Anglo-Norman Names

by Nicolaa de Bracton of Leicester (Susan Carroll-Clark)

Many of you may have seen my article on Anglo-Norman names which I posted along with my other articles. A couple of people were curious to how these names ranked in popularity. Well, as another in a serious of Ways for Nicolaa to avoid her Thesis Research, I spent the weekend counting. Yes, I counted every name in the Essex Feet of Fines, which are records of property transfers in Essex Co, England from 1182-1272 (end of Henry II, Richard I, John, and Henry III). There were over 4000 males and 1400 females represented. Here, briefly, are the top names and percentage of the population which bore that name:

Men:
```
William	  13.4%
John	   9.6%
Robert	   8.5%
Richard	   8.3%
Roger	   4.1%
Ralf	   4.0%
Thomas	   3.9%
Henry	   3.4%
Geoffrey   3.4%
Walter	   3,2%
Hugh	   2.6%
```
(the above thus account for 64.6% of the Essex names in this period). The next group of names includes Gilbert, Peter, Adam, Simon and Nicholas. Over 210 other names appear, including 104 with only one recorded instance.
Women:
```
Alice	   11.3%
Matilda	   10.0%
Joan	    6.1%
Agnes	    6.1%
Emma	    4.0%
Isabel(la)  3.9%
Margery	    3.8%
Ro(h)esia   3.2%
Juliana	    3.1%
Cecily	    2.6%
Avice	    2.2%
Beatrice    1.8%
```
137 other names are also attested,including 57 represented by one recorded instance. Next on the list are Margaret (which I'm considering including with Margery), Amice, Sabina, Sarra, Mabel/Mabillia, Albreda, and Felicia. (My own name turned out to be uncommon, though not rare).

I'm currently at work on turning this into a full-fledged article, including info on surname practices.

A note on spelling variations: There are a lot of them. Cecily, for instance, also includes Cecilia; Avice ias also Avicia, Ralf can be spelled Ralph, etc.

Nicolaa/Susan
31 Jan 95
sclark@epas.utoronto.ca