Etymology

Wessex

W4E1S1S1E1X8

Today it means: One of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, existing between the 6th and 9th centuries, and comprising most of England south of the Thames. Full definition →

Middle English Westsex ← Old English Westseaxan
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromWestseaxan
  2. Middle English · inherited fromWestsex
  3. English todayWessex

From Middle English Westsex, from Old English Westseaxan (literally “West Saxons”), which stood for both Wessex and its people. The use of Wessex in a modern context for the West Country was popularised by Thomas Hardy, who used the term for his semi-fictional setting based on the region.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.