Old English Origin Names

Saxon m English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of the Germanic tribe the Saxons, ultimately deriving from the Germanic word *sahsą meaning "knife". This name can also be given in direct reference to the tribe.

Seward m English
From an English surname, either Seward 1 or Seward 2.

Shad 2 m English
Perhaps a variant of Chad.

Shepherd m English
From an English occupational surname meaning "sheep herder, shepherd".

Sherley f English (Rare)
Variant of Shirley.

Sherman m English
From an English surname meaning "shear man", originally denoting a person who cut cloth. Famous bearers of the surname include American politician Roger Sherman (1721-1793) and American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891).

Shirlee f English
Variant of Shirley.

Shirley f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.

Sigeberht m Anglo-Saxon
Means "bright victory", derived from Old English sige "victory" and beorht "bright" (a cognate of Siegbert). This was the name of a king of Wessex. The name fell out of use after the Norman Conquest.

Sigeweard m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements sige "victory" and weard "guard, guardian", making it a cognate of Sigurd.

Smith m English
From an English surname meaning "metal worker, blacksmith", derived from Old English smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in most of the English-speaking world.

Snow f English (Rare)
From the English word, derived from Old English snāw.

Snow White f Literature
English translation of German Sneewittchen, derived from Low German Snee "snow" and witt "white" combined with the diminutive suffix -chen. This is the name of a girl who escapes her evil stepmother and takes refuge with seven dwarfs in an 1812 story recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who based it on earlier European folktales. The High German translation would be Schneeweißchen, but this was used by the Grimms for an unrelated character in another story (Snow-White and Rose-Red). The modern German form is typically the hybrid Schneewittchen. The story was adapted into a film by Walt Disney in 1937.

Sommer f English (Modern)
Variant of Summer, coinciding with the German word for summer.

Stan 1 m English
Short form of Stanley. A famous bearer was British comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965).

Stanford m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "stone ford" in Old English.

Stanley m English
From an English surname meaning "stone clearing" (Old English stan "stone" and leah "woodland, clearing"). A notable bearer of the surname was the British-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the man who found David Livingstone in Africa. As a given name, it was borne by American director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), as well as the character Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).

Star f English
From the English word for the celestial body, ultimately from Old English steorra.

Starla f English
Elaborated form of Star.

Starr f English
Variant of Star.

Stew m English
Short form of Stewart.

Stewart m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant Stuart.

Stithulf m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements stiþ "hard, stiff" and wulf "wolf".

Stone m English (Modern)
From the English vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English stan.

Storm m & f English (Modern), Dutch (Modern), Danish (Modern), Norwegian (Modern)
From the vocabulary word, ultimately from Old English or Old Dutch storm, or in the case of the Scandinavian name, from Old Norse stormr.

Stormi f English (Modern)
Variant of Stormy.

Stormy f English (Modern)
From the English word meaning "stormy, wild, turbulent", ultimately from Old English stormig.

Stu m English
Short form of Stuart.

Stuart m English, Scottish
From a Scottish occupational surname originally belonging to a person who was a steward. It is ultimately derived from Old English stig "house" and weard "guard". As a given name, it arose in 19th-century Scotland in honour of the Stuart royal family, which produced several kings and queens of Scotland and Britain between the 14th and 18th centuries.

Summer f English
From the name of the season, ultimately from Old English sumor. It has been in use as a given name since the 1970s.

Sunday m & f English
From the name of the day of the week, which ultimately derives from Old English sunnandæg, which was composed of the elements sunne "sun" and dæg "day". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

Sunngifu f Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Sunniva.

Sunnifa f Medieval Scandinavian
Old Norse form of Sunniva.

Sunniva f Norwegian
Scandinavian form of the Old English name Sunngifu, which meant "sun gift" from the Old English elements sunne "sun" and giefu "gift". This was the name of a legendary English saint who was shipwrecked in Norway and killed by the inhabitants.

Sutton f & m English (Modern)
From a surname, itself derived from the name of numerous English towns, of Old English origin meaning "south town".

