Arthur
Meaning: Its source is Arnthor, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Thor, the eagle."
Languages: This boy's name is used in Dutch and English.
Alternative Spellings: Arther
Feminine Forms: Arthuretta
Source Forms: Arnthor
Popularity: The name Arthur ranked 326th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 48th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.
Narrative: Other possible sources include an Irish Gaelic word meaning ''stone''; Artorius, a Latin family name; and artos, the Celtic word for ''bear.''
Scholars believe the most famous bearer of this name, King Arthur, was really an ancient Celtic chieftain whose story was embellished and romanticized centuries after his death. The real facts may interest us, but they could never compete with the Knights of the Round Table, the sword Excalibur, Guinevere and Lancelot, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the many other Arthurian legends that have been told and re-told for the last thousand years.
Arts and Music
- Arthur Erickson
- 1986 American Institute of Architects gold medal winner (see list of Winners of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal)
- Arthur Fiedler (born 1894, died 1979)
American conductor who led the Boston Pops for nearly 50 years.
- Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, 1930-79 (see list of Conductors)
- Arthur Honegger (born 1892, died 1955)
French composer.
- Composer of oratorios, orchestral works, and chamber music (see list of Composers of the 20th Century)
- Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (born 1851, died 1942)
English architect and furniture designer.
- Started the Arts and Crafts movement in England (see list of Miscellaneous Architects)
- Arthur Edward Satherley
- Country Music Hall of Fame (see list of Country Music Hall of Fame)
Leadership
- Arthur
Legendary sixth-century British monarch.
- If he ever actually existed, Arthur was likely a Welsh warrior-chieftan, rather than the chivalrous ruler of all Britain described in tales since the Middle Ages (see list of British Monarchs)
- Arthur J. Balfour (born 1848, died 1930)
British philosopher and statesman. In 1917, while serving as foreign minister, issued the Balfour Declaration, stating British support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
- British prime minister, 1902-05 (see list of Miscellaneous Political Leaders)
- Arthur M. Blank
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Home Depot (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Home Depot (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Arthur J. Goldberg
American politician, diplomat and jurist.
- U.S. representative to the United Nations, 1965-68 (see list of U.S. Representatives to the United Nations)
- U.S. Supreme Court justice, 1962-65 (see list of U.S. Supreme Court Justices)
- Arthur Travers ''Bomber'' Harris (born 1892, died 1984)
British air officer.
- Led the RAF''s ''''saturation bombing'''' of Germany in WWII (see list of Miscellaneous Military Leaders)
- Arthur Henderson (born 1863, died 1935)
British statesman who chaired the 1932 International Disarmament Conference.
- 1934 Nobel Prize winner for Peace (see list of Nobel Peace Prize Winners)
- Arthur C. Martinez
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Sears Roebuck (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Sears Roebuck (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Sears Roebuck (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Sears Roebuck (see list of 1997 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Sears Roebuck (see list of 1998 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Arthur Middleton
- Signer, Declaration of Independence, South Carolina (see list of Signers of the Declaration of Independence)
- Arthur F. Ryan
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Prudential Insurance of America (see list of 1997 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Prudential Insurance of America (see list of 1996 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Prudential Ins. Co. of America (see list of 2000 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Arthur Ryan
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Prudential Ins. Co. of America (see list of 1998 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- CEO of Fortune 500 company Prudential Ins. Co. of America (see list of 1999 Fortune 500 Company CEOs)
- Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (born 1769, died 1852)
British military and political leader. Defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
- Leader of the British and allied forces in Spain and Belgium during the Napoleonic wars (see list of Generals of the Napoleonic Wars)
Miscellaneous
- Arthur
- Hurricane or tropical storm (see list of Hurricane and Tropical Storm Names)
- Arthur Armstrong Denny
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame (see list of National Cowboy Hall of Fame)
- Arthur Fiedler (born 1894, died 1979)
American conductor who led the Boston Pops for nearly 50 years.
- 1977 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Arthur Flemming
- 1994 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Arthur J. Goldberg
American politician, diplomat and jurist.
- 1980 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Arthur Hill (born 1922)
Canadian actor.
- Born in Melfort, Saskatchewan (see list of Famous Canadians)
- Arthur Hiller (born 1923)
Canadian-American film director. Best known for Love Story.
