Find a name from the Middle Ages, steeped in history, for baby

Who says medieval name does not necessarily say old-fashioned first name. Some are outdated, but others are still popular today, either because they have remained in use over the centuries or because they have had a comeback. For parents passionate about history, this medieval period can be a great source of inspiration for first names, whether they are looking for a trendy name (Emma or Antoine for example), original (like Bertille or Aymeric) or rare, like Isabeau and Gaëtan. For girls and boys, find our most beautiful ideas of first names from the Middle Ages.

What are the middle ages names for a girl?

Ariadne, Sophia, Mathilde… We don’t always know it, but these first names were already used in the Middle Ages! Here is our selection of medieval names for little girls:

• Alex is a medieval given name meaning “noble”.
• Heloise is a first name worn in France since the Middle Ages. This first name is even taken up by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century, in the title of his novel “La Nouvelle Héloïse”.
• Constancy. This medieval name means “perseverance”.
• Tiphaine (derived from the first name Theophania) means “appearance of the Gods”.
• Sophia, Sophia. Widespread during Greco-Roman Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the first name Sophia comes from Greek and means “wisdom”.
• Joan. From the Middle Ages, Jeanne was a very popular first name, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries. Of Hebrew origin from the first name Yehohanan means “God forgives”.
• Isabella. This royal first name was very common in the Middle Ages. Isabelle is derived from the first name Elisabeth, which means “God is oath”.
• Lucy comes from the Latin term lux which means “light”.
• Eleanor is a very famous first name in medieval times, especially in France, Spain and England. Inspired by the Greek term Eleos which means “compassion”, this first name will delight little girls.
• Matilda is derived from the Germanic first name Mathild which means “strength” and “power”.
• Clothilde was the wife of Clovis, king of the Franks. This medieval name comes from the Germanic name Hlothilda, which means “glory” and “fight”.
• Iseult is the name of one of the main characters of the famous tale Tristan and Iseult. It is a medieval form of Isabella.
• Isabeau. This is also a medieval form of Isabella.

What are the middle ages names for a boy?

THE medieval male names do not miss. For a little boy, Arthur is always trendy!. Our ideas for medieval names for boys:

• Jeans. In the Middle Ages, Jean was one of the most popular male names.
• Aymeric. This feudal first name was quite common in medieval times, before spreading in Anglo-Saxon countries, and more recently in Europe.
• Clovis 1st, was king of the Franks between 481 and 511, and three other Clovis then succeeded him during medieval times. The old form of the first name Clovis (hlod and wic) means “glory” and “fight”.
• Renaud. This old first name, popular since the Middle Ages, and worn by Renaud de Montauban, opposed to Charlemagne, then became rare in France from the 16th century, like many medieval first names, before becoming trendy again in the 19th century.
• Tristan. Straight from the medieval legend Tristan and Iseult, this first name is derived from Drystan, a Celtic hero, and means “tumult”, “noise” and “revolt”.
• Arthur. The legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table may be able to inspire you for the name of your valiant little boy? Of Celtic origin, this pretty first name means “bear”.
• Guillaume. The prestige of the first name Guillaume was notable in the Middle Ages. Of Germanic origin, it is composed of the terms “will” and helm”, or “will” and “helmet” (in the sense of protection).
• Gauthier. The first name Gauthier was worn by many knights in medieval times. Of Germanic origin, Gauthier comes from the verb waldan which means “to govern” and hari which translates as “army”.
• Amaury. Widely worn in medieval times, the first name Amaury has now become a rare first name, but still appreciated by parents who choose it for the first name of their baby.
• guy was introduced in most European countries as early as the Middle Ages. In France, the first name Guy resurfaced in the 19th century with the resurgence of medieval first names.

Arthur, Guillaume… What are the known first names of the knights?

Each first name has its own origin and history, others have had a popularity since the Middle Ages. THE first name William for example was particularly attributed to knights in medieval times. During a banquet organized in 1171, one Christmas evening, the knights who did not wear the first name William had to get up from the table. Over a hundred of the guests remained seated. This is to say how much this first name was appreciated by all.