Swiðhun m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Swithin.

Swithin m History
From the Old English name Swiðhun or Swiþhun, derived from swiþ "strong" and perhaps hun "bear cub". Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

Swithun m History
Variant of Swithin.

Synne f Norwegian
Short form of Synnøve.

Synnöve f Swedish
Swedish form of Sunniva.

Synnøve f Norwegian
Norwegian variant of Sunniva.

Tata m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name of unknown meaning.

Tate m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Tata, of unknown origin.

Tatton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's town" in Old English.

Tatum f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Tata's homestead" in Old English. It was brought to public attention by the child actress Tatum O'Neal (1963-) in the 1970s, though it did not catch on. It attained a modest level of popularity after 1996, when it was borne by a character in the movie Scream.

Ted m English
Short form of Edward or Theodore. A famous bearer was the American baseball player Ted Williams (1918-2002), who was born as Theodore.

Teddie m & f English
Diminutive of Edward or Theodore, sometimes a feminine form.

Teddy m English
Diminutive of Edward or Theodore.

Tenley f English (Modern)
From an English surname, itself possibly from a place name derived from Old English tind "point" and leah "woodland, clearing". This name was popularized in 2010 by a contestant on the reality television series The Bachelor.

Thatcher m English (Modern)
From an English surname that referred to a person who thatched roofs by attaching straw to them, derived from Old English þæc "thatch". The surname was borne by British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013).

Thorley m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn clearing" in Old English.

Thornton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "thorn town" in Old English.

Trenton m English
From the name of a New Jersey city established in the 17th century by William Trent. It means "Trent's town".

Trueman m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Truman.

Truman m English
From a surname that meant "trusty man" in Middle English. 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).

Tuesday f English (Rare)
From the English word for the day of the week, which derives from Old English tiwesdæg meaning "Tiw's day".

Uhtric m Anglo-Saxon (Hypothetical)
Derived from the Old English elements uhta "pre-dawn" and ric "ruler, king".

Ulric m English (Rare)
Middle English form of the Old English name Wulfric. When it is used in modern times, it is usually as a variant of Ulrich.

Upton m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "upper town" in Old English. A famous bearer of this name was the American novelist Upton Sinclair (1878-1968).

Van m English
Short form of names containing van, such as Vance or Ivan.

Vance m English
From an English surname that was derived from Old English fenn meaning "marsh, fen".

Vilfred m Danish
Danish form of Wilfred.

Vilfredo m Italian (Rare)
Italian form of Wilfred.

Vilmar m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Form of Wilmer popular in Brazil.

Wærmund m Anglo-Saxon
From Old English wær "aware, cautious" and mund "protection", making it a (partial) cognate of Veremund. This was the name of a legendary ancestor of the Mercians according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Walker m English
From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".

Walton m English
From a surname that was originally taken from various Old English place names meaning "stream town", "wood town", or "wall town".

Ward 1 m English
From an occupational surname for a watchman, derived from Old English weard "guard".

Ward 2 m Dutch
Short form of Eduard.

Warrick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Warwick.

Warwick m English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from the name of a town in England, itself from Old English wer "weir, dam" and wic "settlement".

Washington m English
From a surname that was originally derived from the name of an English town, itself meaning "settlement belonging to Wassa's people". The given name is usually given in honour of George Washington (1732-1799), commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States.

Wassa f Anglo-Saxon
Meaning uncertain. It may be a short form of a longer name such as Wāðsige, composed of the elements wāð "hunt" and sige "victory".

Wayne m English
From an occupational surname meaning "wagon maker", derived from Old English wægn "wagon". Use of it as a given name can be partly attributed to the popularity of the actor John Wayne (1907-1979). Another famous bearer is Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky (1961-), generally considered the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Wealdhere m Anglo-Saxon
From Old English weald "powerful, mighty" and here "army", making it a cognate of Walter.

Wealdmær m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements weald "powerful, mighty" and mære "famous" (a cognate of Waldemar).

