Anglo-Saxon Names
by Ælfwyn æt Gyrwum
(Jodi McMaster,
jmcmaste@accd.edu, ©
1997, last updated 11 Nov 1997)
Men's Names
Women's Names
Anglo-Saxon Links
This list was compiled from the names of persons identified as a member of
the group generally referred to as Anglo-Saxon (Angles, Saxons, Jutes,
etc.) in Bede's A History of the English Church and People
(translated by Leo Sherley-Price, Penguin Classics, 1982), completed in 731
A.D. Though Bede names them by subtribes, Dorothy Whitelock cites evidence
that even by his time most members of this Germanic group thought of
themselves as Angelcynn, the English people. I omitted names where
it was unclear whether the individual named was a member of this group by
birth, such as when a bishop was appointed to an Anglo-Saxon diocese.
Spelling conventions were not consistent in this translation (nor in
period); I changed the spelling to conform to the conventions usually found
in secondary sources. The names in brackets indicate the most commonly
found spelling in Bede's Latin original. These were supplied by Brian
Scott, known in the SCA as Talan Gwynek, to whom I am indebted for
assistance and comment.
Men's Names
- Ælle [Aelli]
- Ælfwine [Aelfuini]: Be careful with spelling this name; the name Ælfwyn appears as a woman's name
in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
- Æðelbert [Aedilberct]
- Æðelfrid [Aedilfrid]
- Æðelhun [Aedilhum]
- Æðelred [Aedilred]
- Æðelwald [Aediluald]
- Æðelwalh [Aedilualch]
- Alchfrid
- Aldfrid
- Aldhelm
- Alduini
- Aldwulf [Alduulf]
- Alric
- Andhun
- Anna
- Berðun [Bercthun]
- Bertwald [Berctuald]
- Cædmon: Although probably not OE in origin adopted into OE use.
- Cælin
- Cearl
- Ceolwulf [Ceoluulf]
- Coenred
- Coenwalh [Coenualch]
- Cuichelm
- Cuðbert [Cudberct]
- Cynegels [Cynigils]
- Cynefrid [Cynifrid]
- Eadbald
- Eadbert [Eadberct]
- Eadfrid
- Eadric [Edric]
- Eadwyn [Aeduini]
- Eafa
- Eanfrid
- Earconbert [Earconberct]
- Earpwald [Eorpuald]
- Egbert [Ecgberct]
- Egfrid [Ecgfrid]
- Egric [Ecgric]
- Eni
- Hengist
- Hereric
- Hlothere
- [Hlotheri]
- Horsa
- Hunwald [Hunuald]
- Immin
- Irminric
- Octa
- Oeric
- Offa
- Osfrid
- Osred
- Osric
- Oswald [Osuald]
- Oswy [Osuiu]
- Oswyn [Osuini]
- Peada
- Penda
- Rægenhere [Rægenheri]
- Redwald [Reduald]
- Ricbert [Ricberct]
- Sabert [Saberct] (nickname Saba)
- Sebbi
- Sigbert [Sigberct]
- Sighard
- Sighere [Sigheri]
- Swefred [Suefred]
- Swidhelm
- Thrydwulf [Thryduulf]
- Tondbert [Tondberct]
- Tondhere [Tondheri]
- Wictred [Uictred]
- Wilfrid [Uilfrid]
- Wini [Uini]
- Wuffa [Uuffa]
- Wuscfrea [Uuscfrea]
- Wulfhere [Uulfheri]
- Yffi
Women's Names
- Acha [Achae]
- Ælffled [Aelbfled]
- Æðelberga [Aedilberg] (nickname Tata [Tatae])
- Æðeldreda or Æðelðryd [Aedilthryd]
- Æðelhild [Aedilhild]
- Breguswið [Bregusuid]
- Coenberg [Quoenburg]
- Cyneburg [Cyniburg]
- Cynwise [Cynuise]
- Eabæ
- Eanfled
- Earcongota [Earcongotæ]
- Edyð [Eadgyd]
- Hilda [Hild]
- Hereswið [Heresuid]
- Osðryd
- Tortgyð [Torctgyd]
- Sexburg
For more info on Anglos-Saxons from the Internet, check out the
following sites:
- The Labyrinth Library's Old English Bookcase and More, nifty links to primary sources and other goodies. If you haven't visited the Labyrinth, you should--it's Georgetown University's list of online medieval resources.
- The Online Medieval and Classical Library at Berkeley, in Modern English.
- Voice of the Shuttle: English Literature, Anglo-Saxon & Medieval, a comprehensive set of links compiled by Alan Liu at Berkeley. The links venture outside the bounds of what I'd list as "English" literature, despite the name--and it adds a lot of good medieval information.
- The Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Research at the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University.
- Angelcynn, an Anglo-Saxon Living History Society based in the UK.
- Regia Anglorum, another Anglo-Saxon Living History Society based in the UK.
- Celts & Saxons, in that order--you've got to wade through the Celtic links to get to the Saxon ones. I've only checked out a few links; it appears to be a mix of neo-Celtic stuff, language links along with some scholarly sources. Some interesting language links to try out.
- Instant Old English, by Cathy Ball. Greetings and other useful phrases to spice up personas.
- Medieval Scandanavia and Anglo-Saxon Britain, a Harvard list of links. Again, the Anglo-Saxons are at the end.
Questions? E-mail Jodi McMaster. (known in the SCA as Ælfwyn æt Gyrwum)