MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More (13 page)

SURNAMES – WOMEN

Ásbrandsdóttir

Bárðsdóttir

Baugsdóttir

Bjarnardóttir

Bolladóttir

Brynjólfsdóttir

Egilsdóttir

Einarsdóttir

Flosadóttir

Gamlisdóttir

Gilsdóttir

Grímsdóttir

Hallkelsdóttir

Hermundardóttir

Höskuldursdóttir

Hrútssdóttir

Ingjaldsdóttir

Jónsdóttir

Kollsdóttir

Konalsdóttir

Ófeigsdóttir

Oddsdóttir

Olofsdótter

Onundardóttir

Ósvífrsdóttir

Sigurðsdóttir

Skaftadóttir

Snorradóttir

Steinsdóttir

Sturludóttir

Tindsdóttir

Valbrandsdóttir

Vestarsdóttir

Yngvarsdóttir

Sunbeam

Witchface

the Fair

the Deep-Minded

the Haughty

the High-Counseled

the Low

the Slender

SURNAMES – MEN

Asbrandson

Ásvaldsson

Bollason

Bolverkson

Egilson

Eriksson

Estridsson

Geitirsson

Gormsson

Gnupasson

Gudlaugsson

Hafgrimson

Hámundarson

Haraldsson

Harðbeinsson

Herjolfsson

Hoskuldsson

Hrólfsson

Ingjaldsson

Ketilsson

Kollsson

Leifsson

Magnusson

Marson

Ólafsson

Önundarson

Skallagrímsson

Súrsson

Tryggvason

Bloodaxe

Clubfoot

Combhood

Dry-Frost

Flatnose

Gatebeard

Halt-Foot

Greycloak

Most-Beard

Ironpate

Longchin

Rough-Foot

Treefoot

Wall-Eye

Wooden-Leg

the Black

the Bounteous

the Broad

the Burner

the Crow

the Fox

the Greyhaired

the Learned

the Masterful

the Peacock

the Sage

the Smiter

the Strong

the Unwashed

the Victorious

the Proud

the Thick

the Wealthy

the Wise

the Worm-Tongue

NAMES FROM MEDIEVAL ENGLAND

This list might also be helpful if you’re writing a high fantasy with swords and sorcery. Naming trends didn’t change nearly so quickly in past centuries as they do now, so it’s a good resource for your English Renaissance or Tudor-era story as well.

My sources include battle histories, subsidy rolls, and
A Dictionary of English Surnames
. I also included just a few names from the King Arthur legends.

MEN

Adam

Adelard

Aglovale

Alan

Aland

Albert

Aldred

Alexander

Alfred

Alisander

Alphonse

Amis

Anselm

Arnold

Arthur

Balin

Bardolph

Barnabas

Bartholomew

Basil

Baudwin

Bennet

Berenger

Bernard

Bertram

Blaise

Bliant

Brom

Bryce

Castor

Cederic

Cerdic

Charles

Cyr

Daniel

David

Denis

Diggory

Dinadan

Drogo

Edgar

Edward

Edwin

Egbert

Elias

Eliot

Eluard

Emory

Eustace

Everard

Faramond

Frederick

Fulke

Gabriel

Galleron

Gamel

Gareth

Geoffrey

George

Gerald

Gerard

Gervase

Gilbert

Giles

Godwin

Gregory

Griffith

Gunter

Guy

Hamon

Hamond

Hardwin

Hector

Henry

Herbert

Herman

Hildebrand

Hubert

Hugh

Humphrey

Ingram

Isaac

Isembard

Ives

James

Jasper

Jeremy

Jocelyn

Jordan

Joseph

Lambert

Laurence

Leland

Leofwin

Lionel

Lucan

Lucius

Mabon

Manfred

Mark

Martin

Matthew

Maynard

Merek

Michael

Miles

Milo

Nicholas

Nigel

Noah

Ogier

Osric

Paul

Percival

Peter

Philip

Piers

Randel

Ranulf

Reginald

Richard

Robert

Roger

Roland

Rolf

Rowan

Sampson

Sayer

Silas

Solomon

Theobald

Thomas

Thurstan

Timm

Tobias

Tristram

Turstin

Ulric

Urian

Walter

Warin

Warner

William

Wolfstan

Wymond

WOMEN

Acelina

Adelina

Aelina

Agnes

Aldith

Alice

Alma

Althea

Alyson

Amelina

Amicia

Anais

Anne

Artemisia

Athelina

Audry

Augusta

Avina

Barbetta

Beatrice

Berta

Blanche

Brangwine

Bridget

Caesaria

Cassandra

Catelin

Caterina

Cecily

Celestria

Christina

Clare

Constance

Dameta

Delia

Dionisia

Douglas

Edeva

Edith

Eglenti

Elaine

Eleanor

Elizabeth

Elle

Elysande

Emeline

Emma

Etheldreda

Eva

Evaine

Evelune

Felicia

Florence

Floria

Genevieve

Gisela

Giselle

Gracia

Gratia

Guinevere

Gundred

Gwendolen

Helewisa

Ida

Ingerith

Isabeau

Isemay

Isolda

Ivette

Joan

Johanna

Joya

Joyce

Juliana

Justina

Laudine

Lavina

Legarda

Lena

Letia

Leticia

Lia

Lillian

Linota

Lovota

Lucia

Lunete

Magdalen

Margaret

Margery

Marie

Marion

Martha

Mary

Mathilde

Maud

Milisant

Mirielda

Molly

Muriel

Nesta

Nicola

Odelina

Oliva

Orella

Oswalda

Paulina

Petronilla

Regina

Richolda

Roana

Rosa

Rosamund

Roxanne

Sabina

Sapphira

Sarah

Sela

Sigga

Sophronia

Susanna

Swanhild

Sybil

Tephania

Theda

Thora

Venetia

Viviane

Ysmeine

SURNAMES

This list includes patronyms, occupational names, and place names. You will need to research whichever last name you choose to make sure that it makes sense for your character.