Wealhmær m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wealh "foreigner, Celt" and mære "famous".

Webster m English
From an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.

Wednesday f Popular Culture
From the name of the day of the week, which was derived from Old English wodnesdæg meaning "Woden's day". On the Addams Family television series (1964-1966) this was the name of the daughter, based on an earlier unnamed character in Charles Addams' cartoons. Her name was inspired by the popular nursery rhyme line Wednesday's child is full of woe.

Wells m English
From an English surname that originally denoted a person who lived near a well or spring, from Middle English wille.

Wemba m Anglo-Saxon (Rare)
Byname derived from Old English wamb meaning "belly".

Wes m English
Short form of Wesley.

Wesley m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself meaning "west meadow" from Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing". It has been sometimes given in honour of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of Methodism.

Westley m English
From a surname that was a variant of Wesley.

Weston m English
From an English surname that was derived from a place name, itself from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".

Whitney f & m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "white island" in Old English. Its popular use as a feminine name was initiated by actress Whitney Blake (1925-2002) in the 1960s, and further boosted in the 1980s by singer Whitney Houston (1963-2012).

Wigberht m Anglo-Saxon, Germanic
Derived from the Old English elements wig "battle" and beorht "bright". This is also a continental Germanic equivalent, derived from the Old German elements wig and beraht. The name was borne by an 8th-century English saint who did missionary work in Frisia and Germany.

Wigheard m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name composed of the elements wig "battle" and heard "hard, firm, brave, hardy".

Wigmund m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Wymond.

Wigstan m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Wystan.

Wihtburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wiht "creature, being" and burg "fortress". This was the name of an 8th-century saint, said to be the youngest daughter of King Anna of East Anglia.

Wil m & f English, Dutch
Short form of William and other names beginning with Wil.

Wilburg f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements willa "will, desire" and burg "fortress".

Wilburh f Anglo-Saxon
Variant of Wilburg.

Wilder m English
From an English surname meaning "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", from Old English wilde.

Wiley m English
From a surname that was derived from various English place names: towns named Willey or the River Wylye.

Wilf m English
Short form of Wilfred.

Wilfred m English
Means "desiring peace" from Old English willa "will, desire" and friþ "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.

Wilfreda f English (Rare)
Feminine form of Wilfred.

Wilfredo m Spanish
Spanish form of Wilfred.

Wilfrid m English
Variant of Wilfred.

Wilfrith m Anglo-Saxon
Variant of Wilfrið.

Wilfrið m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Wilfred.

Wilheard m Anglo-Saxon
Old English cognate of Willihard.

Will m English
Short form of William and other names beginning with Will. A famous bearer is American actor Will Smith (1968-), whose full name is Willard.

Willard m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old German given name Willihard (or the Old English cognate Wilheard).

Wilmǣr m Anglo-Saxon
From the Old English elements willa "will, desire" and mære "famous".

Wilmar m Spanish (Latin American)
Variant of Wilmer.

Wilmer m English, Spanish (Latin American)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wilmǣr. In some cases it might be regarded as a masculine form of Wilma. This name is popular in Spanish-speaking Latin America.

Wilt m English
Short form of Wilton. This name was borne by basketball player Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999).

Wilton m English
From a surname that was derived from the names of several English towns. The town names mean variously "willow town", "well town" or "town on the River Wylye" in Old English. The river name is itself of Celtic origin, possibly meaning "tricky".

Wine m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from Old English wine "friend".

Winefride f History (Ecclesiastical)
Variant of Winifred.

Winfield m English
From a surname that originated from various English place names, themselves derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".

Winfred m English
Means "friend of peace" from the Old English elements wine "friend" and friþ "peace". This was the birth name of the 8th-century missionary Saint Boniface. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, though it was revived in the 19th century.

Winfrith m Anglo-Saxon
Variant of Winfrið.

Winfrið m Anglo-Saxon
Old English form of Winfred.

