Where does “Herne” come from?

Herne (English) comes from Old English hyrne, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijā, from Proto-Germanic hurnijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂- — head, top; horn.

Herne (English): Herne the Hunter, an English mythological figure; an antlered ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire

Definitions

  1. Herne the Hunter, an English mythological figure; an antlered ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire

Ancestry of “Herne”, step by step

Herne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English hyrne

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhyrnehorn; corner; angle
2Proto-Germanic*hurnijā—
3Proto-Germanichurnijǭa little horn; hook; an angle; corner; nook
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱerh₂-head, top; horn

via German Herne

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanHerne—
2Middle High GermanHernen—
3Old High GermanHaranni—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hurnijǭ →Every word from Proto-Germanic *hurnijā →