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Heanflæd

Heanflæd is an Anglo-Saxon feminine name composed of hean (humble) and flæd (beauty).

Variants:

Heanfled [John Kemble 1845 Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici 3: 324].

Heanflæd [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 285].

Prototheme:

Hᴇᴀɴ = Poor, needy, humble, mean, worthless [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 175].

Deuterotheme:

flæd = beauty [Lionel Strachan 1935 Notes and Queries 168: 247].

Usage:

Heanflæd was the name of an Abbess of Wherwell [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 285]: “huius curam regiminis commendo abbatissae uenerabili Heanfled agnominatae quae ad eundem sanctum locum, ipsum honoris” [John Kemble 1845 Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici 3: 324 (number 707)].

#Heanflæd

Witherwine

Witherwine is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name composed of wither (against) and wine (friend).

Variants:

Witherwine [Rogers Ruding 1817 Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies, 1st edition, 1: 284].

Withrwinne [Rogers Ruding 1817 Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies, 1st edition, 1: 284].

Wiðirwinne [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 304].

Wiðering [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 304].

Wiðrin [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 248].

Wiðerine [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 248].

Wiðrine [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 266].

Wiðerwinne [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 321].

Wiðerwine [Olof von Feilitzen 1969 Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles 11 (a): 10].

Withrin [Christopher Blunt & Michael Dolley 1969 Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles volume 11 (a): plate 5, number 123].

Prototheme:

Wiðer- = Against, contrary to, opposite [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 469].

Deuterotheme:

Wine = friend [Robert Ferguson 1883 Surnames as a Science, page 67].

Definition:

Wiðer-wine, wiðre-wine = An enemy [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 470].

Usage:

Wiðirwinne was the mark of a moneyer at York under “✠HAR OLD RE” (Harold I of England): (approximately) “✠PIÐIRPINNE ON EO:” [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 309, number 27].

Note:

Witherwine is possibly an example of a readymade vocabulary compound that was used as a personal name, in the same way that Northman and Spearhafoc were.

#Witherwine

Bealdic

Bealdic is a diminutive of an Anglo-Saxon masculine name conataining beald (bold).

Variants:

Balddic [Rogers Ruding 1817 Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies, 1st edition, 1: 266].

Baldic [Rogers Ruding 1817 Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies, 1st edition, 1: 266].

Bealdic [Veronica Smart 1981 Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles 28: 17].

Stem:

beald = bold [Henry Sweet 1886 The Oldest English Texts, page 493].

Suffix:

‘Amongst the Goths, as among all other peoples, diminutives or “pet names” were formed from ordinary pet names by shortening them and adding an affix. This affix was usually -ila but sometimes -ika’ [Henry Bradley 1888 The Goths, page 370].

Explanation:

“possibly a short form in -ic of OE names in Beald-” [Olof von Feilitzen & Christopher Blunt 1971 England Before the Conquest, page 188].

Usage:

Baldic was the mark of a moneyer at Bedford under King Eadweard II (the Martyr): “✠BɅLDIC MONETɅ· BEDɅ·” [Herbert Grueber 1893 A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series 2: 192 (number 3)].

#Bealdic

Wulfwyn

Wulfwyn is an Anglo-Saxon feminine name composed of wulf (wolf) and wyn (joy).

Variants:

Wulfwyn [Benjamin Thorpe 1865 Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici, page 289].

Wulfwynn [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 522].

Ƿulfƿynn [Oswin Kinsey 2016 English Compound Names, 2nd edition, page 123].

Prototheme:

Wulf = Wᴏʟꜰ [William Smith 1873 A Complete Etymology of the English Language, page 187].

Deuterotheme:

Wʏɴ = Joy, pleasure, delight [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 486].

Usage:

“⁊ Wulfwyn” (“and Wulfwyn”) [Benjamin Thorpe 1865 Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici, page 289].

#Wulfwyn

Rida

Rida is a short form of an Anglo-Saxon masculine name containing rid (ride).

Variants:

Rida [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 400].

Ridda [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 401].

Stem:

Rid = ride [Robert Ferguson 1883 Surnames as a Science, page 43].

Suffix:

— a = termination of pet names, such as Cutha for Cuthwine or Cuthwulf [William Searle 1897 Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum, page 1].

Comment:

Although ridda does mean rider [Mats Redin 1919 Studies on uncompounded personal names in Old English, page 78], Ridda is unlikely to be a monothematic name meaning: the rider. More probably Ridda was formed in the same way as Bælla, Billa, Blædda, Bocca, Cnotta, Cocca, Drabba, Gidda, Hærra, Healla, Hluppa, and Macca. Such short forms remain commonplace in English and new coinages continue to appear routinely.

