Anglo-Saxon refers to the Germanic peoples who migrated to England from northern Europe (mainly from areas that are now Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands) starting around the year 450 AD, after the Roman Empire withdrew from Britain. These tribes, including the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, gradually settled across England and merged into a distinct culture.

The Anglo-Saxons ruled England for roughly 600 years, from around 450 to 1066 AD, when William the Conqueror invaded from Normandy (in what is now France). During this period, they established kingdoms, developed the early English language (called Old English), created beautiful illuminated manuscripts like the Lindisfarne Gospels, and produced epic poems like Beowulf. They built churches, founded towns, and shaped much of England's early history.

When historians talk about Anglo-Saxon England, they mean this specific historical period. The term also describes the culture, art, and language of this era. Old English looks almost like a foreign language to modern readers: where we say “water,” they said “wæter,” and their word for king was “cyning.”

Today, people sometimes use Anglo-Saxon more broadly (and less precisely) to describe English-speaking cultures or peoples whose ancestors came from England, though historians prefer more specific terms for modern populations. The Anglo-Saxons themselves would be surprised to learn that their name is still remembered more than 900 years after their kingdoms ended.