This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

Engelbrekt was also used in Sweden
There is a famous Swedish freedom fighter, Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (killed 1436). Of course, he had probably German roots."But it’s all right now.
I learned my lesson well.
You see you can’t please everyone
So you got to please yourself."
Rick Nelson, GardenParty"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
vote up1vote down

Replies

Engel = 'angel';Brekt = 'bright'.It was a common habit of the old Scandinavians and Germanic tribes to combine elements such as 'hard', 'bright','worth'etc into the naming of people, things and places,eg; "coward".You can read it either as "cow-ward(en)" or "cow-hard".
Does the name Engelbert sound familiar?It should,it means the same thing and may also be read as "Angel-born",where "Bert" means "birth".Wasn't Engelbert Humperdinck a freedom fighter long before his name was lifted by some cheesey sixties singer? S.
vote up1vote down