Edythe

Edythe is an English given name, an elaborated spelling variant of Edith, which derives from the Old English elements ead, meaning wealth or fortune, and gyð, meaning war or strife. The name was borne by several Anglo-Saxon noblewomen, most notably Edith of Wessex, queen consort of Edward the Confessor, and it remained popular through the medieval period and into the modern era. The spelling Edythe arose as a feminine refinement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, giving the name a more ornate written form while preserving its pronunciation. Related forms include Edith, Edithe, and the medieval Latinized Editha.