Gallery VI · 1100 to 1450
The High and Late Middle Ages
Names from tax rolls, charters and chronicles across medieval Europe.
After the Norman Conquest a small set of names took over England: by the fourteenth century John, William, Thomas, Richard and Robert were borne by more than half of all men in many places. Across Europe, saints' names spread with the great pilgrimages, and pet forms such as Wat, Hob and Malkin were used every day.
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Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.