Marmaduke (name)

Marmaduke is a masculine given name.

As an English name, it is derived from the two parts of the name.

1. The Latin root word MARMA which means a "piece of sculptured or inscribed marble" and was taken directly into Old English as marma (German Marmor is restored Latin from Old High German marmul).[1] The Latin is related to the ancient Greek μάρμαρος meaning shining stone. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the Latin word was adopted early into the Germanic languages: Old English marma (in compounds also marm- : see marm-stone n.), marmor- , marmel- (only in the compound marmorstān , marmelstān : see marmor n.), Old High German marmul , murmul (Middle High German marmel , mermel , German Marmor (the stone), Murmel (as a toy; compare sense A. 11a)), Middle Dutch marmer , marmel (more commonly marber , marbel < Old French; Dutch marmer (the stone), marmel (as a toy, now archaic; compare sense A. 11a)), Old Icelandic marmari , Old Swedish malmare , (in compounds) malmar- , marmer- , marmor- (Swedish marmor ).[2]
2. DUKE directly from Latin dux (genitive ducis) "leader, commander," in Late Latin "governor of a province," from ducere "to lead," from PIE root *deuk- "to lead."

A historical reference is found a genealogy book where the author references his relative named Marmaduke: "The name Marmaduke is from the Anglo-Saxon and means “a mighty noble."[3]

As an Irish name, Marmaduke is interpreted as meaning "follower of Saint Máedóc".[4]