Old English (Anglo-saxon) names belong to the Old English (Anglo-saxon) language tradition. This collection contains 1,993 Old English (Anglo-saxon) names with their meanings, cultural backgrounds, and pronunciation guides. You'll find 1,212 names traditionally given to boys and 668 names for girls, reflecting naming patterns from regions where Old English (Anglo-saxon) is spoken. These names carry the linguistic heritage and cultural values of Old English (Anglo-saxon)-speaking communities. Common themes include noble, nature, new, showing what Old English (Anglo-saxon) cultures have valued across generations.
From a surname which was itself derived from the Norman French form of the given names “Alberich or Alfred.” In turn, the name is of Germanic and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origin and comes from the roots: (ALBERICH) and (ALFRED). Avery was the 13th most common name for girls born in the United States in 2012.
⭐ PopularTyne derives from an English surname. Tyne is a river in North East England. Nothing definite is known of the origin of the designation “Tyne,” nor is the river known by that name until the Saxon period: Tynemouth is recorded in Anglo-Saxon as Tinanmuðe. There is a theory that “Tīn” was a word that meant “river” in the local Celtic language or in a language spoken in England before the Celts came.The word Tīn could also derive from "tinan", which means to dissolve or disperse.
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the Middle English “lake,” meaning “lake, watercourse, the body of water,” from the Old English “lacu,” meaning “lake, pond, pool, stream, watercourse.” Despite their similarity in form and meaning, the English lake is not related to Latin “lacus” (hollow, lake, pond). Lake is also a reasonably common surname recorded in England before the 13th-century.
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “byrele / byrle,” used in the middle age meaning “cupbearer or knotty wood.” A burl (American English) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch filled with small knots from dormant buds.
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the Old English surname from the byname “Cola and Charcoal,” from the Old English “col,” from the Proto-Germanic “*kulą,” meaning “coal.” Charcoal is a light, black residue consisting of carbon and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. In turn, the name means “a person with dark features.”
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the Old English surname from the byname “Cola and Charcoal,” from the Old English “col,” from the Proto-Germanic “*kulą,” meaning “coal.” Charcoal is a light, black residue consisting of carbon and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. In turn, the name means “a person with dark features.”
⭐ PopularThis name derived from the English surname “Nash,” by colloquialism, and was established from an early date in Ireland and Wales, from the Old English “æsce,” from the Proto-Germanic “*askǭ,” meaning “ash, the solid remains of a fire.” It is topographical and describes a person who lived “at ash (tree). The name was popularized by the American mathematician John Forbes Nash (Born 1928) and further popularized in the 1990s by the television series “Nash Bridges.”
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “wrenna,” meaning “wren, small songbird.” Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera.
⭐ PopularHall is a family name of English origin but has Scottish Heritage, from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “heall,” meaning “someone who lived in or worked in a hall or manor house.” Hall’s surname originated in 1090 AD when Lincolnshire nobleman Arthur Fitzwilliam changed his name to Arthur Hall to distinguish himself from his older brother of the same name. Hall can also be an anglicized surname of Dutch, German, or Swedish origin.
⭐ PopularThe origin of this name is still quite uncertain today. The theories include: 1) From the English medieval personal name “cade,” from the Old English pre-7th-Century “cada,” which derives from a Germanic word meaning a “swelling” or “lump,” and as such might have been used as a nickname for a stout person. 2) From the Old French “cade,” meaning “a cask or barrel,” the surname, therefore, being metonymic for a cooper, a barrel-maker. 3) From the Middle English “cade,” meaning “a pet, domestic animal,” especially one left by its mother and reared by hand. In this case, the surname would evolve from a nickname for a gentle, inoffensive person. John Cade († 1450) was the leader of the Kentish rebellion against Henry VI in 1450 and was killed at Heathfield in July of that year.
⭐ PopularThis name derives from the English “ember,” which in turn derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “ǣmyrġe” meaning “a glowing piece of coal or wood, smoldering ash.”
This name derives from the English “Easton,” composed of two Old English elements: “ēast” (east) plus “tūn” (town, settlement, residential district). In turn, the name means “east town.”
This name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational surname deriving from the place called “Tatham” in Lancashire near Lancaster. The placename is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Tathaim”, and in the Fines Court Rolls of Lancashire for 1202 as “Tateham”, meaning “Tata’s homestead.” The name derives from the Old English personal name “Tata” plus “Ham,” a settlement, farm, or homestead.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
It is topographical and describes a person who lived and worked a farm of meadows or grazing lands. The derivation is from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-Century “lēah” (woodland, a clearing “especially one used for farming,” a meadow), plus “mann” (human being, person “male or female”; brave man, hero; servant, vassal.”