Achard

Alder

Arundel

Ashdown

Atwood

Auber

Bainard

Baker

Ballard

Barnes

Basset

Bauldry

Baxter

Beaumont

Becker

Bellecote

Beringar

Bertran

Bigge

Bolam

Bosc

Bouchard

Brewer

Brickenden

Brooker

Brooker

Browne

Burrel

Burroughs

Butler

Cambray

Campion

Campion

Canouville

Capron

Capron

Cardon

Cardonell

Carpenter

Carter

Cecil

Challener

Challenge

Chauncy

Chauncy

Cherbourg

Clarke

Clay

Colleville

Comyn

Cooke

Cooper

Corbet

Corbin

Courcy

Court

Cross

Crump

Cumin

Custer

d’Albert

d’Ambray

Dale

Danneville

Darcy

Dean

de Balon

de Beauvais

de Bethencourt

de Bethencourt

de Blays

de Challon

de Civille

de Coucy

de Erley

de Ferrers

de Grandmesnil

de Grey

de Ireby

de Lacy

de la Haye

de la Pole

de la Porte

de la Reue

de la Roche

de Logris

de Lorris

de Maris

de Montfort

Deschamps

de Servian

des Roches

Destain

Dodd

Drake

Draper

Dumont

Durandal

Durville

Duval

Duval

Dyer

Emory

Evelyn

Faintree

Faucon

FitzAlan

FitzOsbern

Fitzroy

Fletcher

Ford

Foreman

Forester

Fox

Fuller

Gael

Gary

Gaveston

Giffard

Gillian

Gilpin

Glanville

Godart

Godefroy

Graves

Griffen

Grosseteste

Guideville

Gurney

Hachet

Harcourt

Hauville

Hawthorn

Hayward

Hendry

Holland

Holmes

Hood

Hope

Hughes

Ide

la Mare

Lamb

Langdon

Latham

Lea

le Blanc

le Blanc

le Conte

le Grant

le Grant

le Orphelin

le Roux

le Savage

Lister

Lucy

Lynom

Malet

Mallory

Mallory

Manners

Marchmain

Marshal

Martel

Mason

Mathan

Mathan

May

Medley

Mercer

Mortimer

Mortmain

Mowbray

Napier

Nash

Nesdin

Neuville

Noyers

of Benwick

of Cleremont

of Warwick

of Wichelsea

Osmont

Papon

Parmenter

Parry

Parry

Paschal

Patris

Payne

Perci

Perroy

Peveril

Picard

Port

Prestcote

Rainecourt

Raleigh

Rames

Renold

Reviers

Roger

Rolfe

Rowntree

Saint-Clair

Saint-Germain

Saint-Leger

Sawyer

Seller

Shepherd

Slater

Taylor

Teller

Thibault

Thorne

Tilly

Tull

Vaughan

Vaux

Verdun

Vernon

Ward

Watteau

Weaver

Webber

Wells

Wilde

Willoughby

Wood

Wright

Writingham

NAMES FROM REGENCY ENGLAND

The Regency period is exceptionally popular in historical romance. This list is a good reference for any project set in England from the Georgian through the Victorian era.

The Regency period lasted from 1811 to 1820. To create this list, I used various parish records from that period. I also looked at portions of UK Census Returns of 1801 and 1821, and parts of Burke’s Peerage 1826. Although these latter sources were not dated exactly to the Regency period, they were close enough to contribute to an accurate list.

Many of these names would have had nicknames, such as “Nora” for “Honora” and “Molly” for “Mary.” I’ve only listed diminutives if they were given names in their own right. Some of the first names here are unusual for the time. Although I haven’t done a quantified study, an asterisk indicates a name that showed up often in the records I consulted.

I didn’t do a surname list here because it overlapped so much with the surnames in the medieval list, as well as the list of the most popular U.S. surnames at the end of this section.

WOMEN

Abigail

Agnes

Albina

Alice*

Alicia

Amelia

Amy

Angel

Ann*

Anne*

Arabella

Augusta

Awellah

Barbara

Beatrice

Betsey

Betty*

Bridget

Caroline

Catherine*

Cecilia

Charity

Charlotte*

Christianna

Deborah

Diana

Dinah

Dorothea

Dorothy

Edith

Eleanor*

Eliza*

Elizabeth*

Ellen*

Emily

Emma

Emmeline

Esther*

Fanny*

Florentia

Frances*

Frederica

Georgiana

Georgina

Grace*

Hannah*

Harriet*

Helen

Helena

Henrietta

Hester

Honora

Horatia

Isabel*

Isabella

Jane*

Jean

Jemima

Jenny

Jessie

Joan

Joanna

Joyce

Judith

Julia

Juliana

Juliet

Katherine

Kitty

Laura

Lavinia

Leah

Letitia

Lilias

Louisa

Lucy*

Lucy-Anne

Lydia

Madalene

Margaret

Maria*

Marianne

Marina

Margaret*

Marjorie

Martha*

Mary*

Mary Ann*

Matilda

Miriam

Modesty

Nancy*

Patience

Peace

Peggy

Phillis

Phyllis

Phoebe

Priscilla

Prudence

Rachel*

Rebecca*

Rose

Ruth

Sally*

Sarah*

Selina

Sophia*

Susan*

Susannah

Tabitha

Teresa

Theodosia

Unity