Ethelred
/ˈɛθəlˌrɛd/noun
An Old English masculine given name meaning “noble counsel.”
Did you know?Ethelred is built from the same ancient Germanic root as modern English e6thel, and the name was worn by kings who were expected to rule with both status and strategy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aþalaz
“noble, of high birth”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*rēþaz
“counsel, advice”
Old English
OE
Æðelrēd
“noble counsel”
Old English / Anglo-Saxon
OE
Æthelred
“a royal masculine personal name”
Middle English
English
Ethelred
“the inherited English form of the Old English name”