Need help choosing a name or creating a persona? Here are some resources relating to persona development. