Christian Names


There is a considerable amount of information about Christian names in Volume I of The National Index of Parish Registers by D Steel. It also contains speculations on the influences on the choice of names and practice of using a surname as a Christian name. There is a list of the Latin forms of Christian names found in early parish registers. Here is an extracted selection from D. Steel's list:-

Aegidius Giles
Agneta or Ana Agnes
Alberedus or Aluredus Alfred
Alecia or Alicia Alice
Alionora eleanor
Aloysius Lewis
Andreas Andrew
Anna Anne, Ann or Hannah
Antonius Anthony
Carolus Charles
Coleta Nicholas (feminine)
Hieronymus Jerome
Emelia Emily
Etheldreda Audrey
Eugenius Owen
Galfridus or Gaufridus Geoffrey
Godefridus Godfrey or Geoffrey
Goisfridus Godfrey or Geoffrey
Gulielmus William
Hadrianus Adrian
Helena Eleanor or Helen
Helias or Helyas Ellis
Henricus Henry
Hugo Hugh or Hugo
Homfridus Humphrey
Imania Emma
Jacobus James or Jacob
Jocosa or Jodoca Joyce
Johanna Joan, Jane, Jean or Janet
Johannes John or Jonathan
Lionhardus Leonard
Lucas Luke
Ludovicus Lewis
Marcus Mark
Mauritius Maurice
Misericordie Mercy
Natalis Noel
Pero Piers
Petrus Peter
Radulphus Ralph
Seisillus Cecil
Sidneus Sidney
Silvanus Silas
Umfridus Humphrey
Villefridus Wilfred

Many names have been omitted from the above list as they are easy to identify. Many Christian names were Latinised by adding 'us' (masculine) or 'a' (feminine) to the English form.

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