A Franklin was a well-to-do farmer who owned his own land. However, some men were free so we have the surname Fry. Under the feudal system, most men were serfs or bondmen. An Arkwright was a man who made chests, which were called arks. Cartwright obviously has the same origin. A wright was a man who wrought or made things. There were also of course archers and bowmen. (There were many different types of arrowheads and making them was a craft in itself). A fletcher made the shafts for arrows and attached the flights. Flexman is a corruption of flax man, a man who grew flax for making linen.Ī Bowyer made bows and a Stringer or Stringfellow made the strings for bows. A barker was a man who dealt in bark for tanning leather. Later the wool was pounded by wooden hammers worked by watermills). (At first, people called walkers used their feet to pound the wool so we have the surname Walker. This was called fulling and it has given us the name fuller. In the Middle Ages wool was cleaned and thickened by pounding it in a mixture of clay and water. Faulkner is derived from a falconer and a man who made equipment for horses was a Lorrimer. We also, of course, have the surname Spooner, a man who made spoons. A horner was a man who made things like ink pots and spoons from cow horns. Hurd or Hird is from a man who looked after herds. The surname Whitbread came from people who baked white bread. In the Middle Ages, poor people ate coarse, dark bread. People who sold goods of a certain kind were also called mongers. (The surname Hawk may be short for hawker or it may have begun as a nickname for a person who was as fierce as a hawk). A Frobisher polished swords or armour.Ī Chapman and a hawker sold goods at markets. However, a Granger was a man who looked after a grange or farm. A farmer took on its modern meaning much later. The name Farmer may seem obvious but in fact, in the Middle Ages, a fermier was a tax collector. A turner was a man who turned wood on a lathe and made things like wooden bowls. Wheeler was another name for a wheelwright. Smith, Potter, Cooper, Mason, Tailor or Taylor, Spinner, Weaver (Webb was another word for a weaver, a webster was usually a female weaver), Dyer, Thatcher, Tyler, Slater, Miller, Baker, Cheeseman, Spicer, Cook, Fisher, Shepherd, Carter, Clarke, Skinner and Gardener (alternative spellings are Gardner and Gardiner). Some occupational surnames are obvious e.g. if a man was a carpenter he might be called John Carpenter and because sons very often followed their father’s occupation the surname stuck. That marks the end of our list of Medieval names, we hope you find some inspiration for your own characters or stories! If you did, then be sure to comment your favorite name below and maybe even share this article with a friend.Many surnames are taken from jobs e.g. The Mathes family held a small, but well respected duchy in the northern lands of Skalgidr for two centuries, warding off potential conquerors with superior knowledge of the hostile lands. Senior Cavalcanti was leader of the Golden Lions Mercenary Company, who famously won over 50 battles before Cavalcanti finally died by the sword.īuilding on the theme of the medieval melting pot, these family names represent the constant shifting of boundaries that often characterizes the war-torn medieval landscape. Good Mediaval Names reflect the melting-pot nature of medieval kingdoms, where cultures rise and fall in generations, taking over land and laying claim to vast treasures.ĭorothea Bittenbinder was a feared assassin who would infiltrate the court of enemy kings by masquerading as a holy-woman before slaying her target in their sleep.įemme fatales, scheming queens, and warrior princesses are all represented in medieval kingdoms, these names reflect the varied yet powerful nature of the females they could represent.Ī feared and respected stateswoman, Edihe Bildostegi ruled the kingdom of Avanor for five decades with an iron fist.Ĭold dictators, legendary mercenaries, plotting noblemen, and pious preachers are all potential matches for these fierce medieval names. Here’s a list of samples to try out: Good Medieval Names Medieval kingdoms comprise some of the most popular fantasy worlds, and you’re likely to be adventuring through one in your own games.
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