A Laird is a member of the gentry. The Scots and Northern English dialectal variant Laird has been recorded in writing since the 13th-century, as a surname, and in its modern context since the middle of the 15th-century. It is derived from the Northern Middle English laverd, itself derived from the Old English word “hlafweard,” meaning “warden of loaves.” However, Lord and Lady have since become words primarily associated with the dignity of peers in Scotland, so the term “Laird” has taken on a separate meaning.
This name comes from different origins and is often linked to Family names and places. 1) In England, Hayes arose as a locational surname, associated with one of the several places named “Hayes,” based on the Old English “haes” (brushwood, underwood) and the other based on “horg” (enclosure) or “hege” (hedge). 2) Hayes originated as a Gaelic polygenetic surname “O hAodha,” meaning descendant of “Aodh” (fire), or of “Aed,” an Irish mythological god. 3) In Scotland, Hayes is a Scoto-Norman surname, a direct translation of the Normans’ locational surname “de la Haye,” meaning “of La Haye” (the hedge) being the name of several towns on the Cotentin peninsula of Normandy, France.
This name derives from an English surname, originally from a place name, meaning “boundary gate.” This name derives from a place called “Merriott” in Somerset. This place-name, although in fact, the surname recording precedes it, is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Meriet” and translates as “the gate at the boundary.” Merriott is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, near Crewkerne and 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The settlement has a population of 1,979.
It is residential or topographical for a person who lived at the ridge of a hill or came from one of the several places called Ridge, Ridge Hill, or The Ridge, found throughout England. This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-Century word “hrycg.” A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. Ridge Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful.
This name derives from the Middle English “lake,” meaning “lake, watercourse, the body of water,” from the Old English “lacu,” meaning “lake, pond, pool, stream, watercourse.” Despite their similarity in form and meaning, the English lake is not related to Latin “lacus” (hollow, lake, pond). Lake is also a reasonably common surname recorded in England before the 13th-century.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) surname and place name “Creighton,” composed of two elements: From the Old Irish “crích / críoch” (end, boundary, limit, region, territory) plus the Old English “tūn” (a farm, a hamlet, town). In turn, the name means “border town.” Mount Creighton is a mountain about 3 nautical miles (6 km) east-northeast of Mount Gavaghan in the Porthos Range of the Prince Charles Mountains.
This name is of Old English origin, composed of two Old English elements: “hǣþ” (heath, untilled land, heather) plus “lēah” (meadow, woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming’). In turn, the name means “heather field.” It is an English locational surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from one of the places called Hadley in Hertfordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire and any of the places called Hadleigh in Suffolk, Essex and elsewhere. Hadley Richardson (1891–1979) was the first wife of American author Ernest Hemingway.
Perry derives from a surname, which is both English and Welsh in origin. It can be derived from the Middle English “perrie”, Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “pyrige,” meaning “pear tree,” or else from the Welsh “ap Herry,” meaning “son of Herry,” which is the diminutive of Henry and Harold. A famous bearer of the surname was Matthew Perry (1794–1858), the American naval officer who opened Japan to the West.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “fox glōfa,” composed of two elements: “fox” (red fox) plus “glōfa” (glove, flat of the hand, palm). In turn, the name means “foxglove.” Foxglove is also a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous biennials from the Old World (Europe) sure to be appreciated for their dark pink flashy flowers.
This name derives from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-Century “byrum, bȳre” (Proto-Germanic: *buriz), meaning “child, son, descendant, young man, youth”. In turn, the name means “the cattle sheds, dweller at the cattle byres”. Lord Byron was an English poet and a leading figure in Romanticism. Among Byron’s best-known works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage and the short lyric She Walks in Beauty. He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
It is a given name derived from the Irish surname “Ó Raghallaigh or the Anglicised form O’Reilly.” The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) The name is composed of two elements: from the Gaelic “ràgh” (Irish: Rás; Proto-Germanic: *rēsō), meaning “race” plus the Irish and Scottish Gaelic “Caillech”, meaning “veiled one”, an adjectival form of “caille”, meaning “veil”. In Gaelic mythology, Cailleach is a divine hag, a creator deity and weather deity, and possibly an ancestor deity. 2) From an Old English surname and place name, from the root “roggo lēah,” meaning “rye clearing” (rye, type of grain). The Ó Raghallaigh family were part of the Connachta, with the eponymous Raghallach said to have died at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. The family became the kings of East Breifne, modern-day County Cavan, and County Longford.
