Old English names for a boy - thoughts?

[Lindalove]

We are trying to find some lovely old, proper old, English and Anglo-Saxon names for our baby boy due in April next year. Its worth saying we live in a part of London which is very literary and practically every child has an interesting name... I think the trick is finding something interesting and classy though. And not too weird, but weird is a subjective thing....

Anyway thoughts welcome on the following:

Caedmon (after the old english poet. Pronounced Cade-mon or Cad-mon, I prefer the former)

Hereward (after Hereward The Wake the famous warrior.... pronounced Herr-er-ward)

Leofric (I doubt this will make it through but I love it, just don't care for 'Leo' as it will I am sure be shortened to)

Machen (pronouced Make-in, not actually Anglo-Saxon, but named after Arthur Machen the author).

[squoosh]

I'm not hugely crazy about any of your names listed, Anglo Saxon spelling can seem quite awkward.


Dunstan, Wulfric or Bede are Anglo Saxon names (I think) and would be easier for most people to pronounce.

[squoosh]

Although Cade would be quite a cool nickname for Caedmon.

[OhBuggeringBollocks]

Aethelstan

Havelock

Gawain

Arthur

Tristam (granted more Middle English)

[NewEraNewMindset]

Huge list of Anglo-Saxan names here

www.babynameguide.com/categoryanglo-saxon.asp?strCat=Anglo-Saxon

[Bluestocking]

I'm dying to know where this very literary part of London is!
How about the Arthurian names?
Gawain, Lancelot, Bruin, Caradoc, Galahad? There are loads more. Or Alfred, Uther, Hengist, Horsa?

[Sophronia]

I think Caedmon is the best of the list. I know someone who has a DS Leoric, but I'm not keen on the 'fric' part of Leofric. Machen means 'to make/do' in German.

Are you looking for suggestions? How about....

Athelstan
Cenhelm
Cenric
Leofstan
Denby
Osric
Leofwine
Wulfric
Averill
Wulfstan
Oswin
Esmond
Colby
Edric
Beowulf
Odell
Cynric
Eldred
Arliss / Arlyss
Selwyn
Theomund
Wulfgar

[NewEraNewMindset]

Rowan is on the list and it's pretty much the only one I like.

[GooseyLoosey]

What about something like Edwin?

[MrsMcRuff]

Beowulf I dare anyone!

Lyndon, Edmond/Edmund

[Lindalove]

Its Stoke Newington. Home of Daniel Defoe, and Edgar Allen Poe lived here for a bit etc.
I'm not too bothered about pronunciation TBH, but the name needs to have meaning to us (I should have said).

Arthur Machen was Welsh but wrote very London-based fiction, he's a peer of HP Lovecraft. Not too bothered what it means in German, and anyway hope he does make stuff!

Caedmon was actually a friend of The Venerable Bede's - he was the original English poet and wrote songs/poetry.

Haha re Leofric - I prefer to fric but not the Leo! Am interested in some suggestions but prefer London literary or musical influenced names and ideally Ls or Ms with two syllables (Hereward is, granted, three).

Sorry but the Arthurian names are too storybook eg Lancelot.

I do like Wulfstan!

[Lindalove]

Actually our bump is currently called Beowulf.... it started out as a joke but have kind of really got used to it. Not sure I am even that way out...

[MrsMcRuff]

Actually our bump is currently called Beowulf.... it started out as a joke but have kind of really got used to it.

You won't be able to think of him as anything else, now - I think you've found your name! Certainly a second name, anyhow.

[BlueChampagne]

We considered Caedmon and Gawain - latter got voted off when DH thought it would be abbreviated to Wayne, which isn't our cup of tea. Not quite sure why Caedmon didn't make the cut - probably not quite brave enough.

How about Godwin? Or again a bit more mediaeval, Conrad?

If you went with a -ric ending, would you pronounce it -rick or -rich?

[GooseyLoosey]

Meant to say, Macsen is a welsh name (I seem to remember it in the Mabinogian). Like that better than Machen.

[Riverland]

Bede is a good one.

Caedy, diminutive of Caedmon is a good name.

[MrsMcRuff]

What about Deorwine, (which has evolved into Darwin), and means 'dear friend'?.

[florascotia]

Alfred, Swithin, Wystan, Chad, Godwin, Roger (=Hrothgar), Osbert and Mumsnet's old friends, Wilbur and Wilfred

Edward, of course, and Ethelred

also in use in Anglo-Saxon era though not Anglo-Saxon in origin: Alban, Lear, Siward, Cuthbert, Alcuin, Arnold, Benet, Harold/Harald.

Re literary references, the name 'Machen' makes me think of Denry Machin in Arnold Bennett's 'The Card'. I know he's meant to be a hero but I found him rather annoying. However, I think Bennett very much meant readers to admire him.

Gawain = modern Gavin, so perhaps better to avoid? And it's Celtic.

Other London districts which might be a good source of literary names = Bloomsbury, Hampstead???

[Lindalove]

Lear, Alban and Siward are really nice.

Gawain is a bit too Welsh for a non-Welshie, and yes prefer the old English/ Anglo Saxon vibe. I've got colleagues who named their children Arthur and Edmund so clearly an Anglo Saxon revival is on the way..... ;)

Deorwine is pretty cool as well. There are some lovely old names out there.

I think Caedmon and Machen are my faves.... Machen is slightly made up but Machen was such as great author! Better than calling baby Lovecraft I think...

[JakeyBurd]

Gawain, Arthur, Caradoc and Tristram are all Celtic, not Anglo-Saxon.

I knew a man called Sandick who said hid name was Old English, although I've never been able to find it in any lists. I like it though.

[Lindalove]

GooseyLoosey can't do a 'Mac" name as surname is McSomething.

You're right Arthur etc is Celtic. One of us has Scottish roots so we could go that road but really we're pretty damn English.

Sandick! That's interesting..... any name with 'dick' in it is just asking for trouble though at school surely?

[squoosh]

Yes, please discount all 'dick' names!

[Lindalove]

BlueChampagne I think names like Godric are pronounced 'rick' at the end... which is what puts me off them. I really like Godric but if it was shortened to Rick, again, like Leofric probably ought not to have bothered and just named him Rick or Leo.

[GooseyLoosey]

I can see that Mc Mc would not work too well!

Could luck finding something that you all like.

[shakemysilliesout]

Al these names are very stoke newington - I think you should rebel and go for something unexpected, such as Kai or Barry.

[Lindalove]

Shakemysilliesout poor bubs will get bullied if we called him Dwayne or Kai. I like Barry for its retro-ness, plus its a family name!

But yes its all Telemachus, Balthazar and Lyra round our way, we need to tread carefully... :) Looking for something that will suit a grown man not a baby who might eventually leave London and otherwise risk being beaten up at the taxi rank queue on a Friday night.