I was talking to author friend Helen Hollick about medieval names and cultural survival when we met for lunch recently and I said I had been meaning to list some of them as a Medieval Monday post. I have in my possession the Feet of Fines for Norfolk 1201-1215 and for Suffolk 1199-1214. It's a list of cases brought before judges on the travelling circuit at this time and much of it is concerned with property law and small business that gives us the names of the local populace. East Anglia was once part of the Danelaw and there are strong Scandinavian influences at work in this region, as well as Anglo Saxon and Norman. So let's see. Here is a list of names by origin dating to 150 years AFTER the Battle of Hastings. Names of Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian origins seem to be surviving in families at this point although from studying the data it becomes clear that many of the parents with Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian names are now giving their children Norman ones. So for example, Elfstan calls his son Richard, Gunnild calls her son Robert. Brictmar calls his son William. As the Middle Ages progresses, so does the increase in the popularity of certain names. By the early post medieval period, the names William and John accounted for 40% of all boys' names in Parish registers.Since I don't have an Old English alphabet to hand on my keyboard, excuse the approximate spellings. The 'F' beside a name indicates a woman. Fewer women are involved in the lawsuits, and so there are corrrespondingly less names. Also some of the names go across the board - particularly biblical ones, and these are freqently given to men in holy orders. Whether these were their baptismal names, or taken on when they became clerics, I do not know at this stage.
English names
Adelwold
Aelfled/Elflet F
Aileva F
Ailbrict
Ailletha F
Ailmer/Heilmar
Aillilda F
Ailric
Alviva/ Elviva F
Ailward
Ailwi
Alfred/Alured/Alvred
Algar
Alstan/Elfstan
Alvric
Alwin/Elwin
Botild F
Brichtwold
Brictmar
Brixi
Brun
Dune
Ede
Ediva F
Edmer
Edmund/Eadmund
Edith/Edift F
Edric
Edulf
Edward
Edwen F
Edwin
Eilwin
Eldric
Elfer
Estrilda F
Goda F
Gode F
Goding
Godric
Godwin/Goldwin
Kenestan
Leffemer
Lefquen
Lefric/Levric
Lefsi
Lefstan
Lefwin
Levesun
Leviva F
Luviet
Norman
Ordmer
Oslac
Osulf
Sefugel
Seleve F
Seman
Sired
Sirich
Stanard
Sweteman
Sweting
Theda F
Uchtred
Unwin
Wade
Wengeva F
Wictmar
Windlevi
Wilfrun
Wilfwan F
Winoht
Wlric/Wlvric/Wulfric
Wulfrid
Wulviva F
Scandinavian names
Akke
Elaf
Anger
Angod
Angoth
Osegod
Asketil
Bondi
Kolsveinn
Copman
Gauti
Gunnildr F
Gunnor
Gunnora F
Hakon
Hagen
Halfdan
Hamundr
Hasteinn
Havard
Ulfkell
Skuli
Sigarr
Steingrimr
Styrgeirr
Svartingr
Swein
Torold
Thurgund
Thurmod
Thurstan/Turstan
Turbern
Turchil
Ulf/Hulf
Ingvar
Eirikr
Norman names
(Including biblical ones)
Adam
Ada F
Adelina F
Agatha F
Alan
Alexander
Albreda F
Aleisia F
Amabel F
Amalric
Amicia F
Andrew
Anselm
Ascelina F
Avelina F
Aubrey
Baldwin
Barney
Bartholomew
Basilia F
Beatrice F
Benedict
Bernard
Bertram
Blanche F
Cecelia F
Celestria F
Charles
Christina F
Clarice F
Costance F
Constantine
Daniel
Durand
Eda F
Edelina F
Elias
Emelina F
Emma F
Ermegard F
Ernald
Eudo
Eustace
Everard
Felicity F
Fulk
Gamaliel
Geoffrey
Gerard
Gerbert
Gerold
Gervase
Gilbert
Gocelin/Jocelin
Godfrey
Hamo
Hawisa F
Helena F
Helewise F
Henry
Herbert
Hervey
Hubert
Hugh
Humphrey
Isabel F
Isolda F
Ivo
Joanna F
John
Jordan
Juetta F
Juliana F
Katerina
Laurence
Lecenta F
Lecia F
Lettice F
Lucy F
Luke
Mabel F
Maingot
Margery F
Marie F
Martin
Matilda F
Matthew
Maurice
Mazelina F
Miles
Muriel F
Nicholas
Odo
Oger
Patrick
Peter
Petronilla F
Philippa F
Ralf
Reginald
Reiner
Richard
Robert
Rolland
Roger
Sara F
Simon
Stephen
Thierri
Thomas
Vincent
Waleran
Walter
Warrin
William
Wimarc
11 comments:
Oh my! I LOVED this post! Thank you so much! What an incredible bit of research!
In the list of Scandinavian names, two in particular stand out to me: Bondi and Copman. I have never come across them as names in Scandinavian history or culture, but they do resemble Scandinavian words for professions. "Bondi" is the ancient Swedish word for farmer or peasant (now "bonde") and Copman approximates "köpman", which means merchant (see the similarity between "Chipping" and "Köping", the old Swedish word for market town). It may perhaps be a case where descriptors turned into names as generations passed (and the word meanings were lost)? Thank you for a stimulating post:-)
Useful resource for character naming! Interesting about the adoption of Norman names as it would have meant making a break with tradition and not naming children after ancestors.
Awesome post :)
And with Danielle on Bondi and Copman, that's sure farmer and merchant. very cool
Thanks so much for this, my Historical Critique Group are going to be so impressed - when they ask for character name ideas - I'll have loads!!!!
I had to come right over here. Useful information, for sure. On another note, I finished To Defy a King, just last night (LOVED it), and read the Author's Notes, which I am always glad to see in HF. My next will be your March Sourcebooks release. Thanks for sharing your research.
What a wonderful resource! Thanks for sharing!
This is great! What an amazing variety of names, as well!
Fascinating post! Although now I will stay up all night pondering why this social shift was occurring. Perhaps it just took a 150 years for Norman culture to reach this part of England, or for the local populace to accept it.
A person's name says a lot about the time and place they were born. If you hear the name Jennifer, you can safely beat she is in her late twenties or thirties.
http://historywasneverlikethat.blogspot.com/
Maybe there came a point where it was considered old-fashioned to use Anglo-Saxon/Scandinavian given names, or perhaps the shift was due to an attempt to give children a head start with more socially acceptable Norman names?
This is really well done. I was wondering if in your research travels you have ever seen Fife being used as a first name or nickname? I am trying to find evidence of it.
Thank you.
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