Find out how popular the first name Waldo has been for the last 48 years (from 1974 to 2021) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Waldo by gender

Based on the last 48 years of data, Waldo is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2021, there were 10 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Waldo.

The history of the first name Waldo

The name Waldo is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Germanic elements "wald" meaning "rule" and "hardo" meaning "brave" or "hardy". It can be translated to mean "brave ruler" or "hardy ruler". The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions of present-day Germany, France, and England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Waldo appears in the 7th century, when it was borne by the Frankish nobleman Saint Waldo, who lived from around 619 to 709 AD. He was a prominent figure in the Burgundian court and later became a hermit, founding a monastery in the Vosges Mountains.

In the 12th century, a famous bearer of the name was Waldo of Lyon, also known as Peter Waldo or Valdes (c. 1140-1218). He was a wealthy merchant who became a prominent preacher and founded the Waldensian movement, a Christian spiritual movement that advocated for a return to apostolic poverty and preaching.

Another notable Waldo was Waldo of Reichenau (c. 740-836), a Benedictine monk and scholar who lived in the monastery of Reichenau in present-day Germany. He is known for his work on computus, the calculation of the date of Easter, and for his contributions to the field of astronomy.

In the 14th century, the name was borne by Waldo of Augsburg (c. 1300-1370), a German preacher and reformer who criticized the wealth and corruption of the Catholic Church. He was an influential figure in the pre-Reformation period.

During the Renaissance, the name was held by the Italian mathematician and astronomer Waldo Rinaldi (c. 1470-1538), who is credited with developing one of the earliest tables of logarithms and contributing to the field of trigonometry.

Throughout history, the name Waldo has been associated with figures who exhibited bravery, leadership, and a commitment to their beliefs and principles, reflecting the name's original meaning of "brave ruler" or "hardy ruler".

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Waldo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Waldo, please contact us.

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