'Anselm' originates from Old High German, specifically the name 'Anselm' (also recorded as 'Anshelm' or Latinized 'Anselmus'), where the element 'ans' meant 'god' and 'helm' meant 'helmet' or 'protection'.

'Anselm' changed from the Old High German personal name into the Latinized form 'Anselmus' in medieval ecclesiastical records, passed into Old French and Middle English usage, and eventually became the modern English personal name 'Anselm'.

Initially it meant 'god-helmet' or 'divine protection' (a compound name implying protection by the gods), but over time it has become primarily a personal name associated especially with the historical figure Saint Anselm rather than a literal descriptive phrase.