Medieval Names

An almost forgotten, but rather dashing, medieval French member of the Emil- family of names.

While Dennis may be more familiar to English speakers, Denis, or sometimes Denys, were the original medieval French forms of the name. Ultimately derived from Dionysius, the Greek god of wine and debauchery, it is a saint's name, popular in France during the Middle Ages, and during the 60s.

A name from medieval romance. Amlyn ac Amig is the Welsh version of Amis et Amiles, a French moral tale of friends in Charlemagne's court. The name itself is gentle and straightforward, although the "lyn" ending may feel more feminine to current tastes.

A Latinised form of the Old Norse name Saxi, meaning either "Saxon" or "dagger, short sword". A notable historical bearer is Saxo Grammaticus, a medieval Danish chronicler who wrote the first full history of Denmark, the Gesta Danorum.

Lella is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Italian, it functions as a diminutive of names like Gabriella, Raffaella, or Donatella, conveying affection and familiarity. In Arabic cultures, Lella is an honorific title meaning 'lady' or 'madam,' used particularly in North African regions to show respect to women of importance. The name has a melodic quality with its repeated 'l' sounds creating a gentle, flowing pronunciation. While uncommon in English-speaking countries, Lella offers cross-cultural appeal with its simplicity and warmth. The name's brevity makes it accessible and memorable, while its international connections give it depth and character beyond its compact form.

A medieval form of Sigemund, which led to surnames like Simmonds and became conflated with the biblical name Simon.

Possible (and offbeat) middle name twist when honoring a familial John.

A medieval Italian name that could work in modern times.

Right in between Hitch (as in the Will Smith movie) and Hudson, Hutchin is a surname and nickname name that has an outside chance of working as a first name for boys.

Anice and Annis are variations of Agnes that have fallen from use, perhaps because of pronunciation issues. Neither spelling was used for any baby girls in the US in the most recent year counted, though a century ago about 100 girls were called Annis or Anice. Potential pronunciation issues ay keep parents away.

Medieval nickname for Mary that became a surname, and could now be a rare but in-trend first name for both sexes.

Mahi is a name seen in modern India (consider Mahi Gill - Bollywood star) and in Medieval France (perhaps as a dialect version of Marie). For those considering this name, just be aware that a Mahi-mahi is a type of fish.

This medieval sounding name is a modern invention, used in the video game Final Fantasy.

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.

Along with Dobbin, Dob was medieval nickname for Robert.

A medieval English diminutive form of Ann, also recorded as a given name.

A common name in medieval times associated with a historical duchess of Normandy, sometimes referred to as Gunnor. Gunnora is derived from the Old Norse name Gunnvǫr, composed of the elements gunnr, meaning "battle," and one meaning "protection."

A medieval Anglicization of the Welsh name Angharad, meaning "more love". A possible variant form is Ingaret.

A short form of Old Germanic names starting with the element fulc "people". Variants include Fulk, Fulke and Folke.