Where Does The Name Edgar Come From?

Like all the numerous "Ed" mames "Edward, Edwin etc) Edgar comes from the Old English word ead or "prosperity, riches." The rest is from gar, "spear." It is therefore quite a warlike name, though ironically its popularity in the early Middle Ages was partly due to the fame of a tenth-century English king known as Edgar the peaceful. In fact it would have been even better known as a royal name if it hadn't been for the Norman Conquest; Edgar was the name of the prince chosen to succeed King Harold in 1066, but was prevented by William of Normandy.

In the later 20th century the name Edgar became less common. It is still remembered as the name of two best-selling authors of the early 20th century, Edgar Rice Burroughs (creator of Tarzan) and Edgar Wallace, the detective novelist. In literature it is the name of major characters in Shakespeare's King Lear and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.