Aldith
When one thinks of Anglo-Saxon girls' names, only Audrey and Edith come to mind. Several of the other names of the origin have been forgotten.
Aldith is one such name. She is the Middle English form of the Anglo-Saxon Ealdgyò, meaning "old battle." Such a meaning suggests her similar ending-sound to Edith, which means "rich in battle," is no surprise. Unlike Edith, though, Aldith fell out of use by the 14th century.
Of course, Aldith spawned multiple namesakes throughout her brief run. First, there was the daughter of Uhtred the Bold, Earl of Northumbria. Aldith (Ealdgyth) has also been worn by the wife of Sigeferth and king Edmund Ironside, the daughter of Earl Ælfgar, and the wife of thane Morcar. Finally, there was Ealdgyth of Wallingford, who lived during the eleventh century.
Spelled Aldyth, she saw usage for at least five girls only twice: in 1917 and 1923. Today there are no real-life Aldiths, and a few even in fiction (a Team Plasma member in the anime Pokémon: BW Adventures in Unova). Only time will tell if Aldith will ever revive.
Either way, since Aldith is far beyond great-grandma name territory, she is perfectly usable for this generation. Aldy is, of course, a potential nickname option. Perhaps Aldith can be an exotic alternative to popular favorites, such as Adeline and Audrey.
POPULARITY LEVEL: Unused
FAMOUS REAL-LIFE NAMESAKES:
- Wife of Sigeferth and King Edmund Ironside, Ealdgyth (b. 992)
- Wife of thane Morcar, Ealdgyth (d. 1015)
- Daughter of Uhtred the Bold, Earl of Northumbria, Ealdgyth (d. 1016)
- Daughter of Earl Ælfgar and wife of King Harold Godwinson, Ealdgyth (d. 1066)
- Ealdgyth of Wallingford (d. 1091)
- Team Plasma member Aldith in anime series Pokémon: BW Adventures in Unova
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