Althryth

Female
SDB
4 of 5

Discussion of the name

Althryth is an Old English feminine name with þryð ‘might, splendour’ as the second element and a first element representing either ælf ‘elf, sprite’, æðele ‘noble, famous’, ealh ‘temple’ or eald ‘old, experienced, honoured’, with the latter considered less likely by von Feilitzen (1937: 158) although the Alecto DB preferred it and the Index to the Phillimore DB included Aldthryth as an alternative to Althryth.  The medial of the DB form could represent either or <ð> and for that reason the head-form Althryth is adopted here.

There are several relevant entries in the PASE corpus, namely Ælfthryth (12 entries), Æthelthryth (10 entries) and Ealfthryth (2) together with one each for Ealfthryth (an erroneous form for Ælfthryth) and Ealdthryth (misleadingly representing this occurrence of Aldreda in DB).

Bibliography

von Feilitzen 1937: Olof von Feilitzen, The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, Nomina Germanica 3 (Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksells, 1937)

Forms of the name

Spellings in Domesday Book: Aldreda

Forms in modern scholarship:

  von Feilitzen head forms: Alðryð

  Phillimore edition: Althryth  (+ and in Index)

  Alecto edition: Ealdthryth

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton Aldreda Althryth 'of Watton' - Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 5.00 4.00 3.50 B Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton church - Althryth 'of Watton' - Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 0.17 0.08 0.08 C Map
Totals

Lord 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 9,11 Watton Aldreda 15 sokemen, of Watton Althryth Roger Bigod Ranulph fitzWalter 0.68 4.00 3.50 C Map
Totals