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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Need Old English Baby Names

34 replies

dragonowlmoon · 26/02/2010 12:41

I'd like to use an Old English name for this baby if possible and thought somebody here would be able to help.

thank you

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bellissima · 27/02/2010 10:19

Wilfred is a Saxon name (I think!) that is not too 'Eggnog'-like.
Or Harold/Harald.

For girls, Hilda, Edwina.

mrsvwoolf · 27/02/2010 00:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

usualsuspect · 27/02/2010 00:04

Cnut what a great name this is

LadyCressida · 27/02/2010 00:01

Some Arthurian names -

Elaine, Enid, Vivianne, Linnet, Guinevere...

bellabelly · 26/02/2010 23:21

I think Wulfstan would be v cool for a boy.

Surprise · 26/02/2010 23:13

creditcrunched I'm sorry, but you'd have to have a strong child for them to be able to deal with the name Cnut at High School

nighbynight · 26/02/2010 23:05

Catbert

tootootired · 26/02/2010 21:40

Seems you get more looking for old names rather than baby names

from this list the useable ones seem to be Emma, Mildred, Merwenna, Nerienda

did someone link to the list from Bede?

I rather like Mercia except it seems to have been hijacked by the local police.

dillydallydolly · 26/02/2010 21:28

An old english name I like is Verity. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verity_Lambert

Im a Big fan of her and her work.

chardom · 26/02/2010 20:51

I know a boy called Adric which is an Anglo-Saxon name and I think its not too outrageous!

mummydarlingsausage · 26/02/2010 15:04

These are some of the pre 1500 names from dh's family tree -
all the others are french, scottish and european (some unusual looking names btw like Ponce, Fulk and Waleran and a female called Paris!)

Gilbert
John
Walter
Henry
Thomas
Geoffrey
Gerard
Roger
Richard
Humphrey
Robert
Edmund
Ralph
Simon

Bertha
Adela
Isabel
Mary
Lucy
Jane
Elizab eth
Alice
Margaret
Matilda
Thomasine

MmmCoffee · 26/02/2010 14:37

I was in a Saxon reenactment group, my Saxon name was Ceolwyn (pronounced Colwin) from the 11th century. It means 'River'.

hildegarde · 26/02/2010 14:32

www.s-gabriel.org/names/aelfwyn/bede.html

here's a few more!

hildegarde · 26/02/2010 14:30

there are very few left, if you really mean Old English as in before the Norman Conquest.

Edith, Edward... and a whole lot of hideous stuff like Ethelred and Cuthbert. Hawise for a girl (not sure now you say it)... um, Godiva (or Godgifu as i think it was originally spelt in English, meaning God's gift)?

belgo · 26/02/2010 14:10

I love the names from Merlin on TV;

Morgana
Morgeuze
Arthur
Uther
Geneviere
Archer (ok that one's from Robin Hood)

AllieW · 26/02/2010 14:03

How old? Anglo Saxon? Medieval? Or more Victorian (bearing in mind that resurrecting Medieval names was in vogue then anyhow)?

Anyhow, possibles might be:

Girls:
Agatha
Agnes
Audrey
Bride
Bridget
Carmel
Charity
Clara
Clarice
Cordelia (coined by Shakespeare)
Dorothy
Dreda (shortened form of Etheldreda)
Dulcie (Dulce is the Medieval form)
Edith
Elfreda
Faith
Frances
Freda
Heather
Hester
Honor/Honour
Janet
Kathleen (also Cathleen)
Lilian
Magdalen (Medieval English form of Madeleine)
Margaret
Margery/Marjorie
Marian/Marion
Maud
Mavis
Mercy
Mildred
Miranda (another Shakespeare coinage)
Nancy
Nell
Nerissa (yep, Shakespeare again)
Pamela
Patience
Perdita (Shakespeare once more)
Prudence
Rosalin
Rowena
Tacey
Tamsin
Tiffany (actually medieval!!)

Boys:
Alan
Alban
Alfred
Alvin
Ambrose
Bennett
Blaine
Chad
Christian
Curtis
Dennis
Denzel
Digby
Diccon
Dunstan
Edgar
Edmund
Edward
Edwin
Egbert (doubt you'll want this, but trying to be thorough)
Esmond
Fergal
Finnian
Francis
Giles
Godwin
Gregory
Hadrian
Harold
Jago
Jem
Jer emy
Justin
Kenelm
Kit (pet form of Christopher)
Lennan
Luke
Martin
Marvin/Mervyn
Michael
Milton
Ned
Nelson
Nicholas
Nigel
Ni nian
Oswald
Pelham
Peregrine/Perry
Pierce
Ranald
Randall (although you'll have to watch nns!)
Ridley
Rowan
St John (pn Sin-jen)
Selwyn
Todd (from the old English for fox)
Tristan
Tristram
Tybalt
Wilfrid
Willard
Winston
Wistan/Wystan

That's fairly exhaustive, but I've basically trawled one of my name books. Have left out things I know from history like Ethelred - although you may be tempted!

Wyatt

belgo · 26/02/2010 13:47

Ethelwolf means noble Wolf. We just went for Wolf.
Harley (means meadow I think in old english)

creditcrunched · 26/02/2010 13:44

Cnut
Hardecnut
or
Ethelred

stleger · 26/02/2010 13:38

(I love the Saxon ones, aren't they great?)

gothgirl77 · 26/02/2010 13:24

Aline and Oliver are both Anglo-Norman if that helps?

AvengingGerbil · 26/02/2010 13:24

Aelfric
Aelfryth
Matilda
Edith
Emma
Goda
Godwine
Redburga
Osburga
Judith
Wulfrida
Frideswide
Richenda
Aelswyth
Elgiva
Aethelflaed

(most of these are Saxon queens!)

foreverastudent · 26/02/2010 13:20

Tristan

Edward

Arthur

Saxon

Norman

Edmund

Lancelot

Ethel

Mildred

Matilda

Isolde

Oswald

Percy

Wilfred

TweedyneeCole · 26/02/2010 13:12

Ailith - think it's pre-Medieval. Girl at school had that name. Very pretty.

Original poster
dragonowlmoon · 26/02/2010 13:07

I like Harold. I had Ethel on a list for girls, but I looked it up on the talk topic and it's still regarded as old fashioned.

OP posts:
Blu · 26/02/2010 13:05

Cedric
Cnut

Google 'anglo saxon names' and you will get sites with comprehensive lists.