(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.
Short forms: Bob, Rob.
Pet forms: Bobby, Robbie, Robin.
Cognates: Irish: Roibéard. Scottish Gaelic: Raibeart. German: Robert, Rupprecht. Dutch: Robrecht, Rob(b)ert. Scandinavian: Robert. French: Robert. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian: Roberto. Czech: Robert. Finnish: Roopertti. Hungarian: Róbert. Latvian: Roberts.
French: from the Latin personal name Ionis, which also occurs as an element of place names. The personal name was popularized by a 3rd-century Athenian saint who evangelized Châtres (present-day Arpajon), where he was martyred. As an American family name, it is probably of Huguenot origin.
Korean (Yŏn): there are three Chinese characters for the surname Yŏn, only one of which occurs frequently enough to be treated here. Some sources indicate that there are thirty Yŏn clans, but they all seem to be descended from the Hapsan Yŏn clan, whose founding ancestor, Yŏn Su–ch’ang, migrated to the Koryŏ kingdom after escorting a princess to the Koryŏ court. The king (probably King Ch’ungyŏl (1274–1308)) gave him some land in the Hapsan area, and so began the Hapsan Yŏn clan. The surname can be found throughout the peninsula, but it is most common in Ch’ungch’ŏng North province.
