Being Germanic pagans, it is likely that they would have been called kings by their followers, whereas the Christianized Franks, who had inherited the Latin literary tradition, would have referred to them as dukes.
Som germanske hedninge er det sandsynligt, at de ville have være blevet kaldt konger af deres tilhængere, mens kristne som frankerne, som havde arvet den latinske litterære tradition, ville kalde dem hertuger.