Robert Thurman

(male) One of the many French names of Germanic origin that were introduced into Britain by the Normans; it has since remained in continuous use. It is derived from the nearly synonymous elements hrōd ‘fame’ + berht ‘bright, famous’, and had a native Old English predecessor of similar form (Hreodbeorht), which was supplanted by the Norman name. Two dukes of Normandy in the 11th century bore the name: the father of William the Conqueror (sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil), and his eldest son. It was borne also by three kings of Scotland, notably Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), who freed Scotland from English domination. The altered short form Bob is very common, but Hob and Dob, which were common in the Middle Ages and gave rise to surnames, are extinct. See also Rupert.

English (East Midlands): from the Middle English personal name Thurmond, Old Norse þormundr, composed of the elements þórr, name of the Norse god of thunder (see Thor) + mundr ‘protection’. Reaney and Wilson suggest that, Thurmond having been an uncommon personal name, this surname may also represent the commoner name Thurmod, Thormod with the second element derived from Old Norse móþr ‘mind’, ‘courage’, but assimilated to -mund (a common second element in other compound names).