Winifred f English, Welsh
From Latin Winifreda, possibly from a Welsh name Gwenfrewi (maybe influenced by the Old English masculine name Winfred). Saint Winifred was a 7th-century Welsh martyr, probably legendary. According to the story, she was decapitated by a prince after she spurned his advances. Where her head fell there arose a healing spring, which has been a pilgrimage site since medieval times. Her story was recorded in the 12th century by Robert of Shrewsbury, and she has been historically more widely venerated in England than in Wales. The name has been used in England since at least the 16th century.

Winifreda f History (Ecclesiastical)
Latin form of Winifred.

Winnie f English
Diminutive of Winifred. Winnie-the-Pooh, a stuffed bear in children's books by A. A. Milne, was named after a real bear named Winnipeg who lived at the London Zoo.

Winnifred f English, Welsh
Variant of Winifred.

Winslow m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine". A famous bearer of this name was American painter Winslow Homer (1836-1910).

Winston m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Wynnstan. A famous bearer was Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the British prime minister during World War II. This name was also borne by the fictional Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1949 novel 1984.

Winthrop m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally taken from town names meaning either "Wine's village" or "Wigmund's village" in Old English.

Winton m English
From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine" in Old English.

Withburga f Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Variant of Wihtburg.

Wolf m German, Jewish, English (Rare), Germanic
Short form of Wolfgang, Wolfram and other names containing the Old German element wolf meaning "wolf" (Proto-Germanic *wulfaz). It can also be simply from the German or English word. As a Jewish name it can be considered a vernacular form of Zeev.

Wolfe m English (Rare)
Variant of Wolf, influenced by the spelling of the surname (which is also derived from the animal).

Woodie m English
Variant of Woody.

Woodrow m English
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English. It was borne by the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), who was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name (his first name was Thomas). During his candidacy and presidency (1912-1921) the name became popular, reaching the 44th rank in 1913, though it quickly declined after that.

Woody m English
Either a diminutive of names containing wood such as Woodrow, or else from a nickname derived from the English word wood. Famous bearers include the folk singer Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967), the comedian and film director Heywood "Woody" Allen (1935-; born as Allan Stewart Konigsberg), and the actor Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson (1961-). It is also borne by the cartoon characters Woody Woodpecker (debuting 1940) and Woody from the Toy Story movies (beginning 1995).

Wright m English
From an occupational surname meaning "craftsman", ultimately from Old English wyrhta. Famous bearers of the surname were the Wright brothers (Wilbur 1867-1912 and Orville 1871-1948), the inventors of the first successful airplane, and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), an American architect.

Wulfflæd f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty".

Wulfgifu f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and giefu "gift".

Wulfnoð m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and noð "boldness, daring". This name became rare after the Norman Conquest.

Wulfric m Anglo-Saxon
Old English name meaning "wolf ruler", from the elements wulf "wolf" and ric "ruler, king".

Wulfrun f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and run "secret lore, rune". This was the name of a 10th-century English noblewoman who founded the city of Wolverhampton.

Wulfruna f History
Form of Wulfrun sometimes used in reference to the 10th-century noblewoman.

Wulfsige m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and sige "victory".

Wulfstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and stan "stone".

Wulfwynn f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wulf "wolf" and wynn "joy".

Wyatt m English
From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Wyard or Wyot, from the Old English name Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.

Wybert m Medieval English
Middle English form of Wigberht.

Wymond m Medieval English
Middle English form of the Old English name Wigmund, composed of the elements wig "battle" and mund "protection".

Wynne 2 m & f English (Rare)
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Wine.

Wynnflæd f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wynn "joy" and flæd, possibly meaning "beauty".

Wynnstan m Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements wynn "joy" and stan "stone".

Wyot m Medieval English
Middle English form of Wigheard.

Wystan m English (Rare)
From the Old English name Wigstan, composed of the elements wig "battle" and stan "stone". This was the name of a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon saint. It became rare after the Norman Conquest, and in modern times it is chiefly known as the first name of the British poet W. H. Auden (1907-1973).