Ethel is a short form of Etheldreda, Ethelene, and Ethelheard. It is of Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origin and comes from the following root: æthel (noble). Ethel was in origin used as a familiar form of such names. However, it began to be used as a female first name in the early 19th-century, gaining popularity due to characters so named in novels by W. M. Thackeray and Charlotte Mary Yonge (The Daisy Chain whose heroine's full name is Etheldred - 1856); actress Ethel Barrymore (born 1879) was named after the character in The Newcomes.
This name derives from the Anglo-Saxon surname “Rylands, Rylance, Roylance,” composed of two Old English elements: “rhy” (watercourse, stream) plus “land / lond” (land). In turn, the name means “of the Rylands or island meadow.”
This name is of Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origin, composed of two elements: “eald” (old) plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). The name means “one who lives in the old village.” Alton is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It has a population of 17,816 according to the 2011 census and is administered by the east Hampshire district council (Ehdc).
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “hæfen,” meaning “harbor, port, safe place, sheltered.” It is a natural or artificial structure located on the maritime coast or on the shore of a lake or a waterway, designed to allow vessels’ landing and mooring.
Poppy is a feminine given name derived from the name of the flower “poppy,” derived from the Old English “popæg”, meaning “red flower” and referring to various species of Papaver. The poppy flower contains potent medicinal alkaloids such as morphine used since ancient times as an analgesic and narcotic medicinal and recreational drugs.
Brent derives from “Brent,” an Old English place-name, given name, and surname. The origin of this name is still quite uncertain today. The theories include: The place-name could derive from the Celtic word meaning “holy one” (if it refers to the river Brent), or “high place,” literally “from a steep hill” (if it refers to the villages in Aomerset and Devon, England). The second hypothesis for the first element is “bent” from past tense and past participle of “bend” (not straight, turned, or inclined in some direction).
This name derives from an English surname from a place name meaning “Ella’s hill” in Old English. It is locational and originates from one or any of the places such as Hilden in the counties of Hampshire or Kent, or Yelden in the county of Bedfordshire, or possibly in some cases from a now ‘lost’ medieval village of which the surviving surname is the only public reminder.
This name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational surname deriving from any of the various places so called, in Berkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Lancashire, and Nottinghamshire. The name derives from the Old English surname “Eltone, Eltune, and Eltun.” The theories include: 1) Compound of two elements: Old English “ǣl,” from the Proto-Germanic “*ēlaz” (eel) plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). 2) A compound of two elements: Old English personal name “Ella” or Elli,” short forms of various compound names plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). In turn, the name means “eel town, Ellie’s town.”
This name derives from a nickname that is commonly used to denote a “young boy,” derived from the English word “son,” which in turn derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “sunu.”
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “huniġ,” meaning “honey, nectar.” In turn, the name means “sweet person, darling, sweetie.”
This name derives from the Old English pre 7th-Century word “æwell”, meaning “river source or spring”. Ewell is a suburban area in Epsom and Ewell’s borough in Surrey with a primarily commercial village center. It has named neighborhoods: West Ewell, Ewell Court, East Ewell, Ewell Grove, and Ewell Downs. One rural locality on the slopes of the North Downs is also a neighborhood, North Looe. The place in Surrey was recorded in 675 as “Euuelle” in the Cartularium Saxonicum, while the same source records “Temple Ewell” in Kent as “Aewille” in 772.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “æspe,” meaning “an aspen or word for the tree.”
This name derives from the Old English “credo, crede,” from the Latin “crēdō,” meaning “to believe.” 1) That which is believed; accepted doctrine, especially religious; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to. Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the ‘Rocky’ films. He was played by Carl Weathers. He is a tough but agile boxer, who is, as the series begins, the undisputed heavyweight world champion.
This name derives from the occupational for a sheriff, from Middle English “reeve,” from the Old English “rēfa,” from “ġerēfa,” meaning “an array, number, host.” (historical) Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities. High-reeve (Old English: hēahgerēfa) was a title taken by some English magnates during the 10th and 11th-centuries and is significantly associated with the rulers of Bamburgh.
