Final answer:
The Anglo-Saxons were named after the Germanic tribes, the Angles and the Saxons, who settled in England after the Romans left around 400 CE. They created a distinct culture that produced literature and art, and their name signifies 'land of the Angles'. The term 'Anglo-Saxons' consolidated in the 8th century to differentiate them from similar Germanic groups in Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name Anglo-Saxons is derived from the names of the Germanic tribes, the Angles and the Saxons, who migrated to England following the Roman withdrawal around 400 CE. These peoples originated from what is now northern Germany and southern Denmark. By the eighth century, the term 'Anglo-Saxons' was used to distinguish them from similar Germanic groups in continental Europe. Anglo-Saxon England, also known as 'land of the Angles' or England, was characterized by a unique culture that was a blend of the native Britons and the Germanic tribes. The culture notably produced a significant body of literature in Latin and Old English, as well as art that was rich with symbolic meaning and reflected a love of riddles and puzzles.
After the Romans abandoned Britain due to the need for legions to defend their heartland, the native Romanized, Christian Celts — known as the Britons — along with others such as the Cornish and the Welsh, faced invasions from the Anglo-Saxons. While the Roman influence waned in Britain, the Anglo-Saxons established their own kingdom that promoted learning and culture until the Norman conquest in 1066.