Rotrude Explained

Rotrude is a feminine given name of Germanic origin.

Spellings

It has many spelling variants in the primary sources of the early Middle Ages, including:^[1]

• Chrotrud (Annales Mosellani)
• Chrotrudis (Annales Petaviani)
• Hroddrud
• Hrothrud (Annales Laureshamenses)
• Hrottrudis
• Hroderudis
• Hruoddrud (Annales Fuldenses)
• Hruodtrud (Annales Regni Francorum)
• Hurodrud (Vita Karoli Magni)
• Hruothruda (Annales Laurissenses minores)
• Rhodrud
• Rodruda
• Rotrud (Annales Bertiniani)
• Rotrudis
• Ruadruda
• Ruatrudis (Gesta abbatum Fontanellensium)
• Ruodthrud
• Ruodrud (Annales Quedlinburgenses)
• Ruotdrud (Annales Altahenses)
• Ruotrud (Chronicon Moissiacense)
• Rutruda

Theophanes the Confessor records the name in Greek as Erythro, meaning 'red', possibly an attempted translation.^[2]

Notable people

• Rotrude of Hesbaye (died 724), wife of Charles Martel
• Rotrude (died 810), daughter of Charlemagne
• Rotrude (born), daughter of Tassilo III of Bavaria
• Rotrude (born 800), daughter of Louis the Pious
• , daughter of Lothair I
• Rotrude, daughter of Charles the Bald
• Rotrude (born), daughter of Charles the Simple

Notes and References

1. Ernst Wilhelm Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch, Volume 1 (1900), cols. 896–897.
2. Book: Turtledove. Harry. Harry Turtledove. The Chronicle of Theophanes: Anni mundi 6095-6305 (A.D. 602-813). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania Press . 1982. 978-0-8122-1128-3. s.a. 6274.