Anglo-Saxon Name Generator
Authentic Old English names from Alfred's England
Generate real Anglo-Saxon names from the fifth to eleventh centuries: Old English given names like Æthelstan, Wulfstan, Eadgyth and Ælfgifu, plus historic figures, bynames, patronymics and titles for novels, tabletop games and reenactment personas.
About Anglo-Saxon names
Anglo-Saxon names were built from two Old English words joined together, and the meaning mattered less than the sound and the family connection. Æthel (noble), Ælf (elf), Ead (wealth), Wulf (wolf), Sige (victory), Os (god) and Leof (dear) were paired with second elements such as -red (counsel), -ric (ruler), -stan (stone), -wine (friend), -gifu (gift), -gyth (battle), -flæd (beauty) and -thryth (strength). So Æthelred is "noble counsel", Ælfgifu is "elf gift" and Wulfstan is "wolf stone". Families often repeated a first element across generations: Alfred the Great's children were Æthelflæd, Eadweard, Æthelgifu, Ælfthryth and Æthelweard.
There were no surnames. A person was known by a single name and, when needed, a byname: where they came from (Wulfstan of Worcester), who their father was (Harold Godwinson, or in older form Godwine Wulfnothing), a rank (ealdormann, thegn, gerefa) or a nickname such as Streona (the grasper) or Swearta (the dark). Women's names ended in -gifu, -burh, -wynn, -hild or -swith, and abbesses, queens and landholders appear in charters under them.
The list here mixes attested kings, saints and charter witnesses with plausible compounds built from the same elements, spelled with the æ ligature as in the manuscripts. Use a bare given name for most characters, and add a byname only when two people in the story would otherwise share one.
How to choose Anglo-Saxon names
- Pick a family first element and reuse it across siblings or generations: a house of Ead- names (Eadric, Eadgyth, Eadwine) or Wulf- names reads as one kin group, exactly as real Anglo-Saxon dynasties did.
- Add a byname only when it does work: "of Worcester" for a churchman, "-ing" or "-son" for a patronymic, or an Old English nickname like Hwita (white), Lang (tall) or Cild (young).
- Keep the æ if you want a period look, or swap it for "Ae" or "E" (Aethelred, Ethelred) for modern readability; just choose one system and stick with it.
- Match the century: Cerdic, Ceawlin, Penda and Oswiu belong to the sixth and seventh centuries, while Godwine, Leofric, Eadric and Ealdgyth feel like the eve of 1066.
- Women's names ending in -gifu, -burh, -flæd, -thryth and -swith are unmistakably female; -ric, -red, -wulf, -stan and -noth are male. Avoid mixing them up.
Frequently asked questions
Did Anglo-Saxons have last names?
No. People used one given name, and added a descriptive byname when necessary: a home (Ælfric of Eynsham), a father (Harold Godwinson), an office (Byrhtnoth Ealdormann) or a nickname (Eadric Streona). Hereditary surnames only appear in England after the Norman Conquest.
How is Æ pronounced in Anglo-Saxon names?
Æ (called ash) sounds like the a in cat, so Æthelred is roughly ATH-el-red and Ælfgifu is ALF-yi-vu. The letters th in Old English names are a real th sound, and c before e or i is often ch, so Cild is child and Ceorl is churl.
What are typical Anglo-Saxon female names?
Æthelflæd, Ælfgifu, Eadgyth (Edith), Ealhswith, Wynflæd, Cyneburh, Leofgifu, Godgifu (Godiva), Wulfrun and Mildthryth (Mildred) are all attested. The second elements -gifu, -gyth, -flæd, -burh, -swith, -wynn, -hild and -thryth mark a name as female.
Is Anglo-Saxon the same as Old English or Saxon?
Anglo-Saxon and Old English describe the same people and language in England between about 450 and 1066. Continental Saxons in Germany used closely related names (Widukind, Liudolf) but spelled differently; the names here follow the English manuscript forms.
