Articles > Names Men's Given Names from Early 13th Century England
by Talan Gwynek (Brian Scott)
scott@math.csuohio.edu
The head names (in bold face) are for the most part those used by E.
G. Withycombe in her Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names when she
has discussed the name. In some cases I have used another modern form
closer to the documentary ones, e.g., Hugo instead of Hugh
and Milo instead of Miles. Warin is not a modern
form, but it is not unfamiliar, and I have used it rather than the modern
Warren. For names not treated by Withycombe I have chosen one of
the forms from the custumals (minus any Latin case ending) as head name;
such head names are italicized. The forms listed under each head name
include not only spelling variants but also diminutives. If a single
person's name occurs in more than one form, this fact is mentioned in the
notes.
After each head name I have given the number of men who bore some form
of that name, and the names are listed in descending order of these
frequencies. For the names borne by at least 13 men I have also given
two percentages. The first is the percentage of men listed who bore
some form of that name. The second is the cumulative percentage of
men listed who bore that name or a more common one. Thus, the name
William and its variants and diminutives was borne by about one of
every seven men listed. The five most common names accounted for
almost 45% of the men. Not quite two-thirds of the men bore one of
the ten most frequent names; and the 14 most popular names account for
about three-quarters of the men listed. At the other end of the scale
there are 41 names borne by just one man each, 15 borne by two each,
and seven borne by three each; these 92 men are about 10.5% of the 877
men listed.
It should be remembered that these names are documentary forms; in
many cases we cannot be sure what the spoken forms were.
The following abbreviations are used: CG = Continental Germanic; OBret
= Old Breton; ODa = Old Danish; OE = Old English; OFr = Old French;
OSw = Old Swedish; Scand. = Scandinavian.
William | 126 | (14.4%; 14.4%) |
Fulke |
2 |
|
Willelmus | 125 | |
Fulco |
2 |
|
Guillelmus | 1 | |
Gervase |
2 |
|
Richard | 91 | (10.4%; 24.7%) |
Gervasius |
2 |
|
Ricardus | 90 | |
Gerard |
2 |
|
Richardus | 1 | |
Girardus |
2 |
|
John | 70 | (8.0%; 32.7%) |
Godwin |
2 |
Godwyn' = Godvynus. |
Iohannes | 68 | |
Godewinus |
1 |
|
Johannes | 2 | |
Godwyn' |
1 |
|
Robert | 58 | (6.6%; 39.3%) |
Godvynus |
1 |
|
Robertus | 58 | |
Hereward |
2 |
|
Hugo | 47 | (5.4%; 44.7%) |
Hereward |
1 |
|
Hugo | 47 | |
Herewardus |
1 |
|
Roger | 42 | (4.8%; 49.5%) |
Jordan |
2 |
|
Rogerius | 1 | |
Iordanus |
2 |
|
Rogerus | 41 | |
Martin |
2 |
|
Walter | 37 | (4.2%; 53.7%) |
Martinus |
2 |
|
Walterus | 37 | |
Milo |
2 |
|
Thomas | 36 | (4.1%; 57.8%) |
Milo |
1 |
|
Thomas | 36 | |
Milot |
1 |
|
Ralph | 34 | (3.9%; 61.7%)
One of these is also recorded as Randulfus. |
Solomon |
2 |
|
Radulfus | 34 | |
Salomon |
2 |
|
Geoffrey | 32 | (3.6%; 65.3%)
One Galfridus is also recorded as Galefridus. |
Theobald |
2 |
|
Galefridus | 2 | |
Thebaldus |
1 |
|
Galfridus | 30 | |
Theobaldus |
1 |
|
Gaufridus | 1 | |
Adelard |
1 |
From OE Æðelheard or CG Adel(h)ard. |
Henry | 32 | (3.6%; 69.0%) |
Athelardus |
1 |
|
Henricus | 32 | |
Albert |
1 |
|
Adam | 28 | (3.2%; 72.2%) |
Albertus |
1 |
|
Ada | 4 | |
Alwin |
1 |
Grouped by Withycombe with Aylwin. Usually from OE Æðelwine or Ælfwine. |
Adam | 24 | |
Alwinus |
1 |
|
Peter | 20 | (2.3%; 74.5%) |
Aylwin |
1 |
From OE Æðelwine. |
Petrus | 20 | |
Aylewynus |
1 |
|
Simon | 18 | (2.1%; 76.5%) |
Beneger |
1 |
