AS. æeling noble, fr. æele noble, akin to G. adel nobility, edel noble. The word æel, E. ethel, is in many AS. proper names, as Ethelwolf, noble wolf; Ethelbald, noble bold; Ethelbert, noble bright.
Definitions
An Anglo-Saxon prince or nobleman; esp., the heir apparent or a prince of the royal family.Written also Adeling and Ætheling.