Given name
Arthor
“strong as a bear”
Arthor is a variant of Arthur. Arthur is sometimes interpreted as “strong as a bear,” but a secure literal meaning is not established. Arthur’s heroic associations arise clearly from Arthurian legend and should be distinguished from a proven word-for-word etymology.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Arthor is a variant of Arthur. Arthur is sometimes interpreted as “strong as a bear,” but a secure literal meaning is not established. Arthur’s heroic associations arise clearly from Arthurian legend and should be distinguished from a proven word-for-word etymology.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Arthor is a variant of Arthur. Arthur belongs to a Celtic and British naming tradition, though its precise derivation is obscure. Early material includes the Latinized form Artorius; that form alone does not settle the name’s ultimate roots.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Arthor is a variant of Arthur. The shared background comes through Arthur: Arthur’s historical forms include the Latinized Artorius. Arthur’s deeper derivation is obscure, so the modern spelling provides no secure word-for-word explanation.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1896. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Arthor is a variant of Arthur. The history of Arthur gives this family its wider story. Medieval literature built an extensive body of legend around King Arthur, whose historical identity is uncertain. In nineteenth-century Britain, the fame of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King helped renew interest in the name. The wider Victorian enthusiasm for medieval stories formed part of that revival.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Arthor through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 613
- 613 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1923
- 21 babies
- 2025
- 6
- #10,807 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 6 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 10,807 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 21 in 1923. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 226 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Arthor, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Arthel
“strong as a bear”
>99% boys
Egbert
“one who wields a brilliant sword”
>99% boys
Ott
“a wealthy man”
>99% boys
Baltasar
“baal protect the king”
>99% boys
Reinold
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Ferdie
“a courageous voyager”
>99% boys
Gust
“one who is venerable; majestic” · “from the staff of the gods”
>99% boys
Rinaldo
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys