Olwen

Olwen
This is in origin, is a truly traditional "Olde English" given name, which became a Saxon and Welsh surname. It pre-dates written English history, and may well be a survivor of the days of the "Ancient Britons" before the arrival of the first Romans. Whilst described as Olde English, a term which also includes Gaelic and Celtic, the name derives from one of the earliest of all baptismal names - 'Aelfwine'. Recorded in the modern surnames of Ailwyn, Alwen, Alywen, Aylin, Aylwin, Allwyn, Elwyn, Elwin, Alwen, Olwen, Alvin, Alven, Elvin and no doubt others, it translates as 'Noble friend', and there seems little doubt that this meaning did contributed considerably to its early popularity. Whether there were other reasons as well is unclear, but judging by the spread of early recordings across England, the name was popular in almost every region. However its survival after the Norman Invasion of 1066 when it became 'political' to adopt Norman French names, suggests that in remote regions it was probably an act of faith in the Saxon resistance to all things French. In the 1086 Domeday Book, the name as a given name only, there were few surnames until after the year 1200, includes such examples as Alwin, Aelfwine, Alduin and Eldinus. Early examples of the recordings of the surname are those of Elfinus de Benindenne in Kent, the prior of St Gregory's church, in 1214, John Alvene, and landowner of Cambridge, in the 1279 Hundred Rolls of that county, and Thomas Eluwn of Worcester in 1327. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugo Elfwin, which was dated 1193, in the pipe rolls of the county of Hereford, during the reign of King Richard 1, known as 'The Lion-heart', 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Olwen — ([ olwen] kymrisch „die weiße Spur“) ist in der Walisischen Mythologie die Tochter des Riesen Ysbaddaden. Dieser hat die geis, dass er am Tage der Verlobung seiner Tochter sterben müsse. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Mythologie 2 Siehe auch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Olwen — Olwen, dans la mythologie celtique galloise, est la fille du chef des géants, Yspaddaden. Elle est un des personnages principaux du conte arthurien Kulhwch et Olwen[1], son nom signifie « trace blanche ». Une malédiction veut que son… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Olwen — f Welsh; composed of the elements ôl footprint, track + (g)iven white, fair, blessed, holy. A character of this name in Welsh legend had the magical property of causing flowers to spring up behind her wherever she went …   First names dictionary

  • Olwen — In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion. Her father is fated to die if she ever marries, so when Culhwch (Sometimes spelled as… …   Wikipedia

  • Olwen — noun /olwɛn/ from Welsh legend specifically The Mabinogion. her daughter, posthumous child of Gil, to my astonishment christened in St. Aidans with the name Marion (given by her godmother, a broadcaster friend of Esme) and Olwen (given by me as… …   Wiktionary

  • Olwen Wymark — Born Olwen Margaret Buck February 14, 1932 (1932 02 14) (age 79) Oakland, California, U.S. Occupation Writer Nationality American Perio …   Wikipedia

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  • Olwen Fouéré — Olwen Fouéré, born in Ireland of Breton parents, is an Irish/French actress and theatre artist whose work occupies a central position in contemporary Irish theatre and crosses the boundaries of many art forms. She has performed with most major… …   Wikipedia

  • Olwen Hufton — Dame Olwen H. Hufton, DBE, FBA, FRHistS (born 1938, Oldham, Lancashire, England)[1]is a historian of early modern Europe and a pioneer of social history and of women s history. Hufton is an expert on Early Modern, western European comparative… …   Wikipedia

  • Olwen — /ol wen/, n. Welsh Legend. a princess, the daughter of Ysbaddaden Chief giant. * * * …   Universalium

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