Thegn
（重定向自Theign）
![Seal of Godwin the thegn (minister), first half of 11th century. British Museum.](/Images/godic/202502/15/Godwin_the_thane_seal_first_half_11th_century1546.jpg")
![Map of Scandinavia indicating with a red dot the location of runestones describing the deceased as a thegn. Blue dots indicate stones that mention the junior position](/Images/godic/202502/15/Map_of_thegn_runestones1546.jpg")
The term thegn (thane or thayn in Shakespearean English), from Old English þegn, ðegn, "servant, attendant, retainer", "one who serves", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or, as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves. It is also the term for an early medieval Scandinavian class of retainers.