This list of Northumbrian saints includes Christian saints with strong connections to the medieval Kingdom of Northumbria, either because they were of local origin and ethnicity (chiefly Anglian) or because they travelled to Northumbria from their own homeland and became noted in their hagiography for work there. Northumbria existed from the 7th - 10th centuries in what is now northern England, along with areas of the Scottish Borders and the Lothian. Its chief ecclesiastical centre was York. Northumbria originally started originally from North of the Humber to the Firth of Forth, although the borders were ever expanding, and land South of the Humber was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria, such as Lindsey. Also lands north of The Firth of Forth.
During the reign of king Oswald of Northumbria, an Irish monk Aidan was invited to reconvert the area to Christianity. He and other Irish monks achieved this and subsequently the Northumbrians helped to reconvert much of the rest of England and also parts of the European continent.
| Name | Born | Life | Comments | Feast | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin of Northumbria | Deira, Northumbria | 586—632 | King of Northumbria, converted to Christianity from paganism. | [1] | ||
| Paulinus of York | Rome | died 644 | First bishop of the refounded diocese of York Converted Edwin to Christianity. | [2] | ||
| Oswald of Northumbria | Deira, Northumbria | 604—642 | King of Northumbria, invited Aidan to reconvert his kingdom to Christianity. | [3] | ||
| Aidan of Lindisfarne | Connacht, Ireland | died 651 | First Bishop of Lindisfarne, invited by Oswald to reconvert Northumbria. | [4] | ||
| Oswine of Deira | Deira, Northumbria | died 651 | King of Deira, died "at least for the justice of Christ". | [5] | ||
| Honorius of Canterbury | Rome | died 653 | accompanied Paulinus, wrote to Pope to raise York into archbishoporic. | [6] | ||
| Everilda | Wessex | Founder of Everingham. Wessex princess, became a nun in Northumbria. | [7] | |||
| Finan of Lindisfarne | Ireland | died 661 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, converted Sigeberht II of Essex and Peada of Mercia. | [8] | ||
| Colmán of Lindisfarne | Ireland | 605—675 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, active during time of the Synod of Whitby. | [9] | ||
| Balin | Northumbria | Brother of Gerald of Mayo, disciple of Colmán, moved to Connacht. | [10] | |||
| Tuda of Lindisfarne | Ireland | died 664 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, staunch supporter of Latin calculations of Easter. | [11] | ||
| Boisil | Northumbria | died 664 | Founder of Melrose, abbot who was the teacher of Cuthbert. | [12] | ||
| Hilda of Whitby | Deira, Northumbria | 614—680 | Founder of Whitby, abbess and part of the Deiran royal family. | [13] | ||
| Æbbe the Elder | Northumbria | 615—683 | Founder of Ebchester and St Abb's Head, abbess and Bernician princess. | [14] | ||
| Eata of Hexham | Northumbria | died 686 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, earlier abbot, first non-Irishman to hold the bishopric. | [15] | ||
| Cedd | Northumbria | 620—664 | Bishop of London, brother of Chad, credited with reconversion of Essex. | [16] | ||
| James the Deacon | Rome | accompanied Paulinus, taught people Gregorian chant and plain song. | [17] | |||
| Chad of Mercia | Northumbria | died 672 | Bishop of York, brother of Cedd, credited with Christianisation of Mercia. | [18] | ||
| Cædmon | Whitby, Northumbria | Earliest English poet, herdsman who became a devoted monk | [19] | |||
| Hereswitha | Deira, Northumbria | sister of Hilda of Whitby, retired to Gaul to lead religious life. | [20] | |||
| Begu | Hackness, Northumbria | died 690 | Nun at Whitby, witnessed miracle of Hilda. | [21] | ||
| The Two Ewalds | Northumbria | died 695 | missionaries Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair, martyred in Old Saxony. | [22] | ||
