Another peculiarity of the Frankish dialect was the change of hl at the beginning of a name into cl or chl, and hr into cr or chr. Hence the names of the Frankish kings Clothar, Chlodomir, and Clodowich, for Hlothar, Hlodomir, and Hlodowich. Of this form there appear to be considerable traces in Anglo-Saxon times; there are three names in Kemble's list of early settlers which may find a place here, the Crangas, the Cramlingas, and the Crucgingas. The name Crangas, as it stands, is difficult to deal with, and I should suppose it to be properly either Cringas or Craningas—in the former case from hring, circle, perhaps in the sense of shield—in the latter from chrann, as a Frankish form of raban or raven, Cf. Chrannus in the genealogy of the Merovingian kings. Cramlingas again compares with a Frankish name Chramlin from the same stem, while Crucgingas seems to be a Frankish form of Rucingas, also on Kemble's list.
The first group of names, Claude, Cloud, &c., are referred to O.H.G. laut, loud, in the supposed sense of famous.
Clod for hlod, fame.
A.S. Clodd (found in Cloddes heal), Clott (found in Clottismôr), Clud (found in Cludesleah)[48]—Frnk. Chlodio, Cludio, 5th cent.—Eng. Claude, Cloade, Clodd, Cloud, Clout.
Compounds.
(Gis or kis, hostage), O.G. Hludokis—Eng. Clukas (for Cludkis?). (Hari, warrior), Frnk. Clothar, Chluthar—Eng. Clothier, Clutter. (Man, vir), Eng. Cloudman, Cloutman (for which no ancient equivalents as yet turn up.)
The next group, Croad, Crowd, &c., may be referred to hrod, glory, the stem from which are formed Robert, Roland, Roger, &c.
Crod for hrod.
A.S. Cruda, found in Crudan sceat—Frnk. Chrodo, Crodio—Eng. Croad, Crowd, Crowdy, Croot, Crout.
Ending in en, p. [27].