Germanic male given names originate in early West and North Germanic languages such as Old High German, Old Saxon, and Old Norse. They are often dithematic compounds built from elements like adal “noble,” berht/berht “bright,” ric “ruler,” wald “rule,” win “friend,” hard “hardy,” and wolf “wolf.” Common masculine endings include -ric/-rick, -bert/-berht, -wald, -win, and Latinized -us in medieval records; -son appears in some Germanic patronymics.

In modern use, many of these compounds are rare or historic, though some survive in variant or Latinized forms. Examples include Adalard, Adalric, Adalwald, Adalwin, Adelberht, Adelric, Adelrik, Adelmo, Abelard, and Adolph/Adolphus.