Ælfgifu (also ''Ælfgyfu''; ''Elfgifa, Elfgiva, Elgiva'') is an Anglo-Saxon feminine personal name, from ''ælf'' "

elf An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...

" and ''gifu'' "gift". When Emma of Normandy, the later mother of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...

, became queen of England in 1002, she was given the native Anglo-Saxon name of ''Ælfgifu'' to be used in formal and official contexts. Florence of Worcester: ''Emmam, Saxonica Alfgivam vocatam''; see Latinized forms of the name include forms such as ''Aelueua, Alueua, Alueue, Elgiva, Elueua, Aluiua, Aueue'' (etc.). People called Ælfgifu: * Ælfgifu of Exeter, Anglo-Saxon saint *

Ælfgifu of Northampton Ælfgifu of Northampton (; 990 – after 1036) was the first wife of Cnut the Great, King of List of English monarchs, England and List of Danish monarchs, Denmark, and mother of Harold Harefoot, King of England. She was regent of Norway f ...

, first wife of King Cnut the Great. Her name became Álfífa in Old Norse. *

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (died 944) was the first wife of King Edmund I (r. 939–946). She was Queen of the English from her marriage in around 939 until her death in 944. Ælfgifu and Edmund were the parents of two future English kings, Eadwi ...

, wife of King Edmund I of England * Ælfgifu of York, first wife of

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II (,Different spellings of this king's name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern dialect word . ; ; 966 � ...

* Ælfgifu, wife of Eadwig, king of England ** as ''Elgiva'', the female protagonist of ''Edwy and Elgiva'', a 1790 verse tragedy by

Frances Burney Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post of "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Meckle ...

* Emma of Normandy adopted the name Ælfgifu upon her marriage to Æthelred the Unready * Ælfgifu, wife of

Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia Ælfgar (died ) was the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, by his famous wife Godgifu ( Lady Godiva). He succeeded to his father's title, Earl of Mercia, and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057. He gained the additional title of Earl of E ...

* Ælfgifu, daughter of

Godwin, Earl of Wessex Godwin of Wessex (; died 15 April 1053) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the first ...

, and sister of King Harold II of England * Ælfgifu, daughter of

and wife of Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria * Ælfgyva, a woman of unknown identity in the

Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...

''Elgiva'' may also refer to: * ''Elgiva'' (fly), a genus of insects

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aelfgifu Old English given names Germanic feminine given names Feminine given names

See also

References