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All 500 Anglo-Saxon names
A: 98 names
- Æbbe
- Æbbe of Coldingham
- Ælfflæd
- Ælfflæd of Whitby
- Ælfgar
- Ælfgar Beorhtrices sunu
- Ælfgar Leofricson
- Ælfgeat
- Ælfgeat Wulfsiging
- Ælfgifu
- Ælfgifu Æthelreding
- Ælfgifu of Northampton
- Ælfgifu the Nun
- Ælfgyth
- Ælfheah
- Ælfheah Bishop of Winchester
- Ælfheah of Canterbury
- Ælfhelm
- Ælfhere
- Ælfhere Ealdormann of Mercia
- Ælfhere of Mercia
- Ælfhild
- Ælfmær
- Ælfnoth
- Ælfred
- Ælfric
- Ælfric Leofa
- Ælfric of Eynsham
- Ælfrun
- Ælfsige
- Ælfsige Fot
- Ælfsige the Priest
A, continued
- Ælfstan
- Ælfstan Bishop of London
- Ælfswith
- Ælfthryth
- Ælfthryth of Wessex
- Ælfwaru
- Ælfwaru of Winchester
- Ælfweard
- Ælfweard of Wessex
- Ælfwig
- Ælfwine
- Ælfwine of York
- Ælfwine Wulfstaning
- Ælfwold
- Ælfwynn
- Ælle
- Æscflæd
- Æscwine
- Æscwynn
- Æthelbald
- Æthelbald of Mercia
- Æthelberht
- Æthelberht of Kent
- Æthelburh
- Æthelflæd
- Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians
- Æthelfrith
- Æthelgar
- Æthelgifu
- Æthelgyth
- Æthelheard
- Æthelheard of Wessex
- Æthelhelm
A, continued
- Æthelhelm of Wiltshire
- Æthelhild
- Æthelhun
- Æthelmær
- Æthelmær the Stout
- Æthelmund
- Æthelnoth
- Æthelnoth of Canterbury
- Æthelred
- Æthelred the Unready
- Æthelric
- Æthelsige
- Æthelstan
- Æthelstan Half-King
- Æthelswith
- Æthelswith of Wessex
- Æthelthryth
- Æthelthryth of Ely
- Æthelwaru
- Æthelweard
- Æthelweard the Ætheling
- Æthelweard the Historian
- Æthelwig
- Æthelwine
- Æthelwine Ealdormann of East Anglia
- Æthelwold
- Æthelwold Bishop of Winchester
- Æthelwold of East Anglia
- Æthelwold the Ætheling
- Æthelwulf
- Æthelwulf Ealdormann of Berkshire
- Æthelwulf of Wessex
- Æthelwynn
B: 29 names
- Beorhtflæd
- Beorhtgifu
- Beorhtgyth
- Beorhtnoth
- Beorhtric
- Beorhtric of Wiltshire
- Beorhtric the Shepherd
- Beorhtsige
- Beorhtwulf
- Beorhtwynn
- Beornflæd
- Beornheard
- Beornred
- Beornstan
- Beornwulf
- Beornwulf of Mercia
- Beornwynn
- Beowulf
- Burgflæd
- Burggifu
- Burghild
- Burgred
- Burgred of Mercia
- Burgwynn
- Byrhtferth
- Byrhtferth of Ramsey
- Byrhtnoth
- Byrhtnoth Ealdormann of Essex
- Byrhtwold
C: 48 names
- Cædwalla
- Ceawlin
- Centwine
- Ceolberht
- Ceolfrith
- Ceolmund
- Ceolmund Ealdormann of Kent
- Ceolnoth
- Ceolred
- Ceolwulf
- Ceolwulf the Thegn
- Cerdic
- Cerdic of Wessex
- Coenred
- Coenwulf
- Coenwulf of Mercia
- Cuthbert
- Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
- Cuthburh
- Cuthburh of Wimborne
- Cuthheard
- Cuthred
- Cuthswith
- Cuthwulf
C, continued
- Cwenburh
- Cwengifu
- Cwenhild
- Cwenswith
- Cwenthryth
- Cwenthryth of Winchcombe
- Cyneburh
- Cyneburh of Castor
- Cyneflæd
- Cynegyth
- Cyneheard
- Cyneheard the Ætheling
- Cynehild
- Cynesige
- Cynesige Bishop of Lichfield
- Cyneswith
- Cynethryth
- Cynethryth of Mercia
- Cynewaru
- Cynewaru of Repton
- Cynewulf
- Cynewulf of Wessex
- Cynewynn
- Cynric
D: 6 names
- Deorflæd
- Deorgifu
- Deorhild
- Deorwynn
- Dunstan
- Dunstan of Glastonbury
E: 82 names
- Eadbald
- Eadbeorht
- Eadburh
- Eadburh of Mercia
- Eadflæd
- Eadfrith
- Eadgar
- Eadgar the Ætheling
- Eadgifu
- Eadgifu Ælfgares dohtor
- Eadgifu of Kent
- Eadgifu the Fair
- Eadgyth
- Eadgyth Leofrices dohtor
- Eadgyth of Wilton
- Eadgyth Swanneshals
- Eadhelm
- Eadhild
- Eadhun
- Eadmund
- Eadmund Ælfrunsunu
- Eadmund Ironside
- Eadnoth
- Eadnoth of Norfolk
- Eadred
- Eadred Ealdormann of Wiltshire
- Eadric
E, continued
- Eadric Ælfgaring
- Eadric Ælfsiges sunu
- Eadric Lang
- Eadric Streona
- Eadric the Reeve
- Eadric the Wild
- Eadrun
- Eadsige
- Eadswith
