Cuthwulf

Male
CPL
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Discussion of the name

Cuthwulf is a masculine Old English name formed from the elements cuð ‘famous’ and wulf ‘wolf’. It was in use among the upper classes in the ninth century, being the name of bishops of Hereford and Rochester, an abbot, and thegns who witnessed charters in Wessex and Kent (PASE: Cuthwulf 2–9). It was also the name of one or more moneyers in the second half of the century (PASE: Cuthwulf 11–13). Its popularity may well have been linked to the belief in ninth-century Wessex that a Cuthwulf of the late sixth century was an important member of the West Saxon royal house in the time before Christianity, in one account the grandfather of the first baptised king of the West Saxons, Cynegils (PASE: Cuthwulf 1; Yorke 1995: 80–2).

There is no record of the name Cuthwulf again until DB, and it had evidently passed out of use among the upper classes. The same is broadly true of all OE names in Cuth–, even in Northumbria, where the first element Cuth– had been used prolifically around the year 800 (DLV: II, 99–101). 

Spellings in Coolf have been assigned to the name Tholf.

Bibliography

DLV: The Durham Liber Vitae. London, British Library, MS Cotton Domitian A.VII: Edition and Digital Facsimile with Introduction, Codicological, Prosopographical and Linguistic Commentary, and Indexes, ed. D. W. Rollason and L. Rollason, 3 vols. (London: British Library, 2007)

Yorke 1995: Barbara Yorke, Wessex in the Early Middle Ages (London: Leicester University Press, 1995)

Forms of the name

Spellings in Domesday Book: DB Cudulf(us), Codolf, Codulfus, Coolle, Cuulf; Exon Codulfus, Covlfus, Cudulfus

Forms in modern scholarship:

  von Feilitzen head forms: OE Cuðwulf

  Phillimore edition: Cuthwulf

  Alecto edition: Cuthwulf

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
Gloucestershire 6,8 Gaunts Earthcott Cuulf Cuthwulf 'of Gaunts Earthcott' - Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances Robert 'the man of Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances' 2.00 2.00 2.00 D Map
Hampshire 28,6 South Tidworth Codolf Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' Harold, earl Robert fitzGerald Hugh 'the man of Robert fitzGerald' 7.00 10.00 10.00 A Map
Somerset 45,7 Tadwick - Cuthwulf 'of Gaunts Earthcott' - William Hose - 0.50 0.18 0.54 D Map
Sussex 11,14 Selham Codulfus Cuthwulf 'of Selham' Godwine, earl Roger, earl Robert fitzTheobald 4.00 4.00 3.20 C Map
Wiltshire 42,4 Biddesden Coolle Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - Robert fitzGerald Robert 'the man of Robert fitzGerald' 0.25 1.50 1.50 A Map
Wiltshire 42,9 Shaw Cudulf Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - Robert fitzGerald Hugh 'the man of Robert fitzGerald' 2.38 1.00 2.00 A Map
Wiltshire 67,39 Rollestone Cudulfus Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - 6.00 3.00 3.00 B Map
Totals

Tenant-in-Chief 1086 demesne estates (no subtenants)

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
Wiltshire 67,39 Rollestone Cudulfus Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - Cuthwulf 'of Rollestone' - 6.00 3.00 3.00 - Map
Totals