This name derives from the Old French “tan > tanneur,” from “tan“(Gaulish: *tanno-; Latin tannum), meaning “tanbark, tanner (job).” A tanner is a person whose occupation is to tan hides or convert them into the leather by the use of tan. The word tan represents: 1) Yellowish-brown color. 2) Darkening of the skin resulting from exposure to sunlight or similar light sources. 3) The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “mōnandæg / mōndæg,” composed of two elements: “mōna” (moon) plus “dæg” (day). Monday is the day of the week between Sunday and Tuesday. According to the traditional Christian, Islamic, and Hebrew calendars, it is the second day of the week. In Judaism and Islam, Mondays are considered auspicious days for fasting. The Didache warned early Christians not to fast on Mondays to avoid Judaizing and suggests Wednesdays instead. In Judaism, the Torah is read in public on Monday mornings, one of three days the Torah is read each week (the other two days being Thursday and Saturday). Special penitential prayers are recited on Monday unless there is a special occasion for happiness that cancels them.
Boston is a U.S. city, 1630, named for the town in Lincolnshire, a region from which many settlers came to New England. The name is literally "Botolph's Stone," probably from some Anglo-Saxon landowner (Old English Botwulf).
From a surname that was from a place-name, itself derived from two Old English (Anglo-Saxon) elements: “eofor” (wild boar) plus “lēah” (meadow, forest clearing). In turn, the name means “the woodland boar.”
Norton is a surname that was originally taken from an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) place. This name is composed of two elements: “norþ” (north) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, an enclosure or garden, a sizeable inhabited place, a town). In turn, the common meaning is “north town.”
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
It is locational from either “Leaton,” a village near Shrewsbury in Shropshire, or one of the various villages called “Leighton” in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Huntingdon, Shropshire, or Laytoun in Scotland. This name is composed of two Old English (Anglo-Saxon) elements: “leac,” meaning “leek” plus “tūn,” meaning “settlement, also in the sense of a herb garden.”
It is an English locational name, from any of the various places called Morley in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Norfolk, and West Yorkshire, or Moreleigh in Devon, deriving from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre 7th Century “mōr” (marsh, moor or fen) plus “lēah” (woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming’, a meadow) In turn, the name means “marsh woodland.”
This name derives from an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) place name and surname, from “æsc” (ash) and “lēah” (meadow, forest clearing) “ash-tree wood or clearing.” Ashley was initially used for male children but later gained popularity as a female first name. Her sudden rise in popularity is generally attributed to the emerging female character of the soap opera Ashley Abbott on The Young and The Restless in 1982. In the United Kingdom, the name is used for both boys and girls. Aisling, a similar-sounding name of different etymology and Irish Gaelic origin, is a traditionally female noun meaning “vision” as a feminine spirit and became a popular name for girls early-to-mid the 20th-century. “Ashlyn” and “Ashlynn” are derived from this etymology, and “Ashley” may be back-derived as well. From the 19th-century, both groups of names have mixed, and the different variants are no longer attributable to a specific source.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “Ealdræd,” composed of two elements: “eald” (old, wise, grown-up) plus “rǣd” (help, advise, counsel, decision). In turn, the name means “wise and experienced counselor.” This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
This name derives from an English-language surname with numerous etymological origins. In many cases, the surname derives from several like-named place names in England, such as those in Devon, Kent, Lancashire (Mearley), Sussex (Marley farm), and West Yorkshire. The place names in Devon, Kent, and west Yorkshire are, in part, derived from the Old English element “lēah,” meaning “woodland clearing.” However, in some cases, Ireland’s surname may be an Anglicized form of the Irish “Ó Mearthaile” or “Ó Mearlaigh.” A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945–1981).
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-Century locational surname “Middeltone, Meletune, Meletone, and Miletune,” composed of two elements: “middel” (middle) or “mylen” (mill) plus “tūn” (settlement, town). In turn, the name means “mill settlement, middle settlement.” John Milton (1608–1674) was an English poet, polemicist, a man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell.
This name means “meadow dwelling.” Dallas is a surname of Scottish and English origin. 1) From Scottish origin, the name is a habitational name, derived from Dallas near Forres. This place-name is likely derived from the Brittonic “dol” (meadow) plus “gwas” (dwelling) (Gaelic: dail fas). This name also appears in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. 2) From the English origin, the name is a habitational name, derived from the Old English “dæl” (valley) plus “hus” (house). Dallas is the ninth-largest city in the United States and the third-largest city in the state of Texas.
This name originates from a surname of the same name, which probably derives from the surname “Kinsley,” from “cyning lēah,” meaning “the king of the forest, king’s wood.” The name could be derived from an English given name “Ceolsige,” meaning “ship’s victory,” which could be an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) place name meaning “Cenel’s island.”
Created by writing the word heaven backwards. This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “heofon,” accepting these as cognates, some scholars propose a further derivation from Proto-Germanic “*himinaz,” meaning “cover, heaven, sky.” Heaven (paradise) is a common religious, cosmological, mythological term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings (such as a God, angels, sky deities, saints, or venerated ancestors) originate, are enthroned, or inhabit. It is commonly believed that divine beings can descend to earth or incarnate and that earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive.
