Yorkshire Masculine Names from 1379

by Talan Gwynek (Brian M. Scott)
bmscott@stratos.net

These names were drawn from a Latin record in which all names were recorded in Latinized forms and in the ablative case. If the Latinized form ended in -us, the ending in the ablative case was -o, and conversely. From a recorded Alano, for instance, we can deduce a nominative case Alanus. In these cases I have restored the nominative case with the ending in parentheses. Thus, the name that appears in this table as Alan(us) actually occurs in the roll as Alano. A few names had standard Latinizations in other declensions; these are treated in the notes, as are apparent instances of vernacular forms that slipped past the clerk's guard.

It should be noted that in many cases the Latinized names are quite different from the forms that were in common use. Dionysius, for instance, represents a vernacular Denis or Denys, and Galfridus stands for Geoffrey, Jeffrey, etc. In records of this date surnames and bynames are much less thoroughly Latinized, so patronymic surnames often give a clearer picture of the vernacular forms of given names in common use. With some entries I have included in curly braces {like this} some possible vernacular equivalents, giving preference to forms deducible from surnames and bynames in this roll. Starred forms (*) are diminutives and pet forms found in patronymic surnames. No non-diminutive vernacular form is given (1) when the name does not seem to have been Latinized, and (2) when no vernacular form can be deduced from the surname data in this roll or contemporary Yorkshire data, but one otherwise attested for the Middle Ages can be obtained by dropping the Latin ending -us. Forms that differ more significantly from the Latinized versions and are well-attested for the Middle Ages but not supported by the available contemporary Yorkshire data are given in quotations marks.


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Feminine names


The Names

Johanne 555/558 {Jon, John, Jak*} [1]
     Johanna 3
Willelm(us) 339/340 {William, Will*, Wylkyn*, Wilcok*} [2]
     Willlelm(us) 1
Thoma 209/215 {Thomas, Tom*, Tomlyn*} [3]
     Thomas 1
     Toma 5
Robert(us) 174/176 {Robert, Dob*, Dobyn*, Hob*, Robyn*}    [4]
     Robert 1
     Roberti 1
Ricard(us) 89 {Richard, Dyk*, Dicon*}
Adam 43/46 {Adam, Adcok*, Adkyn*} [5]
     Adam(us) 3
Henric(us) 44 {Henry} [6]
Roger(us) 32 {Roger}
Nichola(us) 28 {Nicol*, Colyn*, Nik*}
Walter(us) 19/20 {Walter, Wat*} [7]
     Walter 1
Petr(us) 18 {Pyers}
Stephan(us) 16/17 {Steuen} [8]
     Sthephan(us) 1
Alan(us) 12 {Alayn}
Hugone 11/12 {Hugh} [9]
     Hugo 1
Dionisi(us) 9 {Denys}
Simone 6/8 {Simon, Simond, Sym*} [10]
     Symoñ 1
     Symone 1
Galfrid(us) 6 {Geoffrey, Jeffrey}
Radulph(us) 6 {Rauf, Ralf}
Gerard(us) 4
Gilbert(us) 3 {Gilberd, Gilbert}
Philipp(us) 3 {Philipp}
Clemente 2 {Clement} [11]
Edmund(us) 2
Elya 2 {Elys} [12]
Jacob(us) 2   [13]
Laurenci(us) 2 {Laurence, Low*}
Albin(us) 1
Alexandr(us) 1 {Alisandre}
Cutbert(us) 1 {Cutbert, Cutte*}
Dauid 1 {Dawe*, Daud*} [14]
Gouen 1   [15]
Jok 1   [16]
Mathe(us) 1 {Mathew, Makok*}
Randulph(us) 1 {Randolf}
Raynald(us) 1
 
Total: ~1665 names


Notes

[1] The nominative case is Johannes. Johanna is normally the feminine form of the name; these are apparently scribal errors.

[2] Willlelmus is a scribal error.

[3] Thomas is the nominative case, appearing here through scribal carelessness. Toma is a variant spelling of the more usual form; the nominative Tomas is occasionally found at about this time in other records.

[4] Roberti is a Latinized genitive case incorrectly used by the clerk; Robert is the vernacular form.

[5] The name was either treated as indeclinable, as in the majority of cases in this record, or Latinized Adamus.

[6] This was apparently usually pronounced Harry.

[7] Walter is the vernacular form.

[8] Sthephano is best thought of as a scribal error based on occasional use of th for the sound of t in other contexts.

[9] Hugo is the nominative case, not the vernacular; that was Hewe or Howe (in several variants).

[10] The nominative case is Simon. The tilde in Symoñ represents an omitted final -e.

[11] The nominative case is Clemens.

[12] The nominative case was Elyas or Elias.

[13] Latin Jacobus was used for both Jacob and James.

[14] The name was usually treated as indeclinable, so this is also the nominative case. (Here u corresponds to modern v.)

[15] This appears to be a variant of Gavin.

[16] Perhaps a short form of the Breton name Judicael, a fairly common name in Yorkshire.


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Feminine names





Editted & published by Arval Benicoeur