List of old first names from the Middle Ages

Many male first names that we know well already existed in the Middle Ages! This is the case, for example, of Martin, Philippe, Antoine, Merlin, Gaspard, Gaëtan, Alban or even Ferdinand. Berto and Andrea, two Italian male first names, also come to us from this time. More original, we can also mention Paulin, Baudoin and Alaric.

On the side of old female names from the Middle Ages, some are less known because, unlike men, there was not necessarily the need or the desire to transmit the first names to perpetuate the lineage, and consequently, they did not necessarily last over time. This is the case, for example, ofErmeline, Eulalie, or Brunehaut, which are currently very rare in France.

But medieval names for girls can also be trendy! For proof with the first name Emma, which has been in the top 5 of the most popular female names in France for many years and which dates from this period. Other female names from the Middle Ages have a certain charm, such as Guinevere, Berthe or Berthille, Margaux (short for Marguerite), Blanche, Celestine or Sigrid. Finally, did you know that in the Middle Ages, there were already mixed first names? We found two examples: Isaure and Alex.

What are the names of nobles?

Already in the Middle Ages, first names reflected social classes. For example, Jean, Hugues and Guillaume were noble male names and have been worn by kings. If we look at the list of medieval sovereigns, we also find classic first names, such as Charles, Louis or Henryothers a little more old-fashioned now (Phillipe, Thierry, Robert…), and some that are (very) original: Dagobert (like the nursery rhyme!), Pepin and Lothair.

On the side of Queens of France in the Middle Ageswe also find original first names like Bertrude, Nantilde, Bathilde, Bertrade, Désirée, Emerngarde, Marguerite, Rozala, or Isabeau. But there are also first names that are still more or less used today: Clothilde, Judith, Adélaïde, Béatrice, Emma, ​​Constance, Mathilde, Anne, Aliénor, Adèle, Isabelle, Agnès, Marie, Jeanne, Clémence, Blanche and Charlotte.

What are the French names of the Middle Ages?

THE medieval french names can come to us from works of fiction with, for example, Viviane, Morgane and Guinevere for the girls. Gersande, Adeline, Aude, Jehanne, Gisele and Melanie are also female names that already existed in the Middle Ages.

As for boy names, Jehan, Childeric, Landry, Alaric, Clotaire, Enguerrand and Eloi come to us from the Middle Ages.

What are the Middle Ages English baby names?

For boys, we can mention the essentials Peter and William, English versions of Pierre and William. Thomas, Glenn, Conrad, Edwin and Charles are also English first names that were already in use in the Middle Ages. Like in France, Henry was worn by several English sovereigns. Paul was already a classic in England in the Middle Ages, while rarer male given names (now and then) were also used, such as Bartholomew and Benedict. First name Godric also comes to us from this time, and it may tell you something: it is the one that JK Rowling attributed to one of the four founders of the Hogwarts school, Godric Gryffindor.

For little girls, some English names from the Middle Ages are very pretty, like Mary and Elizabeth. We can also mention Viola, as a character from Shakespeare, Beatrice and Winifred. First name Hedwig is a bit special, since it was worn by an Englishwoman who became a French queen: Edwige de Wessex, who married Charles III of France. If we expand to the UK, Anabel is a Scottish feminine given name dating from the Middle Ages. Gwenllian, is a Welsh first name, known today mainly by its diminutive, Gwen.

What are the German first names dating from the Middle Ages?

Many medieval English and French names, and some still used today, have Germanic origins. For girls, for example, we can cite German first names Adelaide, Mathilde or Mathilda and Amelia. Other Germanic female given names from the Middle Ages are less well known, such as Grimhildes, Brunhilde, Hawise, or even Hildegonde. First name Hildegard, him, means “victory of the people”.

On the side of German boy names from the Middle Ages, some are well known in France, like Thibault and Leopold. wilhelmhe is the German equivalent of Guillaume in French and William in English. Rainier, Baldwin, Everard (or Evrard) and Rudolf are original male names that come to us from the Middle Ages. You can also mention the first name Leufriceven if you are advised not to use it: in French, it will quickly sound like “money”, and may be worth teasing to your child.