FANCY A HERO CALLED BOGO?

To me, names have power, and finding the right name is essential for a book. I also need to find names that fit the period. This doesn't always mean that it'll be one of the "ten most popular" of the time, but it needs to be believable. So, when I started writing medieval novels, I went looking for medieval names.

The following is a list of names collected as I researched the period, names of monarchs and nobles, or of people mentioned in court cases and other documents. It's not even close to exhaustive, but it's a start.

Below I give a frequency of occurrence list for the fourteenth century kindly supplied by Arlene Sindelar.

Please note that some names are place and period specific. Most of these are French style names rather than English. Some names are local variations of others, such as Stephen/Etienne. For greatest authenticity, check the name's suitability for your period and location before using. Also, any man's name could and would be feminized by the addition of -a, -ette, -etta.

Men's names.
Absolom, Adam, Ademar/Adomar, Adrian, Aelred, Aidan, Aimeric/Aimery/Aumery/Amary Alan/Alain Albert, Alexander, Almar/Almeric, Alured, Ambrose, Amien, Andrew, Angus, Anketil, Anselm Anselyn, Antony, Arnald/Arnoud/Arnoul Arnulph, Arthur, Athelward, Aubrey, August/Augustine, Baldwin, Bartholomew, Baudouin Beatrise, Benedict, Benedon, Bernard, Bertram, Bertrand, Bogo, Breaumon, Brian, Brice, Bruno Charles, Chretien/Christian, Conan, Clarence, Clovis, Conrad, Cyril, David Denis,/Dennis, Durand, Ebulo(n), Edgar, Edmund, Egidius, Einhard, Ekkehard, Eli, Ellis, Enguerrand Etienne, Eudes, Eustace/Eustache, Everhard Evrault Ferand, Fouque/Fulk, Francis, Fremund, Fulbert, Gabebould Gailard, Galbert, Gamel, Gareth, Gavin, Gawain, Geoffrey, George, Geraint/Gerent Gerard, Gervaise/Gervase, Gilbert, Giles, Gislebert, Godfrey/Godfrid, Godwald, Godwyn, Goscelin/Gosselin, Gonand, Goran, Gregory, Guy, Grymbald, Guerir, Hamel, Hamon, Hasculpus, Henry, Herbert, Hermon, Hervy, Hewyn, Hildebrand, Hubert, Hugh/Hugo, Humfrey, Humfrid, Ingelram, Isak, Ingram, Ivo, Jambert, James, Jarlath, Jerome, Jerrid, John, Jordan, Joscelin/Josce Joseph, Julian, Justin, Kenelm, Keriane/Kerrian, Lambert, Lawrence, Leland, Liam, Lothair, Louis, Ludovic/Lodewic, Luke, Madoc, Malcol, Manfred, Marcus/Mark, Marmaduke, Martin, Matthew Maurice, Medard, Michael, Miles, Milo, Mortimer, Nicholas, Nigel, Oliver Ordelieus, Osbert, Otto, Paganus, Parnell, Patrick, Paul, Perceval, Peter Philbert, Philip, Ralph, Randolf/Randulph/Ranulf, Raoul, Raymond/Raimund, Reginald, Regino, Remi, Reymund, Reynald/Reynaud/Renaild/Renard, Reyner, Richard, Robert, Roger, Roland, Salomon, Seman/Simon, Stephen, Terence, Theobald, Thibaud, Thomas, Thurstan, Torvald, Tristan, Turvey, Valentine, Vincent, Waldemar, Waldo, Walram, Walter, Warin, William/Wilhelm/Guillaume Ymer, Yves.

Women's names.
Adeliza Agatha, Agnes Alice/Alys Alima, Aline, Celeste, Goldburga, Gunnulda, Hugelina, Suriana, Olma, Valeriana, Worthana, Yemma, Yolenta, Mechthild, Alison Alma Alesia, Amice, Anastasia, Ann, Anne Annabel, Avelina, Avice, Isolda, Barbara, Beatrice, Bertha, Bertrade, Blanche, Bridget, Catherine, Cecily/Cicely, Christine, Clare, Clemence, Constance, Denise, Edith, Eleanor, Denise, Constance, Clare, Dulce, Edith, Edona, Egidia, Ela, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Ellen, Emelina/Emily/Emilie Emma Ermengarde Ermentrude, Etheldreda, Estrila, Eustacia, Felicia, Florence, Gena Gertrude, Godith, Grace, Hawisa, Helena, Heloise/Helewise, Hillary, Ido/Idoma, Ilara, Isabel/Isabella/Isobel/Ysabeau/Ysabel, Idonea, Jeanne/Jehan/Jehana/Joan/Joanna/Johanna/Jane Jeremia, Jocosa, Judith, Juliana/Julianna, Julitta, Kathelina, Katherine, Letitia/Lettice, Lora, Lucy, Mabel Magdalen/Magdelene, Margaret, Margery, Mariota, Martha, Mary, Matilda Maud/Maude Maximillia, Merewenna, Milicent/Millicent, Nichola/Nicole, Pentecosta, Petronilla Philippa, Prudence, Ricarda, Sabrina, Scolastica, Sibilla, Sara/Sarah Susanna, Sybil/Sybilla Thomasia/Thomasine, Williama, Yvetta

The most popular female English late medieval names are (in order of frequency in the attorney rolls of 1329-1340)
Alice (overwhelming)
Joan (including Jane),
Agnes, Margery, Isabel.
The second tier consists of Margaret, Emma (and similar names), Juliana, Christine, Katherine, Beatrice, Elizabeth, Ellen, Mary, Amice, Sibilla, Cecily.
Third group includes: Sara, Petronilla, Avice, Isolda, Lucy, Mariota, Ann, Annabel, Anastasia, Avelina, Letitia, Agatha, Eustacia, Sabrina, Susanna, Nicole. There is a smattering of these names: Scolastica, Martha, Jocosa, Milicent, Pentecosta, Prudence, Ricarda.

Male names in order of times of occurrence in English legal records:
Most popular:John ( almost every third fellow is named John) William (about one sixth of the men) Robert (l0%)Thomas (l0%)Richard (9%)Henry, Roger, Walter, Adam, Nicholas, Hugh/Hugo, Peter, Geoffrey, Ralph, Simon, Gilbert, Edmund, Philip, Stephen, Alan, Lawrence, Alexander, Andrew, Reginald, James, Bartholomew, Eli, Egidius,(Giles), Jordan, Matthew, Michael, Ranulf, Warin, Benedict, Randulph, David, Denis, Baldwin, Brian, Fulk, Gerard, Oliver, George, Gregory, Guy, Humfrid, Lambert, Luke, Osbert, Ivo, Maurice, Milo, Nigel, Paganus, Valentine, Paul, Thurstan, Vincent, August/Augustine, Ebulo(n), Eustace, Gervase, Godfrid, Herbert, Hervy, Hildebrand, Hubert, Marmaduke, Otto,
A few occurences:Absolom, Adomar, Almar, Alured, Ambrose, Angus, Anketil, Antony, Arnald, Arnulph, Athelward, Benedon, Bernard, Bertram, Brice, Christian, Conan, Durand, Ferand, Francis, Fremund, Gamel, Gailard, Gawain, Godwyn, Goscelin, Grymbald, Hamel, Hamon, Hasculpus, Hermon, Ingram, Ingelram, Isak, Joscelin, Joseph, Julian, Ludovic (Lodewic), Madoc, Malcolm, Patrick, Perceval, Philbert, Reyner, Reymund, Roland, Salomon, Seman, Torvald, Ymer, Turvey, Waldemar, Walram.

For interesting reading on this subject, check out http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/



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