Æthelstan
/ˈæː.θel.stɑn/noun
A masculine Old English personal name meaning roughly "noble stone."
Did you know?Æthelstan is one of those Old English names where the first element, *æthel* (“noble”), appears in many aristocratic Anglo-Saxon names, while *stan* (“stone”) gives the whole name a hard, enduring force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aþalaz
“noble, of noble birth”
Old English
OE
æþel
“noble, aristocratic”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stainaz
“stone”
Old English
OE
stān
“stone, rock”
Old English
OE
Æðelstān / Æthelstan
“a personal name meaning 'noble stone'”