Historic and Vintage Names
Medieval Names
Across 17 pages
of 17
Sybil
Greek
"seer, prophetess"
The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and…
Sylvestra
English from Latin
"of the forest"
A rare feminine form of Sylvester, also spelled Silvestra. Sylvie would make for a sweet and sophisticated short form.
Symound
Old English
"victory-protection"
A medieval form of Sigemund, which led to surnames like Simmonds and became conflated with the biblical name Simon.
Tamsyn
English, Cornish
"twin"
Alternative Cornish spelling of Tamsin, which derives from Thomasin or Thomasina.
Thora
Norse
"thunder goddess"
Thora, related to Thor, is the ancient Norse thunder goddess name that's much softer and gentler than its meaning suggests. A noted bearer is actress Thora Birch.
Thorsten
Thorsten is a Germanic masculine name variation of Torsten, derived from the Old Norse name Þórsteinn (Thor's stone). It combines the elements 'Thor' (the Norse god of thunder) and 'stein' (stone),…
Tib
English diminutive of Isabel
"pledged to God"
Tib and Tibb originated in the 13th century as nicknames for Theobald (for boys) and Isabel and Isabella (for girls). As Isabel grew in popularity, Tib(b) was used more often on girls. By the 16th…
Tiernan
Irish
"little lord"
Tiernan is the slightly edgier and sharper cousin of Kiernan. This is one Irish surname that is attractive but distinctive; Tierney is another, related, option. Tiernan was a popular name in early…
Tolly
Diminutive of Tolliver or Bartholomew
Tolly is an antique short form that is not only jolly but makes Bartholomew usable in the modern world, when Bart is too Simpsonesque. For the adventurous nicknamer, Tolly might even be a novel short…
Tomkin
English and Scottish short form of Thomas, Aramaic
"twin"
Tomkin is a diminutive form of Thomas, with the affectionate suffix '-kin,' which historically indicated 'little one' or 'son of.' This medieval diminutive form gives the name a charming, slightly…
Turlough
Irish
"abettor, instigator"
A popular name during the Middle Ages, Toirdelbach (Anglicized as Turlough or Turlach) is the name of two High Kings of Ireland. It means "abettor, instigator", from Gaelic toirdhealbh "prompting".…
Ulrich
German
"rich and noble heritage"
Ulrich has ancient roots — it was derived from the Old High German name Uodalrich (also spelled Odalric). Ulrich was a common given name in medieval Germany, when it was associated with St. Ulrich of…
Urraca
Basque or Portuguese, 'magpie'
Urraca was the name of many infantas and queens of several medieval Iberian kingdoms (most notably Leon). Despite its royal roots, Urraca is one of the names best left to the history books.
Uta
German
"prosperity, riches"
Medieval name that still hasn't crossed the ocean, known here primarily via actress/teacher Uta Hagen.
Viridis
Latin
"green"
Viridis is a medieval Italian name which is also the Latin word for green. This name is a beautiful option for parents looking for an unusual name that conveys freshness, youth, springtime and…
Vivian
Latin
"life"
Deriving from the Roman cognomen Vivianus , Vivian was originally a masculine name, with Vivien being a feminine soundalike coined by Alfred Lord Tennyson for the Lady of the Lake in his famous…
Vortigern
Welsh
"overlord"
According to medieval chroniclers, Gwrtheyrn (Anglicized as Vortigern) was a 5th-century king of the Britons. It was he who invited the brothers Hengist and Horsa to Britain, which eventually led to…
Vytautas
Lithuanian
"chase the people"
Derived from the Baltic component vyti , meaning "to chase," and tauta , "people." Vytautas the Great was a medieval Lithuanian king, still revered to this day. Vytautas was particularly popular for…
Warin
English variation of Varin, German
"to defend; one of the Varni"
The Germanic tribe known as the Varni took their name from the verb werren , meaning "to defend." The given name Varin derived from the tribe name, meaning "one of the Varni." The Varni were defeated…
Warwick
English
"settlement by the weir"
Pronounced the same way as Warrick, Warwick is the name of an historic university town on the River Avon in England. The name is attached to several notable historical figures, both real and…