Ewald

Ewald is a traditional German first name, composed of the Old High German terms ewa, meaning 'law, right', and waltan, meaning 'to rule, to govern'. This results in the meaning 'the one who rules by law' or 'the one who governs according to the law'. The name gained popularity in the Middle Ages due to the veneration of the holy brothers Ewald (known as Ewald the Black and Ewald the White), two English missionaries who contributed to the Christianization of Westphalia in the 7th century and died as martyrs.

What does the name Ewald mean?

The first name Ewald has its roots in the Old High German language and is composed of the elements ewa and waltan, making it a name with the meaning 'the one who rules by law' or 'the one who governs according to the law'. Particularly in the Middle Ages, the name became popular due to the veneration of the holy brothers Ewald, who came to Westphalia as English missionaries in the 7th century and died as martyrs. The name was especially widespread between the late 19th and the mid-20th centuries, but then fell into obscurity and is now rather rare in Germany. Among the most notable bearers of the name are the German writer Ewald Arenz and the football player and coach Ewald Lienen.

Where does the name Ewald come from?

The name Ewald has its roots in Old High German and means something like 'the one who rules by law' or 'the one who governs according to the law'. The word components consist of ewa, which means 'law, right', and waltan, which means 'to rule, to govern'. The name is anchored in the Old German and Westphalian languages.

How do you pronounce Ewald?

The pronunciation of the name Ewald is two syllables and harmonious. In German, it is pronounced as 'E-wald' [ˈeːvalt] or [ˈɛvalt], with the first syllable starting with an open, carrying E sound. The soft 'w' gently leads into the second syllable. The ending '-wald' gives a grounded sound through the dark 'a' and the clear 'd'. Ewald thus conveys a sense of connection to nature and tradition - it appears calm, stable, and powerful.

When is the name day of Ewald?

The name day of Ewald is celebrated on October 3rd in remembrance of the holy brothers Ewald.

Popularity

Ewald is among the less common first names in Germany. Currently, it ranks 5,840th on the list of most common male first names. Its best ranking was in 1930 at 97th place. In the last ten years, the name Ewald has been given as a first name about 100 times, placing it 2,450th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,227th.

Nicknames & pet names

Auwald / Bannwald / Don Waldo / E-Forest / E-Waike / E-Wald / Eddy / Ewa / Ewaldi / Eweline / Ewi / Ewie / Ewood / Fichtenwald / Forester / Gerald / Gump / Laubwald / Lewald / Mischwald / Nadelwald / Nebelwald / Rehwald / Seewald / Spreewald / Tannenwald / Urwald / Waddel / Walawala / Walde / Waldi / Waldschrat / Waldsterben / Walter / Willi / Zauberwald

Famous people

• Ewald Arenz (German writer and teacher)
• Ewald Balser (German actor)
• Ewald Breßlein (weightlifter from Germany)
• Ewald Bucher (football player from Germany)
• Ewald Christian von Kleist (Prussian poet and officer)
• Ewald Christophers (German writer)
• Ewald Dytko (German football player)
• Ewald Georg von Kleist (German physicist)
• Ewald Guhl (German footballer)
• Ewald Hess (artist from Germany)
• Ewald Hillermann (German writer)
• Ewald Hoinkis (German photographer)
• Ewald Kluge (American motorcycle racer)
• Ewald Kooiman (Dutch musician)
• Ewald Lienen (German football coach and former player)
• Ewald Meltzer (physicist from America)
• Ewald Reinhard (writer from Germany)
• Ewald Schiemann (football player from Germany)
• Ewald Schild (Austrian biologist)
• Ewald Straesser (composer from Germany)