Meaning & History
Chlothar is a Germanic given name, historically recorded in Latin as Chlotharius and in Greek as Khlōthários (Χλωθάριος). The name is the Old German form of Lothar, derived from the Frankish compound *Hlodhari, meaning "famous warrior". This combines the Germanic elements hlut ("famous, loud") and heri ("army, warrior"). The name appears in Old English as Hloþhere and in Old High German as Lothari, evolving into the modern forms Lothair and Lothar.
Notable Bearers
Chlothar was the name of several Merovingian kings of the Franks:
- Chlothar I (c. 497–561), King of the Franks who conquered the Kingdom of Burgundy and reunited the Frankish realms after the death of his father Clovis I.
- Chlothar II (584–629), King of Neustria, later of all the Franks, who enacted the Edict of Paris and expanded royal authority.
- Chlothar III (652–673), King of the Franks controlled by the Neustrian mayor of the palace Ebroin.
- Chlothar IV (died 719), King of the Franks appointed by the Austrasian mayor Charles Martel as a rival to other claimants.
Variants & Cognates
Old High German descendants gave rise to Lothar (used in modern German), while the Old Low Frankish form produced modern French Clotaire and Lothaire. The historical Latinized form Lothair appears in English historiography. Other related names include the Old Germanic reconstructed form Hlūdaharjaz, the variant Chlodochar, and the alternate spelling Hlothar.
- Meaning: "famous warrior" (from hlut "famous" + heri "army")
- Origin: Germanic (Frankish)
- Usage: Historical (Merovingian dynasty)
- Variants: Clotaire, Lothaire, Lothar
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Chlothar