Ingwald

Ingwald is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It is formed from the elements ing, a theonym associated with the ancestral tribe of the Ingvaeones or the deity Ing, and wald, a common element in Germanic names meaning ruler or power. The combined meaning is often understood as “ruler of Ing’s people” or “power of Ing.”

Historically, Ingwald appears in medieval Germanic and Scandinavian onomastic records in various spellings, including Ingward, Ingewald, and Ingvald. As a given name it has remained relatively uncommon and today is seldom used outside certain families or historical or neo-Germanic contexts. In German-speaking regions and parts of the Nordic world, the name has left few direct lineal descendants in modern registries.

Variants of the name include Ingward, Ingwalde, Ingewald, and Ingvald. The name has sometimes appeared as a surname in later periods, though this usage is uncommon.

In contemporary fiction and fantasy literature inspired by medieval Europe, Ingwald is occasionally used as a character name or place-name, reflecting its Germanic roots. In historical studies, Ingwald is encountered mainly in prosopography or onomastic surveys rather than as a prominent historical figure.