Håvard

Inherited from Old Norse Hávarðr, a compound name whose first element is traditionally interpreted in two ways. It may represent hár (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *hauhaz (“high”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kewk- (“to elevate”); alternatively, it may represent hǫð (“battle, fight”), from Proto-Germanic *haþuz (“battle, fight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₃tus (“fight”). The second element is vǫrðr (“guard, guardian”), also found as varðr, from Proto-Germanic *warduz (“guard”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to heed, watch”). The name can therefore be interpreted as either “high guardian” or “battle guardian”. Compare Danish Håvard, Swedish Håvard, Icelandic Hávarður and Faroese Hávarður (“male given names”).