He's an Anglo-Saxon inheritor that has proved a steady reliable.
Edward feels refined; his homeliness comes from the multitude of friendly nicknames.
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Origin: |
From the Old English name Eadweard, composed of the elements éad and weard. The first element, éad, was a commonly found at the beginning of many Anglo-Saxon names (e.g. Edmund, Edgar, Edwin, Edith). The word referred to riches, prosperity, bliss and felicity. As an adjective it translates as "rich", "wealthy", "prosperous", "blessed" and "happy." The second element, weard, is the route from which we get the word 'ward'. It generally translates as "keeper", "guard", "guardian" or "protector," though could sometimes be used to mean "lord" or king", as seen in the word dryhtenweard*. |
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Usage: |
The popularity of Edward as an Anglo-Saxon name can be attested in the great number of namesakes and recorded instances that have survived from the 9th century onwards. One of the most notable early bearers was King Edward the Elder (c.874–924), the son of King Alfred the Great who was considered to be the first "King of the English". He was followed a century later by another English king: Edward the Martyr (c.962–978) whose tragic young death ensured that, although never canonised, he was considered by the people to have been a saint. The most famous of all was Edward the Confessor (c.1004–1066), a popular king who became the only English monarch to become officially canonised as a saint. Notably, Edward was one of only a few Anglo-Saxon names that never fell out of use after the Norman Conquest. Much is thanks to the highly popular cult of Edward the Confessor who, alongside Edmund the Martyr, was considered to be England's patron saint up until at least the 12th century. His name was much venerated in the Middle Ages, and he was officially canonised in 1161 at the insistence of Henry II. It was Henry III who can be really credited with making Edward a "royal name" in Britain, when he gave it to his son and heir, Edward I (1272–1307). He is thought to have done so in honour of his favourite saint, Edward the Confessor, and as a gesture to reconcile the Saxons and the Normans. Consequently, an Edward reigned on the English throne for the next hundred years, up until 1377. During this time, the name was also used by Edward Balliol, King of Scotland from 1332–1356, and Edward Bruce, brother of famous Robert the Bruce, who was created High King of Ireland 1316–1318. Edward was still in consistent use in the 14th century but was not particularly common. Biblical names like John, Adam, Peter and Simon, or Germanic names such William, Richard, Walter and Roger, were in much higher usage. By the 16th century, however, the name had grown greatly in usage, taking its place as one of the most popular names in England. It is calculated to have consistently been in sixth place (#6) from 1580 to 1640*, and in the Top 10 from 1538 to 1700*. In the 19th century the name was still in steady usage. The 1841 UK census records 169,714 men named Edward, making it the eleventh (#11) the most commonly listed masculine name, between Richard (199,820) and Samuel (167,425). In the 1901 UK census 358,515 men were listed, putting it at #10, between Joseph (487,687) and Richard (245,437). In the 20th century, Edward stood in the Top 100 boys' names in England and Wales in every decade: #12 in 1904, #11 in 1914, #12 in 1924, #20 in 1934, #29 in 1944, #45 in 1954, #49 in 1964, #52 in 1974, #51 in 1984 and #47 in 1994. Since 1996, the name has had a consistant rank of between #40 and #46 in England and Wales. In 2010, it ranked #43 with 1903 births, holding a seperate rank of #42 in England and #81 in Wales. The name is much less popular in Scotland where it ranked #223 (18 births) in 2011, a fall from its rank of #169 (30 births) in 2010. |
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Famous Bearers: |
History: * Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799–1869), three times British Prime Minister in 1852, 1858-59 and 1866-68. British Royalty: * King Edward the Elder (c.870–924), son of Alfred the Great, styles "King of the English." Literature: * Edward Ferrars is the male protagonist in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1811). |
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Variants: |
Edouard (French), Eduard (Croatian, Dutch, Estonian, German, Romanian, Russian, Slovak), Edvard (Czech, Scandinavian, Slovene), Edoardo (Italian), Eduardo (Spanish, Portuguese), Duarte (Portuguese) |
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Pronunciation: |
ED-wəd [key] |
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Possible Diminutives: |
Drew, Ed, Eddie, Eddy, Lalo (Spanish), Ned, Ted, Teddy, Wade, Ward, Woody |
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Sibling Names: |
Charlotte Sarah Catherine Elizabeth Amelia Eleanor |
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Name Lists: |
Terrifically Tudor Gorgeously Georgian Victorian Darlings Royal Names Shakespearean Names Dickensian Names Names from Jane Austin Names from Tennyson |
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