Gebhard is a masculine given name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German elements geba meaning "gift" and hart meaning "hard, firm, brave, hardy."> As such, the name conveys the sense of "brave gift-giver" or "firm in gift." It is a characteristic theophoric compound common in early medieval Germanic naming traditions.Etymology and HistoryThe name Gebhard belongs to a class of dithematic Germanic names formed from two meaningful elements. The first element, geba- (from Proto-Germanic *gebō "gift"), appears in names like Gebo and Gebbert. The second element, -hard (from *harduz "hard, strong"), is widespread in names such as Bernhard and Karlhard. The combination Gebhard was especially favored in the German-speaking regions of the Holy Roman Empire.