Æthelstan
/ˈæθəlstɑːn/noun
A masculine Anglo-Saxon name, most famously borne by Æthelstan, king of the English from 924 to 939.
Did you know?Æthelstan’s name uses the same Germanic “noble” element found in names such as Æthelred and Ethel, while its “stone” element symbolized firmness and permanence in Germanic naming traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aþalaz + *stainaz
“Noble or distinguished + stone”
Early Germanic
Old English
Æþelstān
“A personal name meaning “noble stone””
9th Century
Old English
Æþelstān
“Anglo-Saxon royal name, formed from traditional Germanic naming elements”
924–939
Old English
Æþelstān
“Name of the king who ruled the English and helped establish a united English kingdom”
Middle English
English
Athelstan
“The name preserved in historical and genealogical records”
Modern English
English
Æthelstan
“A historical masculine given name and royal name”