This name is composed of two elements: “hēr” (here) or “hær” (hair) plus “hlǣw” (mountain, mound, hill, barrow, cairn). In turn, the ordinary meaning is “a mountain or hill full of trees.” Harlow is a town and local government district in the west of Essex, England. A new town, situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large land area on the south bank of the upper Stort Valley, which has been made navigable through other towns and features a canal section near its watermill.
It is a surname and given name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is a locational name from any of the various places so called in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Somerset (near Winford), deriving from the Old English pre-7th-Century “feld” (Middle English: ‘field, feeld’), meaning “pasture, open country, open or cultivated land” plus “tūn,” meaning “an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town.” Another place called Felton in Somerset has as its first element the Old English pre-7th-Century “filiethe,” meaning “hay while Felton Hill” in Northumberland has as its first element the Old English pre-7th-Century personal name “Fygla” (a derivative of “fugol,” meaning bird).
This name derives from an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) place name and surname, from “æsc” (ash) and “lēah” (meadow, forest clearing) “ash-tree wood or clearing.” Ashley was initially used for male children but later gained popularity as a female first name. Her sudden rise in popularity is generally attributed to the emerging female character of the soap opera Ashley Abbott on The Young and The Restless in 1982. In the United Kingdom, the name is used for both boys and girls. Aisling, a similar-sounding name of different etymology and Irish Gaelic origin, is a traditionally female noun meaning “vision” as a feminine spirit and became a popular name for girls early-to-mid the 20th-century. “Ashlyn” and “Ashlynn” are derived from this etymology, and “Ashley” may be back-derived as well. From the 19th-century, both groups of names have mixed, and the different variants are no longer attributable to a specific source.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “Ælfræd,” composed of two elements: “ælf” (elf) and “ræd” (counsel). The name means “elf counsel.” Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death, had become the dominant ruler in England. Saint Altfrid was Benedictine bishop and devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Altfrid was the headmaster of the school at Corvey Abbey in Saxony. In 851, he has appointed the bishop of Hildesheim and founded Essen Abbey. The entire Frankish empire revered him for his sanctity and his devotion to Mary. He was also a close royal adviser to the East Frankish king Louis the German.
It is topographical and describes a person who lived and worked a farm of meadows or grazing lands. The derivation is from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-century “mann” (human being, person “male or female;” brave man, hero; servant, vassal” plus “lēah” (woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow).
This name derives from the Middle English “trew-e” (faithful, steadfast), from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) pre-7th-century “treowe” plus “mann.” (human being, person, man). This name finally means “true, trustworthy, or faithful man.” A famous bearer of the surname was American president Harry S. Truman (1884–1972). It was also borne by American writer Truman Capote (1924–1984).
Tucker is a surname of disputed origin. The origin of the name is not entirely certain, but since it has a long history as a surname on the continent, as in England and from thereon, also in the United States, it presumably has the same Saxon roots. Recorded as both Tucker and Tooker, the English occupational surname’s derivation comes from the Old English, pre-7th Century verb “tucian,” meaning “to torment.” Linguistically, the word tucker is assumed to be related to the German tucher, which means “towel-maker.”
This name is of Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origin, composed of two elements: “wiell(a)” (spring or stream) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town). In turn, the name means “the one who lives in a village near a stream.” It is an English locational name from any of the various places so called in Cumberland, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Yorkshire. Both Wilton in Somerset and Yorkshire have their first element Old English pre-7th-century “wiell(a).” The place that has given its name to Wiltshire derives its name from the Celtic river “wylye,” an ancient British river name, possibly meaning “tricky stream, capricious.”
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
The name of the city was named in 1859 after James W. Denver (1817–1892), governor of the territory. This name derives from the old English “dena,” meaning (a native of Denmark) from the Germanic “*den-,” meaning (low ground) plus the Old Saxon “vār,” from the Germanic “*fēra-,” meaning (danger). The family name is from the place of that name in Norfolk, literally “ford or passage used by the Danes. 1) Denver sits on a high plain just east of the Rocky Mountains, which offers a view of great beauty to those looking westward from the city. The central district is on the South Platte River’s east bank, near the confluence of the latter with Cherry Creek. 2) Daniel Ramos, better known by his alias, ‘Denver,’ is one of the main characters in the Netflix series Money Heist.