Either a hybrid from Latin Bene- (as in Benedictus) and Germanic -ger, -gar, or a variant of Berenger. |
Simon | 5 | |
Beneger |
1 |
|
Symon | 13 | |
Berenger |
1 |
|
Nicholas | 14 | (1.6%; 78.1%) |
Berengarius |
1 |
|
Nicholas | 1 | |
Christopher |
1 |
|
Nicholaus | 13 | |
Christofarus |
1 |
|
Alan | 13 | (1.5%; 79.6%) |
Constantine |
1 |
|
Alanus | 13 | |
Constantinus |
1 |
|
Gilbert | 13 | (1.5%; 81.1%) |
Denis |
1 |
|
Gilebertus | 8 | |
Dyonisius |
1 |
|
Gilibertus | 1 | |
Edric |
1 |
From OE Eadric. |
Gillebertus | 4 | |
Eddricus |
1 |
|
Stephen | 13 | (1.5%; 82.6%) |
Elias |
1 |
They are the same person. |
Stephanus | 13 | |
Helias |
1 |
|
Reginald | 8 | |
Helyas |
1 |
|
Reginaldus | 8 | |
Fray |
1 |
An OFr name of unknown origin. |
Alexander | 7 | |
Fray |
1 |
|
Alexander | 6 | |
Gamel |
1 |
|
Sandre | 1 | |
Gamel |
1 |
|
Osbert | 6 | |
Godelot |
1 |
God-el-ot, a French double diminutive of some Germanic name with first element God-. |
Osbertus | 4 | |
Godelot |
1 |
|
Osebertus | 2 | |
Gregory |
1 |
|
Randolph | 6 |
One Randulfus is also recorded as Radulfus. |
Gregorius |
1 |
|
Rand' | 1 | |
Hamon |
1 |
|
Randulfus | 3 | |
Hamon |
1 |
|
Ranulfus | 2 | |
Humphrey |
1 |
|
Norman | 5 | |
Hunfridus |
1 |
|
Norman | 2 | |
Ioco |
1 |
Obscure. |
Normannus | 3 | |
Ioco |
1 |
|
Eustace | 5 | |
Isaac |
1 |
|
Eustacius | 4 | |
Ysac |
1 |
|
Stacius | 1 | |
Lagot |
1 |
Obscure. |
Andrew | 4 | |
Lagot |
1 |
|
Andreas | 4 | |
Laurence |
1 |
|
Arnold | 4 |
One Arnaldus = Arnold. |
Laurencius |
1 |
|
Arnaldus | 2 | |
Leonard |
1 |
|
Arnold | 1 | |
Leonardus |
1 |
|
Ernaldus | 1 | |
Letard |
1 |
From CG Leuthard. |
Ernoldus | 1 | |
Letard |
1 |
|
Godfrey | 4 | |
Michael |
1 |
|
Godefridus | 4 | |
Michael |
1 |
|
Herbert | 4 | |
Nigel |
1 |
|
Herbertus | 4 | |
Nigellus |
1 |
|
Warin | 4 | |
Noah |
1 |
|
Warinus | 4 | |
Noes |
1 |
|
Wymer | 4 |
From OE Wigmær or CG Wigmar. Gimer is from the
CG name. |
Osgood |
1 |
|
Wymare | 1 | |
Osegod |
1 |
|
Wymerus | 1 | |
Osmer |
1 |
From OE Osmær. |
Gimer | 2 | |
Omerus |
1 |
|
Benedict | 3 | |
Osmond |
1 |
|
Benedictus | 3 | |
Osmundus |
1 |
|
Edward | 3 | |
Pagan |
1 |
|
Edwardus | 3 | |
Paen |
1 |
|
Everard | 3 | |
Paul |
1 |
|
Everardus | 3 | |
Pawelinus |
1 |
|
Guy | 3 | |
Richeman |
1 |
From an unattested OE Ricmann or from CG Ricmann. |
Wido | 1 | |
Richeman |
1 |
|
Wydo | 2 | |
Ringer |
1 |
From OE Hringhere or CG Hringheri. |
Jocelyn | 3 | |
Ringerus |
1 |
|
Gocelinus | 3 | |
Rocelin |
1 |
OFr, from CG Ruozelin. |
Philip | 3 | |
Rocelinus |
1 |
|
Philippus | 2 | |
Sperling |
1 |
All are the same person. Probably from an unattested OE Spyrling. |
Phillipus | 1 | |
Sperling |
1 |
|
Seeman | 3 |
From OE Sæmann. |
Sperling' |
1 |
|
Seeman | 2 | |
Sperleng' |
1 |
|
Seemannus | 1 | |
Toly |
1 |
From ON To/li. |
Albin | 2 |
From OFr Albin, Aubin, from Latin Albinus,
ultimately from albus `white'. Withycombe refers this name to
Alban, to which it is not related. |
Toly |
1 |
|
Albinus | 2 | |
Turbert |
1 |
A Norman hybrid of Scand. Þor- and CG -bert. |
Alfred | 2 |
The Alfredus is also one of the two Alvredus. |
Turbertus |
1 |
|
Alfredus | 1 | |
Walding |
1 |
From an unattested OE Wealding, a diminutive of names in Weald-. |
Alvredus | 2 | |
Walding |
1 |
|
Arthur | 2 | |
Walkelin |
1 |
From Norman Walchelin, a double diminutive of CG Walho or Walico. |
Arthurus | 2 | |
Walkelinus |
1 |
|
Bartholomew | 2 | |
Wymark |
1 |
From OBret Wiuhomarch, a masculine and feminine personal name. |
Bartholomeus | 2 | |
Wimark |
1 |
|
David | 2 | |
Wymon |
1 |
Probably from OE Wigmund; ODa, OSw Vimund is less likely here. |
David | 2 | |
Wymon |
1 |
|
Introduction
Feminine Given Names
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