Feminine Given Names from Kent, 1302-1363

by AElfwyn aet Gyrwum (Jodi McMaster, copyright 1999)

The Canterbury Freeman's Rolls of 1298-1363 include many women's names, a
rather unusual feature for documents of this period.  The women's names
appear because one of the ways to qualify for admission as a freeman was to
be married to the daughter of a freeman.  A total of 230 freeman were
admitted by marriage during this 65 year period, 26 % of the total
admissions (892).  In the earlier documents, the names of the wives were
not usually listed in the records.  Beginning in 1344-45, the names appear
regularly.  

All the feminine names appear in Latinized forms.  I have spelled them as
they appear in the records.  They are sorted alphabetically and by
frequency.


Source: Du Boulay, F.R.H., Kent Records: Documents illustrative of Medieval
        Kentish Society (London: Records Publication Committee of the Kent
        Archaeological Society 1962).


Alphabetical List

Here are the women's names sorted alphabetically with the dates they
appear beside them.

Agnes, Angnes 1345-46, 1349-50, 1357-58
Alicia 1344-45, 1345-46, 1349-50, 1350-51, 1355-56, 1361-62
Anicia 1349-1350
Cecilia 1345-46, 1350-51 
Celestina 1349-1350
Christiana 1345-46, 1349-50 
Christina 1344-45, 1345-46, 1361-62 
Clemencia/Clementia 1349-1350, 1355-56 
Custancia 1362-63
Desiderata 1345-46
Dionisia 1345-46 
Elena 1357-58
Elianora 1345-46
Emma 1349-50, 1361-62 
Helewysa 1302-03, 1356-57, 1361-1362 
Isabella 1345-46, 1349-50, 1357-58 
Johanna 1344-45, 1345-46, 1349-5, 1355-58, 1361-62 
Juliana 1344-45, 1345-46, 1349-50, 1357-58 
Katerina 1349-1350
Leticia, Letticia, Letitia 1344-45, 1349-50, 1356-57, 1361-62, 1362-63 
Lora 1349-1350
Magota 1355-56 
Margeria 1349-50, 1362-63 
Margareta 1357-58, 1362-63 
Mariota 1357-58
Martha  1344-45
Mathilda 1356-57
Nichola 1344-45
Sarra 1345-46 
Wymarda 1350-51



Frequency List

There are a total of 30 different names for 94 different individuals,
listed here from most popular to least, with the number of times it
appeared.

Johanna 19
Alicia 13 
Agnes, Angnes 8 
Christina/Christiana 7
Juliana 6 
Leticia/Letticia/Letitia 5 
Isabella 4
Helewysa 3 Margeria 3 Margareta/Magota 3

Two times each: Cecilia, Clemencia/Clementia, Dionisia, Emma, Sarra

One time each: Anicia, Celestina, Custancia, Desiderata, Elena, Elianora,
               Katerina, Lora, Mariota, Martha, Mathilda, Nichola,
               Wymarda