| Eanflæd of Bernicia | Deira, Northumbria | 626—704 | Queen of Bernicia, later Abbess of Whitby succeeding Hilda. | [23] | ||
| Benedict Biscop | Northumbria | 628—690 | Founder of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, Benedictine abbot. | [24] | ||
| Bosa of York | Northumbria | died 705 | Bishop of York, educated as a scholar at Whitby Abbey under Hilda. | [25] | ||
| Hædde | Headingley, Northumbria | died 705 | Bishop of Winchester, was also a monk at Whitby Abbey. | [26] | ||
| Wilfrid | Northumbria | 633—709 | Founder of Ripon and Preston, Bishop of York, advocate of Latin Easter. | [27] | ||
| Cuthbert | Dunbar, Northumbria | 634—687 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, priest and hermit, patron saint of Northumbria | [28] | ||
| Ceolfrith | Northumbria | 642—716 | Abbot of Wearmouth, major contributor to the project Codex Amiatinus. | [29] | ||
| Easterwine | Northumbria | 650—686 | Abbot of Wearmouth, previously a soldier in earlier life. | [30] | ||
| Eadberht of Lindisfarne | Northumbria | died 698 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, favoured poverty, long periods of solitude and devotion. | [31] | ||
| Ælfflæd of Whitby | Deira, Northumbria | 654—713 | Daughter of king Oswiu of Northumbria and Eanflæd, Abbess of Whitby. | [32] | ||
| Willibrord | Northumbria | 658—739 | Founder of Utrecht, missionary known as Apostle of the Frisians. | [33] | ||
| Acca of Hexham | Northumbria | 660—740 | Bishop of Hexham, strong promoter of education. | [34] | ||
| Suitbert of Kaiserwerdt | Northumbria | died 713 | Founder of Kaiserswerth, joined Willibrord's Frisian mission. | [35] | ||
| Egbert of Northumbria | Northumbria | died 729 | monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi, arranged Willibrord's Frisian mission. | [36] | ||
| Adalbert of Egmond | Northumbria | monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi, joined Willibrord's Frisian mission. | [37] | |||
| John of Beverley | Harpham, Northumbria | died 721 | Founder of Beverley, Bishop of Hexham and then Bishop of York. | [38] | ||
| Eadfrith of Lindisfarne | Northumbria | died 721 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, said to have been artist of the Lindisfarne Gospels. | |||
| Bede | Jarrow, Northumbria | 672—735 | author of History of the English People, recognised Doctor of the Church. | [39] | ||
| Æthelwold of Lindisfarne | Northumbria | died 740 | Bishop of Lindisfarne, oversaw binding of the raw Lindisfarne Gospels. | [40] | ||
| Wilfrid II | Whitby, Northumbria | died 745 | Bishop of York, described as a very holy man, and interested in education. | [41] | ||
| Osana | Deira, Northumbria | 698—750 | sister of Osred I of Northumbria, known for miraculous grave flagellation. | [42] | ||
| Baldred of Tyninghame | Ireland | died 757 | Hermit and priest, moved to Lindisfarne, known as Apostle of the Lothians. | [43] | ||
| Billfrith | Northumbria | died 758 | Benedictine hermit, silversmith who bound the Lindisfarne Gospels. | [44] | ||
| Æthelwold of Farne | Northumbria | Hermit who lived on Inner Farne, priest and a monk at Ripon Abbey. | [45] | |||
| Lebuinus | Ripon, Northumbria | died 773 | Founder of Deventer, an Apostle of the Frisians. | [46] | ||
| Alcmund of Hexham | Northumbria | died 781 | Bishop of Hexham. Considered a saint after death. | [47] | ||
| Ælfwald I of Northumbria | Northumbria | died 788 | King of Northumbria. Considered a saint at Hexham Abbey after murder. | |||
| Willehad of Bremen | Northumbria | 735—789 | First Bishop of Bremen, missionary to the Saxons under Charlemagne. | [48] | ||
| Alkelda | Northumbria | died 800 | princess and nun, strangled by Viking women during raid at Middleham. | [49] | ||
| Alcmund of Derby | Northumbria | died 800 | Northumbrian prince, son of king Alhred of Northumbria. | [50] | ||
| Bega | Ireland | princess from Ireland, valued virginity, moved to Northumbria to avoid pirates. | [51] | |||
| Æbbe of Coldingham | Northumbria | died 870 | Founder of Coldingham, origin of cutting off the nose to spite the face. |