Usage:

“Offa, king of the English, to Ridda, minister; lease, for the three lives of himself, of land at Evenlode, Gloucs., with reversion to the minster at Bredon, Worcs.” [Peter Sawyer 1968 Anglo-Saxon Charters, page 99, number 109]: “Riddun, fideli meo ministro” [John Kemble 1839 Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici 1: (number 120)].

Note:

As is so often the case, the charter survives in the form of later copies. They are incompatibly dated to both year 772 and indiction 13. The indiction fits 775, so most likely DCCLXXII is a copying error for DCCLXXV.

#Rida

Oswih

Oswih is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name composed of os (god) and wih (idol), cognate with feminine Norse Ásví.

Variants:

Osuiu [Joseph Stevenson 1838 Venerabilis Bedæ Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, page 110].

Osuio [Joseph Stevenson 1838 Venerabilis Bedæ Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, page 191].

Ôsvih (-vi, -vio, -veo, -viu) [Ludwig Ettmüller 1851 Vorda vealhstôd Engla and Seaxna, page 11].

Oswiu [John Earle 1865 Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, 1st edition, page 27].

Oswih [George Stephens 1868 The Old-northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England 2: 909].

Oswio [George Stephens 1868 The Old-northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England 2: 909].

Osweo [George Stephens 1868 The Old-northern Runic Monuments of Scandinavia and England 2: 909].

Osuuiu [Henry Sweet 1886 The Oldest English Texts, page 135].

Ōsuīo [Henry Sweet 1886 The Oldest English Texts, page 628].

Osuīu [Henry Sweet 1886 The Oldest English Texts, page 642].

Oswy [Edward Gomme 1909 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, page 22].

Prototheme:

os = god [Jay Treat 1983 Dragon 7 (10): 57].

Deuterotheme:

“weoh or wih, which in literary texts denotes ‘idol’ or image, but in local names probably indicates a place devoted to heathen worship” [Gordon Stokes 1948 English Place-Names, page 51].

Usage:

There was a king of Northumbria called Oswiu [William Searle 1899 Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings and Nobles, page 302]: “and þam ilcan geare ðe Oswald wæs ofslagen. feng Oswiu his broðor to Norðanhymbran rice. and he rixode twa læs xxx geara” [John Earle 1865 Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, 1st edition, page 27, annal (E) 641]: “And the same year, that Oswald was slain, Oswy his brother succeeded to the kingdom of the Northumbrians and he reigned two less than thirty years” (Edward Gomme 1909 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, page 22, annal 641 [E]).

#Oswih

Hemede

Hemede is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name composed of ham (home) and ede (flock).

Variants:

Hemede [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

Hemmede [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

Hemeda [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

Prototheme:

ham = home [Robert Ferguson 1883 Surnames as a Science, page 92].

Deuterotheme:

Ede = a flock [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 99].

Evidence:

The place-name Hamessel, recorded in 1086, is believed to mean “Hamede’s hill” [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

#Hemede

Heimir

Heimir is a short form of a Norse masculine name containing heimr (home), cognate with Anglo-Saxon Hama.

Variants:

Heimir [Henry Barber 1894 British Family Names, 1st edition, page 20].

Hēmer [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

Stem:

heimr = home, world [Henry Sweet 1895 An Icelandic Primer, page 8].

Evidence:

The place-name Hemesbei, or Heimesbei, was recorded in 1086, and is believed to contain “First el. perhaps ODan *Hēmer, OSw Hēmer, ON Heimir (gen. Heimis)” [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

#Heimir

Hymel

Hymel is a diminutive form of an Anglo-Saxon masculine name containing Hun (Hun).

Variants:

Hymel [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

Hymel(a) [Hugh Smith 1962 English Place-Name Society 36: 293].

Stem:

Hun = One of an Asiatic race of warlike nomads, who invaded Europe c ᴀ.ᴅ. 375, and in the middle of the 5th c., under their famous king Attila (styled Flagellum Dei, the scourge of God), overran and ravaged a great part of this continent [Sir James Murray 1901 A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1st edition, 5: 455].

Suffix:

“diminutive ila” [Joseph Bosworth 1836 The Origin of the Germanic and Scandinavian Languages, and Nations, page 115].

