Medieval Naming Guides: Old English

Old English (Anglo-Saxon)

Anglo-Saxon Names, by Ælfwyn æt Gyrwum
A list of given names from a modern translation of Bede. Modern scholarly spellings are used and Latin spellings from the original text are given for many names.

Anglo-Saxon Women's Names from Royal Charters, by Marieke van de Dal.
A list of feminine names collected from a set of charters available online (see below)

Anglo-Saxon Charters, compiled by Sean Miller; also available via the British Academy - Royal Historical Society's Regesta Regum Anglorum.
A collection of Anglo-Saxon charters, in Latin. The lists of signatories and witnesses at the ends of many of the charters are good sources for names; in many charters, each name in these lists is marked with a +. The names are given in documentary forms and some are Latinized, so they do not necessarily reflect the common spoken forms of names. In many cases, removing the ending -us produces the original name, but some are more heavily Latinized. For any particular name, it would be wise to confirm the standard form in another source; you can ask the Academy of Saint Gabriel for help.

The Names of Testators in the Cartularium Saxonicum Malmesburiensem, by Aryanhwy merch Catmael.
A collection of masculine and a handful of feminine names from 7th-11th C (pre-Conquest) charters. The charters are in Latin, but the testators signed their names in a mix of English and Latin. Where known, the standardized Old English spelling is provided.

PASE Database, part of the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
A database of individuals mentioned in pre-Conquest English documents. Alphabetized by modern standard form; the "recorded forms" heading gives original spellings. The database is also indexed by status, possessions, occupations, relationships, and more. This database replaces an older list of Anglo-Saxon people recorded in selected reference works.

Personal Names in the Domesday Book, by Constanza of Thamesreach.
A county by county list of the Latinized names found in the Great and Little Domesday books, with standardized forms. Not all of the names are Old English; many of the invaders from the Continent are also listed, as well as names of Breton, Cornish, Welsh, and Norse origin.


The Medieval Names Archive is published by Ursula Georges. It was historically published by the Academy of Saint Gabriel.
Copyright on individual articles belongs to their authors.
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/engoldenglish.shtml