<P> The Anglo - Saxons were a people who inhabited Great Britain from the 5th century . They comprise people from Germanic tribes who migrated to the island from continental Europe, their descendants, and indigenous British groups who adopted some aspects of Anglo - Saxon culture and language . Historically, the Anglo - Saxon period denotes the period in Britain between about 450 and 1066, after their initial settlement and up until the Norman conquest . </P> <P> The early Anglo - Saxon period includes the creation of an English nation, with many of the aspects that survive today, including regional government of shires and hundreds . During this period, Christianity was established and there was a flowering of literature and language . Charters and law were also established . The term Anglo - Saxon is popularly used for the language that was spoken and written by the Anglo - Saxons in England and eastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century . In scholarly use, it is more commonly called Old English . </P> <P> The history of the Anglo - Saxons is the history of a cultural identity . It developed from divergent groups in association with the people's adoption of Christianity, and was integral to the establishment of various kingdoms . Threatened by extended Danish invasions and military occupation of eastern England, this identity was re-established; it dominated until after the Norman Conquest . The visible Anglo - Saxon culture can be seen in the material culture of buildings, dress styles, illuminated texts and grave goods . Behind the symbolic nature of these cultural emblems, there are strong elements of tribal and lordship ties . The elite declared themselves as kings who developed burhs, and identified their roles and peoples in Biblical terms . Above all, as Helena Hamerow has observed, "local and extended kin groups remained...the essential unit of production throughout the Anglo - Saxon period ." The effects persist in the 21st century as, according to a study published in March 2015, the genetic make up of British populations today shows divisions of the tribal political units of the early Anglo - Saxon period . </P>

How did the anglo saxons get their name