Evidence:

The place-name Hamelesuurde, or Hilmeuuord, recorded in 1086, is believed to mean “Hymel’s worþ” [Eilert Ekwall 1936 The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Place-Names, 1st edition, page 223].

#Hymel

Amelinc

Amelinc is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name composed of amal (work) and -ing (one possessed of the quality of), cognate with German Amalung and Norse O̧mlungr.

Reference:

Amelinc [Jeffrey North 1980 English Hammered Coinage, volume 1, 2nd edition, page 104].

Stem (cognate with):

amals = active, brave [Gerhard Köbler 1989 Gotisches Wörterbuch, 1st edition, page 36].

Suffix:

-ing = a suffix forming derivative masculine substantives, with the sense of ‘one belonging to’ or ‘of the kind of’, hence ‘one possessed of the quality of’ [Sir James Murray 1901 A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1st edition, 5 (I, J, K): 282].

Usage:

Amelinc is the reported mark of a moneyer working under King Eadmund I (the Magnificient) [Jeffrey North 1980 English Hammered Coinage, volume 1, 2nd edition, page 104].

The form Amuling is a byname attributed in an Anglo-Saxon source to the Gothic King Theodoric: “Ða þa lare ongeat Ðeodric Amuling and þone þegn oferfeng, hæht fæstlice folc-gesiðas healdon þone here-rinc” (“Then Theoderic the Amuling heard about the request and seized the officer; he commanded the lords of the people to hold that warrior firmly”) [Malcolm Godden & Susan Irvine 2009 The Old English Boethius 2: 8-9].

#Amelinc

Lustwine

Lustwine is an Anglo-Saxon masculine name composed of lust (desire) and wine (friend).

Variants:

Lustuinus [Sir Henry Ellis 1833 A General Introduction to Domesday Book 2: 182].

Lustwinus [Sir Henry Ellis 1833 A General Introduction to Domesday Book 2: 182].

Lustwine [Benjamin Thorpe 1865 Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici, page 575].

Lustwin [Beatrice Lees 1911 The Victoria History of the County of Suffolk 1: 483].

Lustuuinus [Olof von Feilitzen 1937 The Pre-conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, page 322].

Luſtuinꝰ [Alexander Rumble 1986 Domesday Book 34 (Suffolk): chapter 6, paragraph 118].

Note:

Forms ending with ꝰ, or -us, are Latinizations.

Prototheme:

lust = desire [Henry Sweet 1886 The Oldest English Texts, page 557].

Deuterotheme:

Wine = friend [Robert Ferguson 1883 Surnames as a Science, page 67].

Usage:

A man named Lustwine is mentioned in the Will of Thurstan: “⁊ an girde þe Lustwine hauede” (“and one rod that Lustwine had”) [Benjamin Thorpe 1865 Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici, page 575].

#Lustwine

Ætheling

Ætheling is an Anglo-Saxon masculine title composed of æthel (noble) and -ing (one possessed of the quality of).

References:

Eádmund æðeling [John Kemble 1848 Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici 6: 154].

Cynric Wesseaxna ęþeling [John Earle 1865 Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel, 1st edition, page 48].

Æðeling [Percy Reaney 1958 A Dictionary of Surnames, 1st edition, page 16].

Edmund the Ætheling [Peter Sawyer 1968 Anglo-Saxon Charters, page 400].

Ætheling [Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges 1988 A Dictionary of Surnames, page 24],

Eadmund æþeling [Mary O’Donovan 1988 Anglo-Saxon Charters 3: 49].

Stem:

æthel = noble [Grant Allen 1884 Anglo-Saxon Britain, page 195].

Suffix:

Definition:

æðeling = noble, prince of the royal blood [Percy Reaney 1958 A Dictionary of Surnames, 1st edition, page 16].

Usage:

“The community at Sherborne to Edmund the Ætheling; lease, for life, of land at Holcombe Rogus, Devon” [Peter Sawyer 1968 Anglo-Saxon Charters, page 400 (number 1422)]: “✠ Hᴇʀ swutelað on ðysum gewrite ðæt Eádmund æðeling bæd ðone hyred æt Scireburnan ðæt he móste ofgán ðæt land æt Holancumbe” [John Kemble 1848 Codex Diplomaticus Aevi Saxonici 6: 154 (number 1302)]: “✠ Here is made known in this writing, that Eadmund ætheling prayed the convent at Sherborne that he might have the land at Holcomb” [Benjamin Thorpe 1865 Diplomatarium Anglicum Ævi Saxonici, page 300].

