Unlike the later historical cognomens, they each consist, as a rule, of a single element, not of two elements in composition.

Such are the names which we get in the narrative of the colonization and in the mythical genealogies; Hengest, Horsa, AEsc, AElle, Cymen, Cissa, Bieda, Maegla; Ceol, Penda, Offa, Blecca; Esla, Gewis, Wig, Brand, and so forth.

A few of these names (such as Penda and Offa), are undoubtedly historical; but of the rest, some seem to be etymological blunders, like Port and Wihtgar; others to be pure myths, like Wig and Brand; and others, again, to be doubtfully true, like Cerdic, Cissa, and Bieda, eponyms, perhaps, of Cerdices-ford, Cissan-ceaster, and Biedan-heafod.
In the truly historical age, the clan system seems to have died out, and each person bore, as a rule, only a single personal name.

These names are almost invariably compounded of two elements, and the elements thus employed were comparatively few in number.

Thus, we get the root _aethel_, noble, as the first half in AEthelred, AEthelwulf, AEthelberht, AEthelstan, and AEthelbald.