This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Edith f. Old English ēad 'riches, wealth' + Old English gȳð 'war'.

The name of a 10th C wife of a Holy Roman Emperor, an 11th C English queen, and a very popular 10th C English saint.

One of the few Old English feminine names to remain not only in use, but in common use, after the Anglo-Norman conquest.

England
Latin
1185x1186 Ædithe (gen) PR-XXXVI p. 192; 1189 Edeta (nom) GASurv p. 202, Edit (nom) ibid. p. 137, Editha (nom) ibid. p. 119, Edithe (gen) ibid. p. 169; 1222 Editha (nom) StPaulDom p. 10; 1240 Editha (nom) ibid. p. 119; 1256 Editham (acc) EARNb p. 3, Edithæ (dat) ibid. p. 4; 1279–80 Editha (nom) WaHR-SK p. 33, Edytha (nom) ibid. p. 33; 1340xc1450 Editha (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 1; 1558 Editha (nom) StMartF p. 59; 1561 Editha (nom) ibid. p. 60
1279–80 Ede (gen) WaHR-SK p. 81; 1379 Eden (nom) WRYPT1 p. 8
Early Modern English
1540 Edethe BEmar-vol1 p. 2; 1548 Edethe ibid. p. 3; 1548/9 Edith ExMar 1b; 1549 Edithe BEmar-vol1 p. 3; 1550 Edyth WAmar-1 p. 108; 1551 Edith DEmar-vol1 p. 79; 1552 Edith ibid. p. 80, Edithe BEmar-vol1 p. 4; 1554 Edith bruton1 p. 2; 1555 Edith ibid. p. 27; 1556 Edith ibid. p. 27; 1558 Edith ibid. p. 3, Edithe BEmar-vol1 p. 6; 1559 Edith bruton1 p. 30; 1561 Edith ibid. p. 31; 1562 Edith ibid. p. 32; 1563 Edith ibid. p. 33, Edithe BEmar-vol2 p. 29; 1564 Edith bruton1 p. 4; 1566 Edith ibid. p. 35; 1567 Edith ibid. p. 112; 1568 Edith ibid. p. 37; 1569 Edith BUmar-vol9 p. 5; 1569/70 Edith bruton1 p. 113; 1569 Edith ibid. p. 38; 1570 Edith ibid. p. 113; 1571 Edith ibid. p. 39; 1572 Edith ibid. p. 40; 1573 Edith ibid. p. 6; 1574/5 Edith ibid. p. 114; 1574 Edith ibid. p. 41; 1575 Edith ibid. p. 7; 1576 Edith RegBath p. 3, bruton1 p. 43, Eedith ibid. p. 115; 1577 Edith WAmar-1 p. 16; 1578 Edith bruton1 p. 43; 1579 Edith ibid. p. 7; 1580 Edith ibid. p. 7; 1580/1 Edyth BEmar-vol1 p. 10; 1581 Edyth ibid. p. 10; 1582 Edeth BEmar-vol2 p. 130; 1584 Edith DEmar-vol1 p. 85; 1585 Edith HAmar-vol9 p. 79, Edithe RegBath p. 7; 1586 Edith ibid. p. 7; 1586/7 Edith bruton1 p. 116; 1587 Edith ibid. p. 47; 1588 Edith ibid. p. 118; 1589/90 Edith RegBath p. 8; 1589 Edith bruton1 p. 9; 1590 Edith ibid. p. 120; 1591 Edith ibid. p. 120; 1592 Edith ibid. p. 51; 1593 Edith ibid. p. 52; 1594 Edith DEmar-vol2 p. 28, bruton1 p. 10, Eedeth RegBisham p. 30; 1595 Edith bruton1 p. 54; 1596 Edith ibid. p. 11; 1597/8 Edith BEmar-vol2 p. 4; 1597 Edith bruton1 p. 124; 1597/8 Edith ibid. p. 125; 1598 Edith ibid. p. 125; 1599 Edith ibid. p. 57
1542 Ede StAnthonlin p. 3; 1581 Eddye BEmar-vol1 p. 10; 1585 Ydye BEmar-vol2 p. 69; 1586 Eden SaxhamSf p. 40, Eedy RegSoAMar p. 13; 1587 Eden SaxhamSf p. 4; 1596 Yeede DEmar-vol2 P. 34; 1597 Edeny SaxhamSf p. 5, Yedye WAmar-1 p. 132
Germany
Latin
937 Eadgide (gen) HambUrk-vol1 XXXII
Scotland
Latin
1124 Eadiue (gen) ESC L
Cite as: A. Brown, S.L. Uckelman. "Edith". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Edith.