Historical and Medieval Name Generators

They are useful for historical fiction, role-play, re-enactment, history projects and fantasy worlds based on real eras. Each tool gives ten names per click. Save the ones that fit your story and keep them in a list so every character in the same village or era sounds like they belong together.

How names worked in the past

In much of medieval Europe, most ordinary people had one given name. Surnames grew over time to tell people apart, often from a job, a place or a father's name. So a man might be known as John the miller, which later became John Miller. Many nobles were known by where they held land, like William of Normandy.

Ancient Romans used a very different system. A citizen man often had three parts: a personal name, a family clan name, and a branch name, such as Gaius Julius Caesar.

• Viking-era Norse names often used patronymics, like Erik Haraldsson.
• Medieval given names were drawn from a smaller pool, so many people shared them.
• Bynames like 'the Bold' or 'the Tall' were common ways to tell people apart.

Choosing a name for historical fiction

Pick names that fit the time, place and social class of your character. A noble lady and a farmer's daughter in the same village could carry very different names. Because many people shared the same few names, writers often use bynames and job surnames to keep characters distinct.

If your story is set in a fantasy world based on history, you have more freedom. You can keep the flavour of the era while bending the rules to suit your story.

It also helps to keep a period list for your story. Write down every name you use, with the character's role and class. This stops you from giving two important characters the same common name by accident, and it keeps the feel of the era steady from start to finish.