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The short answer
Arthur is a masculine name whose meaning, according to Behind the Name, is unknown. It could come from the Celtic elements artos "bear" (Old Welsh arth) combined with wiros "man" or rīxs "king", or it could be related to the obscure Roman family name Artorius. It is the name of the central figure of Arthurian legend, a 6th-century king of the Britons who resisted Saxon invaders and who may or may not have been a real person. The name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages because of the Arthurian romances and surged in the 19th century. It ranked #87 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name opens flatly: "The meaning of this name is unknown." It then offers two possibilities. The name "could be derived from the Celtic elements *artos 'bear' (Old Welsh arth) combined with *wiros 'man' (Old Welsh gur) or *rīxs 'king' (Old Welsh ri)", or "alternatively it could be related to an obscure Roman family name Artorius". The entry adds that King Arthur first appears in Welsh poems and chronicles, perhaps briefly in the 7th-century Y Gododdin and more definitively in the 9th-century History of the Britons, but that his character was not developed until Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. Art and Artie are the English diminutives; Artur is the German and Swedish variant.
Editorial confidence: uncertain
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Celtic (reconstructed) | *artos (Old Welsh arth) | bear |
| Celtic (reconstructed) | *wiros (Old Welsh gur) | man |
| Celtic (reconstructed) | *rīxs (Old Welsh ri) | king |
Competing or overlapping origins
- A Celtic compound of *artos "bear" with either *wiros "man" or *rīxs "king".
- A connection to the obscure Roman family name Artorius.
Popularity
Arthur ranked #87 for boys in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration). Behind the Name says the name came into general use in England in the Middle Ages and enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 19th century.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #87 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: Art, Artie
Variants: Artur, Arturo, Artúr, Artair
Related names: Arthurson, Arturs, Artturi
What the name feels like
Arthur is a name with a grandfather's dignity and a king's romance, and in English it currently reads as vintage rather than dated. Two syllables with a soft th in the middle give it a gentler sound than most royal names, and Art or Artie takes the formality down when needed.
Style tags: vintage, legendary, royal, two syllables, Celtic
Editorial interpretation: The style summary is editorial opinion. The famous bearers Behind the Name names (Schopenhauer, Conan Doyle, Arthur C. Clarke) are not expanded into a namesake section per the Tier 2 rule.
If you like this name
Other vintage boys' names with a legendary or literary weight, and names with a similar sound.
Similar by style
Similar by sound
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Arthur mean?
The meaning is unknown. Behind the Name suggests it may come from Celtic artos ("bear") combined with wiros ("man") or rīxs ("king"), or that it may be related to the Roman family name Artorius.
Was King Arthur a real person?
Behind the Name says he may or may not have been based on a real person. He appears in early Welsh poems and chronicles, but his character was not developed until Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century chronicles.
Is Arthur a popular name?
Yes. Arthur ranked #87 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Arthur — supports etymology, competing origins, Arthurian legend, usage history, nicknames, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