Ætheling was also “used occasionally as a personal name” [Percy Reaney 1958 A Dictionary of Surnames, 1st edition, page 16]. A probable example is a thegn called Alinc who held land in Somerset in the time of King Eadweard III (the Confessor): “Two thegns ‘Alinc and Lovinc’ held (it) ‘in parage (pariter)’ T.R.E. and paid geld for 1 hide less 1 ferling” [Edward Bates 1906 The Victory History of the County of Somerset 1: 495].

Comment:

The possible rare usage of Ætheling as a real name can compared with similar instances of Ealdorman and Húskarl.

#Ætheling

Helgi

Helgi is a short form of a Norse masculine name containing heilagr (holy).

Variants:

Helga [William Bawdwen 1809 Dom Boc 1 (Nottinghamshire): 364].

Helge [William Bawdwen 1809 Dom Boc 1 (Nottinghamshire): 365].

Helghi [Sir Henry Ellis 1833 A General Introduction to Domesday Book 2: 141].

Elgi [Joseph Stevenson 1841 Liber Vitæ Ecclesiæ Dunelmensis, page 16].

Helgi [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 255].

Hœlgi [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 255].

Hælgi [Lena Peterson 2007 Nordiskt runnamnslexikon, page 128].

Stem:

HEILAGR = holy [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 248].

Suffix:

“Short forms of names in Class A formed by the addition of the suffixes -i (masc.) or -a (fem.) to one or other of the elements” [Gillian Jensen 1968 Scandinavian Personal Names in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, page xxxi].

Usage:

A man called Helghi held land in Sussex during the reign of King Eadweard III (the Confessor): “Helghi tenuit de rege . E . q̊ uoluit ire potuit” (“Helgi held it from King Edward; he could go where he would”) [John Morris 1976 Domesday Book 2 (Sussex): chapter 10, paragraph 65].

#Helgi

Cæfel

Cæfel is a diminutive form of an Anglo-Saxon masculine name containing caf (quick).

Variants:

Cæfel [Bror Hildebrand 1846 Anglosachsiska mynt i Svenska kongl. myntkabinettet, funna i Sveriges jord, 1st edition, page 211].

Cāfel [John Gover, Sir Allen Mawer, & Sir Frank Stenton 1932 English Place-Name Society 9: 563].

Cǣfel [John Gover, Sir Allen Mawer, & Sir Frank Stenton 1932 English Place-Name Society 9: 563].

Stem:

Cᴀꜰ = Quick, sharp, nimble, swift [Joseph Bosworth 1838 A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language, 1st edition, page 72].

Suffix:

“diminutive ila” [Joseph Bosworth 1836 The Origin of the Germanic and Scandinavian Languages, and Nations, page 115].

Usage:

Cæfel was the mark of a moneyer at Ilchester under “CNVTCNVT” (Knud II of Denmark): “✠CÆFEL ON GIFE” [Bror Hildebrand 1846 Anglosachsiska mynt i Svenska kongl. myntkabinettet, funna i Sveriges jord, 1st edition, page 165 (number 26)].

#Cæfel

Mildi

Mildi is a short form of a Norse masculine name containing the stem of mildr (mild), cognate with Anglo-Saxon Milda.

Reference:

Mildi [Hugh Smith 1928 English Place-Name Society 5: 181].

Stem:

MILDR, mild, milt = mild, gentle, graceful [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 428].

Suffix:

Evidence:

The place-name Mildebi, recorded in 1086, is belived to mean “Mildi’s farm” [Hugh Smith 1928 English Place-Name Society 5: 181].

#Mildi

Malti

Malti is a short form of a Norse masculine name containing maltr (sharp).

Reference:

Malti [Hugh Smith 1928 English Place-Name Society 5: xxi].

Stem:

maltr = sharp, bitter, of taste [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 409].

Suffix:

Evidence:

The place-name Maltebi, or Malteby, recorded in 1086, is believed to mean “Malti’s farm” [Hugh Smith 1928 English Place-Name Society 5: 171].

#Malti

Horni

Horni is a short form of a Norse masculine name containing horn (horn).

Reference:

Horni [Eilert Ekwall 1922 The place-names of Lancashire, page 180].

Stem:

HORN = a horn [Guðbrandur Vigfússon 1874 An Icelandic-English Dictionary, 1st edition, page 279].

Suffix:

Evidence:

The place-name Hornebi, recorded in 1086, is believed to mean “Horni’s farm” [Hugh Smith 1928 English Place-Name Society 5: 240].

#Horni

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