Boston is a U.S. city, 1630, named for the town in Lincolnshire, a region from which many settlers came to New England. The name is literally "Botolph's Stone," probably from some Anglo-Saxon landowner (Old English Botwulf).
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “heofon,” accepting these as cognates, some scholars propose a further derivation from Proto-Germanic “*himinaz,” meaning “cover, heaven, sky.” Heaven (paradise) is a common religious, cosmological, mythological term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings (such as a God, angels, sky deities, saints, or venerated ancestors) originate, are enthroned, or inhabit. It is commonly believed that divine beings can descend to earth or incarnate and that earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive.
This female name derives from the Old English “Eadwine,” composed of two elements: the Anglo-Saxon “hīġ / hīeġ,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*hawją,” meaning “grass cut and dried for use as animal fodder, any mix of green leafy plants used for fodder” plus the Old English “*lēah,” meaning “woodland, a clearing ‘especially one used for farming,’ a meadow.” The name was made famous by the child actress Hayley Mills. Mills was 12 when she was discovered by J. Lee Thompson, who was initially looking for a boy to play the lead role in Tiger Bay. Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian Disney, saw her performance and suggested that Mills be given the leading role in Pollyanna.
The surname Newton is a toponymic surname,” composed of two elements: “nīewe” (new) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town). In turn, the name means “a contraction of the new town.” Newton is a surname and a first name and is also one of several towns, cities, and villages in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A famous bearer of the surname was the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1726) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his own day as a ‘natural philosopher’)
From a surname which was itself derived from the Norman French form of the given names “Alberich or Alfred.” In turn, the name is of Germanic and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origin and comes from the roots: (ALBERICH) and (ALFRED). Avery was the 13th most common name for girls born in the United States in 2012.
It is an English habitational surname, composed of two elements: “dæl” (valley) plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). In turn, the name means “valley town.” John Dalton (1766–1844) was an English chemist, physicist, and meteorologist. He is best known for introducing the atomic theory into chemistry and for his research into color blindness, sometimes referred to as Daltonism in his honor.
It is an English habitational surname, composed of two elements: “dæl” (valley) plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). In turn, the name means “valley town.” Denton is a city in and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, United States.
This name is derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon), meaning Elli’s valley. Elsdon is a village and civil parish in Northumberland’s English county about 10 miles (16 km) to the southwest of Rothbury.
Fenton is Old English (Anglo-Saxon) both a surname and a given name,” composed of two elements: “fenn” (marsh, mud) plus “tūn” (a farm, a hamlet, town). In turn, the name means “swamp, quagmire, marsh town.” 1) Fenton is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. 2) Fenton is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. 3) Roger Fenton (1819–1869) was a British photographer, noted as one of the first war photographers.
This name derives from Foulden, a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, England. In turn, the name means “bird hill.”
This given name means “from the ship’s island.” The name could be derived from an English given name “Ceolsige,” meaning “ship’s victory,” which could be an Old English (Anglo-Saxon) place name meaning “Cenel’s island.” Cenel’s Island is a combination of the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) word “cenel,” meaning “fierce” plus “eg”, meaning “island.” The name Kelsey could have Scandinavian origins. The meaning seems to be “Isle of the ships.” But, this name’s origin is still quite uncertain today.
This name derives from an English-language surname with numerous etymological origins. In many cases, the surname derives from several like-named place names in England, such as those in Devon, Kent, Lancashire (Mearley), Sussex (Marley farm), and West Yorkshire. The place names in Devon, Kent, and west Yorkshire are, in part, derived from the Old English element “lēah,” meaning “woodland clearing.” However, in some cases, Ireland’s surname may be an Anglicized form of the Irish “Ó Mearthaile” or “Ó Mearlaigh.” A famous bearer of the surname was the Jamaican musician Bob Marley (1945–1981).
This name derives from the English “Easton,” composed of two Old English elements: “ēast” (east) plus “tūn” (town, settlement, residential district). In turn, the name means “east town.”
This name is composed of two elements: from the Anglo-Saxon “pæga” (pay) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town). In turn, the name means “Pæga’s settlement.” Paignton is mentioned in the Domesday Book of AD 1086. Formerly written Peynton and Paington, the name is derived from Paega’s town, the original Anglo-Saxon settlement. Peyton Randolph (1721–1775) was the first president to serve under the Continental Congress. The name is popular for both boys and girls in the United States. It was the 278th most popular name for American boys born there in 2007 and the 152nd most popular name for a girl. It was the 85th most popular name for girls born in British Columbia, Canada, in 2006. Peyton, a spelling variant, was the 125th most popular name for boys born in 2007 in the United States and the 121st most popular name for girls.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “Aldeleigh,” composed of two elements: “eald” (old) plus “lēah” (meadow, forest clearing). In turn, the name means “old forest.”
