Meaning & History
Du is a Portuguese diminutive of Eduardo, the Portuguese form of Edward. This short form is typical of affectionate or familiar nicknames in Portuguese; it drops the initial syllable E- and reduces the final phoneme to a single syllable, parallel to other Portuguese pet forms such as Duda or Dudu.
The deeper etymology comes from Edward, derived from the Old English ead 'wealth, fortune' and weard 'guard', giving the meaning 'rich guard.' This root name was borne by several Anglo-Saxon kings, the most famous being St. Edward the Confessor, revered for his just rule. The name persisted in England even after the Norman Conquest, largely due to the saint's popularity. Later, King Henry III named his son Edward, setting a trend among Plantagenet and subsequent English kings.
Cruce da etimologia
Em Portugal, Eduardo — do qual Du é diminutivo — é um dos nomes de batismo usuais, preservando a tradição de comuns diminutivos em temas germanos.
It is important to distinguish the Portuguese male given name Du from the Chinese surname Du, which appears in Wiktionary as a separate family name. The Portuguese usage is exclusively informal, rarely used as an official given name.
Related forms
Other Portuguese diminutives of Eduardo include Dado, Duda, Dudu, and Edu. The name also has a feminine counterpart Eduarda. Beyond Portuguese, the base name Edward appears in many European languages: e.g., Eduart in Albanian, Eadweard in Anglo-Saxon, Edik in Armenian, Edorta in Basque, and Eduard in Ukrainian, Polish, and others.
- Meaning: Rich guard
- Origin: Old English (via Portuguese)
- Type: Diminutive
- Usage Regions: Portugal, Lusophone communities
Related Names
Sources: Wiktionary — Du