reinhard Heydrich (1904–1942), the architect of the Holocaust, gave the name a deeply sinister modern resonance; in fiction the name spans medieval heroism and 20th-century villainy.·Old High German origin·Male·RINE-hart

Reinhard Reinhard is a name that has been permanently marked by the 20th century — its combination of intellectual counsel and hard courage, which in medieval usage suggested a wise and bold nobleman, now carries the shadow of its most notorious bearer. In contemporary fiction, Reinhard works best either in pre-modern historical settings where that darkness is not yet present, or in modern/wartime fiction where the character's name signals a particular moral weight.

Best genres for Reinhard

Historical FictionLiterary FictionThrillerPeriod Drama

Famous characters named Reinhard

No verified literary characters with this exact given name were found yet. We are continuously expanding this section.


Variations & nicknames

ReinhardReinhardtReinholdRainer

Pairs well with

Reinhard von HeydrichReinhard SchreiberReinhard BrauerReinhard FaberReinhard HolzReinhard Braun

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Related names


More Old High German names

Eckhard

A Germanic masculine name composed of "ek" or "ag" meaning "edge" (of a sword) and "hard" meaning "brave", "hardy", or "strong" — thus "strong at the sword's edge" or "brave blade". The name is philosophically significant through Meister Eckhart (c.1260–c.1328), the Dominican theologian and mystic whose sermons on the inner life of the soul were among the most intellectually radical of the Middle Ages.

Hedwig

A Germanic feminine name composed of "hadu" meaning "battle" or "combat" and "wig" meaning "war" or "battle" — thus "battle-battle" or "fighter in battle", a double-martial name suggesting a fierce warrior nature. Saint Hedwig of Silesia (1174–1243) was a Bavarian noblewoman who became the patron saint of Poland and Silesia; her name was later popularized in English-speaking culture through the owl Hedwig in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Walburga

Walburga is an Old High German feminine name composed of "waltan" meaning "to rule, to have power" and "burg" meaning "fortress, stronghold". It thus means "powerful fortress" or "ruling strength". Saint Walburga (c. 710–779) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary nun who became the abbess of Heidenheim in Bavaria; she is venerated widely in Germany, and Walpurgis Night (April 30) is named in her honour.

Gertie

Gertie is an English diminutive of Gertrude, which derives from the Old High German "Gertrud", composed of "ger" meaning "spear" and "þrúðr" meaning "strength". It thus means "strength of the spear" or "spear-strength". Saint Gertrude of Nivelles (626–659) was a Frankish abbess venerated as a patron saint of travellers and the recently dead. The diminutive Gertie became popular in late 19th-century England and America.

Irmgard

A Germanic feminine name composed of "irm" or "ermen" (the full form of the first element) meaning "whole", "great", or "universal" and "gard" meaning "enclosure", "protection", or "stronghold" — thus "universal protector" or "great stronghold". The "irm-/ermen-" element is related to Irminsul, the sacred world-pillar of the Saxons, suggesting a cosmic or all-encompassing quality.

Enno

Enno is a Low German and Frisian masculine name, a short form of names beginning with the Old High German element "agi" or "agni" (edge of a sword) or alternatively a pet form of names beginning with "erm-" or "irm-" (whole, great). It was common in medieval East Frisia and the Low Countries, where several Frisian chieftains bore the name. It remains in use in northern Germany and the Netherlands.


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