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “mædwe,” meaning “meadow.” A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants (grassland). In agriculture, a meadow is a grassland that is not grazed by domestic livestock but instead allowed to grow unchecked to make hay.
This name means “from the meadow on the ledge, clearing on a bank.” Shelley is today a name given almost exclusively to girls after historically being male. Shelley and Shelly are also a transferred surname used by Essex, Suffolk, and Yorkshire, particularly in settlements where a wood/clearing was beside a ledge or hillside. Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language.
This name derives from an English surname, which in turn originally derives from the Middle English nickname “Wildbor” (Old English ‘wilde’ plus Old English ‘bār’), meaning “wild boar.” Wilbur Wright (1867–1912), one-half of the Wright brothers, who together invented the first successful airplane. Wright was named after the Methodist minister Wilbur Fisk (1792–1839).
This name derives from the Anglo-Saxon surname “Rylands, Rylance, Roylance,” composed of two Old English elements: “rhy” (watercourse, stream) plus “land / lond” (land). In turn, the name means “of the Rylands or island meadow.”
With over twenty recordings in the “Dictionary of National Biography,” this famous surname is of Anglo-Saxon and Scottish origin. It is a locational place from any of the various sites so-called in Britain. The place-names are derived from the Old Saxon “hōh,” Old English “hēah”, Proto-Germanic “*hauhaz” (high) plus “tūn” (enclosure, settlement). In turn, the name means “the city in the high ground”.
The first element, “oak” comes from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “āc” (oak), which in turn derives from the Proto-Germanic “*aiks,” also meaning “oak.” The second element comes from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “lēah” (woodland, a clearing (especially one used for farming), a meadow).
Boston is a U.S. city, 1630, named for the town in Lincolnshire, a region from which many settlers came to New England. The name is literally "Botolph's Stone," probably from some Anglo-Saxon landowner (Old English Botwulf).
This name derives from an English surname, originally from a place name, meaning “boundary gate.” This name derives from a place called “Merriott” in Somerset. This place-name, although in fact, the surname recording precedes it, is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Meriet” and translates as “the gate at the boundary.” Merriott is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, near Crewkerne and 7 miles (11.3 km) west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The settlement has a population of 1,979.
This name is composed of two elements: from the Anglo-Saxon “pæga” (pay) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town). In turn, the name means “Pæga’s settlement.” Paignton is mentioned in the Domesday Book of AD 1086. Formerly written Peynton and Paington, the name is derived from Paega’s town, the original Anglo-Saxon settlement. Peyton Randolph (1721–1775) was the first president to serve under the Continental Congress. The name is popular for both boys and girls in the United States. It was the 278th most popular name for American boys born there in 2007 and the 152nd most popular name for a girl. It was the 85th most popular name for girls born in British Columbia, Canada, in 2006. Peyton, a spelling variant, was the 125th most popular name for boys born in 2007 in the United States and the 121st most popular name for girls.
This name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “hǣs tūn,” composed of two elements: “hǣs” (command, order, obligatory office or service) plus “tūn” (an enclosed piece of ground, settlement, a large inhabited place, a town). In turn, the name means “the one who commands or takes orders in a field or garden.”
This name means “white water, by the white island.” Whitney is an Old English surname derived from the location of “Whitney” in Herefordshire, England. It was first mentioned in the Domesday Book with the spelling “Witenie.” The name was based on the expression “atten whiten ey,” which means “at the white island.” The name “Whitney” has gained popularity by 1) Whitney Blake (1926–2002), an American film and television actress. 2) Whitney Houston (1963–2012), an American singer, actress, producer, and model. According to the United States Social Security card applications in 1986, the name Whitney ranked 32th out of the top 100 names chosen by parents for their baby girls.
This name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational name from various places throughout England’s midland counties. The name is recorded variously as “hantune, hantone, hamntone, hantun.” In the Domesday book of 1086 for the above counties, all the places share the final Old English pre-7th-Century element “tūn.” In turn, this name derives from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) “hantune,” composed of two elements: “ham” (homestead) plus “tūn” (enclosure, settlement). In turn, the name means “the protection of homestead.”
This name derives from the Old English “Brycgstow,” composed of two elements: the “brycġ” (bridge) plus “tūn” (enclosure, garden). In turn, the name means “the place at the bridge.” Bristol is a city, unitary authority, and county in South West England. People from the town are known as Bristolians. It is England’s sixth and the United Kingdom’s eighth most populous city and the second-most populous city in Southern England after London.
