The Wild Variety of Medieval Names: French Men in the Hundred Years’ War
Lots of people are interested in the medieval origins of personal names. But there are more riches in the world of names than many of us realize.
Twenty Old English Girls’ Names
The names of people living in Anglo-Saxon England are very different from our modern names. Here is our list of some of our favourite girls’ names in Old English.
The earliest use of the F-word
An English historian has come across the word ‘fuck’ in a court case dating to the year 1310, making it the earliest known reference to the swear word.
517 Viking Nicknames
Of all the peoples of the Middle Ages, it was the Norse who had the best nicknames. You can now explore a list of hundreds of interesting and strange nicknames from the Viking Age.
Metaphor and Metonymy in Names
Using examples from The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, the lecture discusses surnames from bird-names, animal names and fish-names.
How to Understand Medieval Arabic Names
Even though medieval Arabic names can get very long and look daunting, they reveal much about the person carrying them.
How women from Rus influenced names in Medieval Europe
Several kings in medieval Europe were named Philip and Valdemar. Those names may not have existed if not for Rus women.
The Most Common (and Uncommon!) Medieval Names in Southern France
Here are the top three names for medieval men and women in southern France, as well as some of the more uncommon names you could find in the region.
Scotland’s Names and Places with Matthew Hammond
In this episode of Scotichronicast, Kate talks with Matthew Hammond to discuss his work on names and places in Medieval Scotland, including how the surname prefix of Mac originated.
How medieval children got their names
It is not, strictly speaking, true that every Christian in late medieval Europe had the same six names.
Beowulf before Beowulf: Anglo-Saxon Anthroponymy and Heroic Legend
Since the inception of Beowulf scholarship approximately two hundred years ago, debate has persisted concerning the nature of the poem’s eponymous hero. Is he a historical Geatish prince or is he a fictional character inserted into a historico-legendary world?
Naming Particulars: A Thirteenth-Century Debate on Whether Individuals Have Proper Names
This dissertation is about a debate that occurred in thirteenth-century philosophy over an apparently bizarre question: Can individuals really have proper names?
The Social World of Alcuin: Nicknames at York and at the Carolingian Court
In almost every book on the Carolingian world, and even in most textbooks on medieval history, there is some mention of the nicknames in use among the members of Charlemagne’s entourage
New Database of 45,600 Family Names Dating Back to the Middle Ages
A new book and database of family names has been released this month, allowing users to learn about over 45,600 of the most frequent surnames in Great Britain and Ireland, many of which date back to the Middle Ages.
Excavating Past Population Structures by Surname-Based Sampling: The Genetic Legacy of the Vikings in Northwest England
The method of historical surname-based ascertainment promises to allow investigation of the influence of migration and drift over the last few centuries in changing the population structure of Britain and will have general utility in other regions where surnames are patrilineal and suitable historical records survive.
The most popular boys’ names in Tudor England
What were the most popular names for boys in England during the 16th century?
The most popular girls’ names in Tudor England
What were the most popular names for girls in England during the 16th century?
Epic (and Not-So-Epic) Names from Le Morte D’Arthur
Looking for a name for your avatar? Look no further! Everyone knows Lancelot and Gawain, but here are some lesser-known names from one of my favourite books: Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur.
The Multilingual Origins of Medieval Irish Surnames
Surnames came into widespread use in Ireland at a time where five vernacular languages were in operation – Irish, English, Norse, Welsh and Norman French.
The Names of Criminals in Medieval England
Agnes Daythef, Henry Golichtly, Godwin Haluedeuel and Walter Litlegod – how did they get such names?
Ten Great Anglo-Saxon Girls’ Names
We’ve come up with our ten favourite girls’ names – if you are considering a different type of baby name, perhaps you will pick one of these!
Viking Nicknames
Of all the various cultures of the Middle Ages, it was probably the Norse who had the best nicknames. Ranging from the Eirik the Red to Ivar the Boneless, the Viking Age has hundreds of interesting and strange nicknames.
Boys’ Names from Medieval London (not the usual ones!)
Looking to go back to the Middle Ages to name your newborn son? But you don’t want to go with the names everyone knows. Try these ten names!
Girls’ Names from Medieval London (not the usual ones!)
Looking for that great ‘medieval’ name for your newborn daughter? Here are ten names from medieval London that you may never had heard of!
Database of UK surnames has reached 45,000 entries dating back to the Middle Ages
The ‘Family Names of the United Kingdom Project’, which is being carried out by a team at University of the West of England – Bristol, has reached a key milestone with the completion of the first phase of the database with 45,000 surnames researched and explained.