- Eadwaru
- Eadweard
- Eadwig
- Eadwine
- Eadwine Cild
- Eadwine of Hwicce
- Eadwine of Mercia
- Eadwine of Northumbria
- Eadwine the Tall
- Eadwulf
- Eadwulf Osfrithing
- Eadwynn
- Eafe
- Ealdgifu
- Ealdgyth
- Ealdgyth of Mercia
- Ealdhelm
- Ealdred
E, continued
- Ealdred of Bamburgh
- Ealdwulf
- Ealdwynn
- Ealhmund
- Ealhstan
- Ealhswith
- Ealhswith of the Gaini
- Eanbald
- Eanburh
- Eanflæd
- Eanflæd of Whitby
- Eangyth
- Eanred
- Eanswith
- Eanwulf
- Eardwulf
- Ecgberht
- Ecgfrith
- Ecgfrith of Northumbria
- Ecgfrith the Younger
- Ecgric
- Ecgwine
- Ecgwulf
- Eomer
- Eorcenberht
- Eorcengota
- Eormenhild
- Eormenhild of Ely
F: 3 names
- Freawaru
- Frithestan
- Frithugyth
G: 26 names
- Garflæd
- Garwynn
- Godgifu
- Godgifu of Coventry
- Godgyth
- Godhelm
- Godlufu
- Godmund
- Godric
- Godric Godwinson
- Godric Grim
- Godric of Sussex
- Godric the Smith
- Godrun
- Godwaru
- Godwine
- Godwine Bulle
- Godwine Leofstaning
- Godwine of Lincoln
- Godwine Wulfnothing
- Godwine Wulfstanes sunu
- Godwynn
- Guthlac
- Guthlac of Crowland
- Guthrun
- Gyrth Godwinson
H: 34 names
- Harold Godwinson
- Heahberht
- Heahburh
- Heahflæd
- Heahmund
- Heahstan
- Healfdene
- Heardred
- Helmstan
- Hengest
- Herefrith
- Heregyth
- Hereswith
- Hereswith of Chelles
- Hereward
- Hereward the Wake
- Herewynn
- Hild
- Hild of Whitby
- Hildeburh
- Hildeburh of the Half-Danes
- Hildelith
- Hildeswith
- Hlothere
- Horsa
- Hrethel
- Hrothgar
- Hrothulf
- Hrothwynn
- Hunburh
- Hungifu
- Hunred
- Hygeberht
- Hygelac
I: 3 names
- Ida
- Ine
- Ine of Wessex
L: 26 names
- Leofcild
- Leofflæd
- Leofgar
- Leofgifu
- Leofgifu Godwines dohtor
- Leofgyth
- Leofhild
- Leofnoth
- Leofric
- Leofric Hwita
- Leofric of Mercia
- Leofrun
- Leofsige
- Leofstan
- Leofstan Æthelwining
- Leofwaru
- Leofweard
- Leofwine
- Leofwine Ælfwining
- Leofwine Blæc
- Leofwine Eadrices sunu
- Leofwine Godwinson
- Leofwine of Kent
- Leofwine the Red
- Leofwynn
- Lyfing of Crediton
M: 6 names
- Mildburh
- Mildburh of Wenlock
- Mildthryth
- Mildthryth of Thanet
- Morcar
- Morcar of Northumbria
N: 1 name
- Nothhelm
O: 36 names
- Oda
- Offa
- Offa of Mercia
- Ongentheow
- Ordflæd
- Ordgar
- Ordgar of Devon
- Ordgifu
- Ordgyth
- Ordheah
- Ordric
- Ordwulf
- Ordwulf of Tavistock
- Ordwynn
- Osburh
- Osburh of the Isle of Wight
- Osferth
- Osgifu
- Osgyth
- Oslac
- Osmund
- Osred
- Osric
- Osric Ealdormann of Dorset
- Osric of Deira
- Osrun
- Osthryth
- Osthryth of Bardney
- Oswald
- Oswald Bishop of Worcester
- Oswald of Northumbria
- Oswine
- Oswiu
- Oswiu of Bernicia
- Oswulf of Bamburgh
- Oswynn
P: 4 names
- Peada
- Penda
- Penda of Mercia
- Plegmund
R: 4 names
- Rædburh
- Rædgifu
- Rædwald
- Rædwald of East Anglia
S: 23 names
- Sæberht
- Sæflæd
- Sægifu
- Sæthryth
- Sæwynn
- Seaxburh
- Seaxburh of Ely
- Sigeberht
- Sigeberht of East Anglia
- Sigeburh
- Sigeflæd
- Sigegyth
- Sigehelm
- Sigered
- Sigeric
- Sigeric Leofing
- Sigeweard
- Sigewulf
- Sigewynn
- Siward of Northumbria
- Stigand of Winchester
- Swegn Godwinson
- Swithun
T: 8 names
- Tatwine
- Theodred
- Tidburh
- Tidgifu
- Torhthelm
- Tortgyth
- Tostig
- Tostig Godwinson
U: 3 names
- Uhtred
- Uhtred the Bold
- Unferth
W: 60 names
- Waltheof Siwardson
- Wærburh
- Wærburh of Chester
- Wærferth
- Wealdgifu
- Wealdhild
- Wealhtheow
- Wigberht
- Wiglaf
- Wiglaf of Mercia
- Wigmund
- Wigstan
- Wihtburh
- Wihtgifu
- Wihtgyth
- Wihtred
- Wilfrid
- Wilfrid of Ripon
- Wulfflæd
- Wulfgar
- Wulfgifu
- Wulfgyth
- Wulfheard
- Wulfheard Ealdormann of Hampshire
- Wulfhelm
- Wulfhere
- Wulfhere of Mercia
- Wulfhild
- Wulfhild of Barking
- Wulfmær