It is an English habitational surname, composed of two elements: “croft” (enclosed field) plus “tūn” (settlement, village, town). In turn, the name means “town with a small enclosed field.” 1) Crofton is a home rule-class city in Christian County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 749 at the 2010 census. 2) Crofton is a city in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 726 at the 2010 census.
This name derives from the Locational surname “Ainsley,” the place name in Scotland, composed of two elements: “ānsetl” (hermitage) plus “lēah” (woodland, a clearing, a meadow). Ansley in Warwickshire is recorded as “Hanslei” in the Domesday Book of 1086.
This name derives from the Locational surname “Ainsley,” the place name in Scotland, composed of two elements: “ānsetl” (hermitage) plus “lēah” (woodland, a clearing, a meadow). Ansley in Warwickshire is recorded as “Hanslei” in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) names developed within the Old English (Anglo-saxon) language tradition. The naming traditions from regions where Old English (Anglo-saxon) is spoken have evolved over centuries, shaped by migration, trade, religion, and cultural exchange. Today's Old English (Anglo-saxon) names carry this history.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) naming traditions reflect the values and beliefs of regions where Old English (Anglo-saxon) is spoken. Names served multiple purposes: identifying individuals, honoring ancestors, expressing hopes for a child's future, and marking religious or cultural affiliation. These functions shaped which names became popular and how they were used.
Today, Old English (Anglo-saxon) names appear far beyond regions where Old English (Anglo-saxon) is spoken. Immigration, global media, and cultural exchange have made many Old English (Anglo-saxon) names familiar worldwide. Parents choose these names to honor heritage, appreciate their meanings, or simply because they like how they sound. The 1,993 names in this collection range from ancient choices still popular today to names that have fallen out of use but retain historical interest.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) naming traditions have developed their own patterns and preferences. Names may honor family members, reflect religious beliefs, describe hoped-for qualities, or commemorate significant events. These patterns explain which names stayed popular.
These traditional patterns still matter, but modern parents also mix things up. Some combine traditional and contemporary elements, pick names from other cultures, or create unique variations of classic names.
This collection breaks down to 61% masculine names (1,212) and 34% feminine names (668). About 6% (113) work as gender-neutral or unisex options.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) names follow the phonetic rules of their language of origin. English speakers may need to adjust their pronunciation for sounds that don't exist in English. Each name page includes a pronunciation guide to help.
When in doubt about pronunciation, listening to native speakers helps more than reading transliterations. Each name page has a pronunciation guide. If you're considering a Old English (Anglo-saxon) name for your child, say it out loud and think about how others in your community will pronounce it.
With 1,993 names in our database, Old English (Anglo-saxon) is one of our bigger origin categories. These names appear on birth certificates worldwide, from regions where Old English (Anglo-saxon) is spoken to immigrant communities on every continent.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) names for boys outnumber those for girls at roughly 1.8:1 in our database. This reflects historical naming patterns, though modern naming trends are shifting.
Current naming trends show renewed interest in heritage names, with parents seeking meaningful connections to cultural roots. Some Old English (Anglo-saxon) names have crossed over to mainstream use, while others remain specific to Old English (Anglo-saxon)-speaking communities.
Popular Old English (Anglo-saxon) names for boys include Avery, Tyne, Lake, Burl, Cole. Our database contains 1,212 Old English (Anglo-saxon) names traditionally given to boys, ranging from classic choices to unique options.
Our collection includes 668 Old English (Anglo-saxon) names for girls. Popular choices blend traditional sounds with meaningful origins. Use the feminine tab to explore options organized by popularity.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) names carry meanings from the Old English (Anglo-saxon) language tradition. Common themes in Old English (Anglo-saxon) names include noble, nature, new, warrior. Each name in our database includes its specific meaning and cultural context.
Old English (Anglo-saxon) names follow the phonetic rules of their language. Each name page includes a pronunciation guide. When uncertain, listening to native speakers provides the most accurate reference.
This database contains 1,993 Old English (Anglo-saxon) names: 1,212 for boys and 668 for girls. This represents documented names that have been used historically or are in current use. The actual number of Old English (Anglo-saxon) names ever used is certainly higher.
Spelling difficulty depends on the specific name and your familiarity with Old English (Anglo-saxon) phonetics. Some Old English (Anglo-saxon) names have been adapted to English spelling conventions, making them straightforward. Others retain original spellings that may be unfamiliar. Consider how important easy spelling is to you when choosing a name.