Cuthbert

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A seventh-century English monk and bishop of Lindisfarne who is venerated as a saint in the Christian church
2. The name of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon saint, a monk and bishop associated with the island of Lindisfarne
3. Saint associated with Northumbria, a holy man and bishop of Lindisfarne honored for his piety and miracles

Etymology: Cuthbert is one of the oldest personal names in English, and it began as a compound of two Old English elements: "cūþ", meaning known or famous, and "beorht", meaning bright. The name therefore meant something like "brightly known" or "famous", a common kind of Anglo-Saxon name that wished its bearer renown. The name is best known through Saint Cuthbert, a seventh-century English saint whose reputation spread across the north of England. His name was carried with him into the church calendar and into the naming habits of later generations, which is why it survived when many other Old English names faded away.