- Born in Edmonton, Alberta (see list of Famous Canadians)
- Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (born 1943, died 1993)
The first prominent African-American male tennis player. Died of AIDS.
- 1993 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Arthur Krock (born 1886, died 1974)
American political writer.
- 1970 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
- Arthur Lismer (born 1885, died 1969)
English-born Canadian painter.
- Died in Montreal, Quebec (see list of Famous Canadians)
Science and Philosophy
- Arthur H. Compton (born 1892, died 1962)
American physicist who studied X-rays.
- 1927 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, with Charles Wilson (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)
- Arthur Godfrey (born 1903, died 1983)
American actor, singer, and television host.
- Member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (see list of National Aviation Hall of Fame)
- Arthur Harden
British chemist known for his studies of fermentation.
- 1929 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, with Hans von Euler-Chelpin (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
- Arthur Kornberg (born 1918)
American biochemist who discovered how DNA is replicated in the cell.
- 1959 Nobel Prize winner in Physiology/Medicine, with Severo Ochoa (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
- 1979 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Arthur Lewis
British economist known for his research into economic development, particularly in developing countries.
- 1979 Nobel Prize winner for Economics, with Theodore Schultz (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Economics)
- Arthur L. Schawlow (born 1921, died 1999)
American scientist who helped develop laser spectroscopy.
- 1981 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, with Nicolaas Bloembergen and Kai Siegbahn (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics)
- 1991 National Medal of Science winner (see list of National Medal of Science Winners)
- Arthur Schopenhauer (born 1788, died 1860)
German philosopher.
- Founder of Pessimism (see list of Philosophers)
Sports
- Arthur Bisquier
- 1954 U.S. Chess champion (see list of United States Chess Champions)
- Arthur Donovan
- Member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (see list of Non-Participant inductees)
- Arthur W. Gore
- 1901, 1908-09 Wimbledon tennis champion (see list of Wimbledon Tennis Champions)
- Arthur G. Havers
- 1923 British Open golf champion (see list of British Open Golf Champions)
- Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (born 1943, died 1993)
The first prominent African-American male tennis player. Died of AIDS.
- 1968 U.S. Open tennis champion (see list of U.S. Open Tennis Champions)
- 1975 Wimbledon tennis champion (see list of Wimbledon Tennis Champions)
- 1970 Australian Open tennis champion (see list of Australian Open Tennis Champions)
- 1992 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (see list of Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year)
- Arthur Kidder
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1984 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
- Arthur Larsen
- 1950 U.S. Open tennis champion (see list of U.S. Open Tennis Champions)
- Arthur C. ''Dutch'' Lonborg
American basketball coach.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
- Arthur Mercante (born 1920)
Boxing referee.
- Member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame (see list of Non-Participant inductees)
- Arthur Pickens
Jockey.
- 1908 Kentucky Derby winner (see list of Jockeys Who Have Won the Kentucky Derby)
- Arthur V. Roth
American runner.
- 1916 Boston Marathon champion (see list of Boston Marathon Winners)
- Arthur Russel
British athlete.
- 1908 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for 3000m Steeplechase (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Track Events)
- Arthur Wint
Jamaican athlete.
- 1948 Olympic track and field gold medal winner for 400m (see list of Olympic Gold Medalists in Miscellaneous Track Events)
Stage and Screen
- Uncle Arthur
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Paul Lynde (see list of Characters on ''Bewitched'')
- Arthur
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by E.G. Marshall (see list of Characters in the film Interiors)
- Arthur Cohn
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Lt. Arthur Fancy
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by James McDaniel (see list of Characters on ''NYPD Blue'')
- Arthur Fiedler (born 1894, died 1979)
American conductor who led the Boston Pops for nearly 50 years.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Arthur ''Fonzie'' Fonzarelli
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Henry Winkler (see list of Characters on ''Happy Days'')
- Arthur Godfrey (born 1903, died 1983)
American actor, singer, and television host.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Arthur Hewlett
- Portrayed One-Twelve from 1961-63 (see list of Actors on ''The Avengers'')
- Arthur Hill (born 1922)
Canadian actor.
