Medieval names are often thought of as clunky, consonant heavy choices, such as Ermentrude and Ulrich. While these names were well-used throughout the Middle Ages, the most popular medieval names were classic, familiar choices including Alice, Isabella, and Emma for girls, and William, John, and Henry for boys.
In fact, these names were so common that creative nicknames had to evolve to distinguish one from another. Many traditional nicknames and derivatives emerged in the Middle Ages, including Bess, Hal, and Ellen. Others survive today only in surnames, such as Jenkins — Jenkin was a nickname for John — and Perrin, a variation of Peter.
Along with Alice and William, other medieval names that currently rank in the US Top 1000 include Amira, Beatrice, Dante, Ellis, Emmeline, Lucia, Roger, and Walter. Rare and intriguing medieval names worth reviving include Amabel, Cyprian, Isabeau, and Lucan.
A number of medieval names are more common for the opposite sex today. In the Middle Ages, Christian and Julian were mostly feminine names, while Hilary and Vivian were considered masculine names.
The names listed here include popular and rare names associated with medieval times, along with names of famous figures in medieval legend.
Meaning: young ceremonial attendant, gracious people
