Thegn
/θeɪn/noun
A member of the Anglo-Saxon nobility who served a king or lord, often as a retainer or landholder.
Did you know?Thegns were not merely servants: by the late Anglo-Saxon period, the title marked a powerful aristocratic rank tied to royal service and landholding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þegnaz
“A servant, retainer, or follower”
Old Norse
Old Norse
þegn
“A free man or warrior in a lord’s service”
Old English
Old English
þegn
“A servant, attendant, or military retainer”
11th Century
Late Old English
þegn
“A noble landholder serving the king or another lord”
Middle English
Middle English
theyn / thayne
“A nobleman or feudal retainer”
Modern English
English
thegn
“An Anglo-Saxon nobleman or official; also spelled thane”