Wulfrun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine personal name of Anglo-Saxon origin, borne by women historically associated with the founding of the town of Wolverhampton
2. An Old English female forename meaning roughly wolf power, traditionally given to girls in the English Midlands and beyond
3. A woman's first name of Anglo-Saxon derivation, recalling a noblewoman who founded a settlement in what is now the West Midlands

Etymology: Wulfrun was an Old English personal name, and the town of Wolverhampton in the English Midlands still carries it. The first element, "wulf", means "wolf", and the second is probably related to "rūn", meaning "secret" or "counsel", so the whole name may have meant something like "wolf's secret". The exact sense is uncertain. Wolverhampton's name comes from the Old English "Wulfrūnehēantūn", meaning "Wulfrun's high enclosure" or farmstead. Local tradition credits a noblewoman of that name with founding a religious community there, and the place name preserves her memory. Her connection to the town is a matter of tradition and early record rather than firm documentation, so the name is the most reliable evidence of her role.