 In some contemporary as well as later sources, Ælfric (a common Old English name) is distinguished by his cognomen "Cild".Literally meaning "child", it is an Old English title borne by some Anglo-Saxon nobles and typically denotes a man of high rank.Ælfric appears to have been a wealthy landowner in Huntingdonshire, East Anglia, hence in the ealdormanry of Ælfhere's great rival Æthelwine.