- 1963 Tony Award winner for his performance in Who''s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (see list of Tony winners for Best Actor in a Play)
- Sen. Arthur Johnson
- Portrayed by Burl Ives (see list of Characters on ''Roots'')
- Arthur Kennedy (born 1914, died 1990)
American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television (see list of Television Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Arthur Lake (born 1905, died 1987)
American actor who co-starred in more than twenty-four Blondie and Dagwood movies.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (see list of Radio Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Arthur ''Harpo'' Marx (born 1893, died 1964)
American comedian.
- On Hollywood''s Footprints of Fame (see list of Celebrities Honored by Mann's Chinese Theater)
- Arthur Miller (born 1915)
American playwright.
- 1984 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- On The Hollywood Blacklist (see list of Blacklisted Hollywood Figures)
- Arthur Mitchell (born 1934)
American dancer.
- 1993 Kennedy Center Honors recipient (see list of Kennedy Center Honors Recipients)
- Arthur Peterson (died 1996)
American actor.
- Portrayed The Major (see list of Actors on ''Soap'')
- Arthur Spiegel
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
- Lt. Arthur Tragg
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Ray Collins (see list of Characters on ''Perry Mason'')
- Arthur Treacher (born 1894, died 1975)
English-born American actor.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
The Literary World
- Arthur, Duke of Brittany
- A rival to the title character in King John (see list of Shakespearean Characters)
- Arthur Bowie Chrisman
- 1926 Newbery Medal winner, for Shen of the Sea (see list of Newbery Medal Winners)
- Arthur Daley
- 1956 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot Reporting)
- Arthur Dimmesdale
Fictional character
- The guilt-ridden reverend in Nathaniel Hawthorne''s novel, The Scarlet Letter (see list of Characters from the Classics)
- Arthur Conan Doyle (born 1859, died 1930)
English mystery writer.
- Wrote The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (see list of Prose Writers of the Victorian Era)
- Arthur Hailey (born 1920)
Canadian novelist.
- Author of the 1968 best-selling novel Airport and the 1971 best-selling novel Wheels (see list of Bestselling Fiction Authors in the U.S.)
- Wrote Hotel (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Arthur Howe
- 1986 Pulitzer Prize winner for National Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting)
- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (born 1917)
American historian.
- 1966 Pulitzer Prize winner for Biography/Autobiography, for A Thousand Days: JFK in the White House (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography)
- Two-time National Book Award winner for Nonfiction, in 1966 for A Thousand Days: JFK in the White House and in 1979 for Robert Kennedy and His Times (see list of Winners of the National Book Award for Nonfiction)
- 1946 Pulitzer Prize winner for History, for The Age of Jackson (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for History)
- Arthur Krock (born 1886, died 1974)
American political writer.
- 1935 and 1938 Pulitzer Prize winner for Correspondence (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence)
- Arthur Malloy
Fictional character.
- One of Al Bradley''s buddies in Stephen King''s novel It (see list of Characters in It)
- Arthur Miller (born 1915)
American playwright.
- 1949 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, for Death of a Salesman (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)
- Wrote The Crucible (see list of Prose Writers of the 20th Century)
- Arthur M. Petacque
- 1974 Pulitzer Prize winner for Spot Reporting (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Spot Reporting)
- Arthur Rimbaud (born 1854, died 1891)
French poet.
- Wrote Illuminations (see list of Poets of the Victorian Era)
- Arthur Stimson
Fictional character.
- Died after trying to amputate his foot in Stephen King''s novel The Stand (see list of Characters in The Stand)
- Arthur Walworth
- 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner for Biography/Autobiography, for Woodrow Wilson, American Prophet (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography)
- Arthur Weasley
Fictional character
- Father, head of the Weasley family (see list of Selected characters from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling)
Teasing Nicknames:
- Dart
- Fart
- Artsy-Fartsy
- Farty-Arty
- Arth-Barf
Meaning: Its source is Arnthor, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Thor, the eagle."
Popularity: The name Arthur ranked 2697th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.
This name is usually reserved for boys. In part, it may owe its position on the US Census popularity list to incorrectly filled-out census forms.
Narrative: Other possibile sources include an Irish Gaelic word meaning ''stone,'' the Latin family name Artorius, and the Celtic word artos, meaning ''bear.''
None
Associations:
An ''Arthur Rank'' is a bank in British rhyming slang.
