Godwin

Godwin is an English surname and given name, derived from the Old English name Godwine. The name Godwine means "friend of God", from elements god (God) and wine (friend). Historically, Godwine was the name of the powerful 11th-century Earl of Wessex, who rose to become the de facto ruler of England during the reign of Edward the Confessor. His son, Harold Godwinson, became King Harold II of England and was famously defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. As a given name, Godwin is most common in English-speaking Africa (particularly Nigeria) due to Christian missionary influence. In internet culture, Godwin's Law (coined in 1990) states that as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison to Nazis approaches 1—named after American attorney Michael Wayne Godwin.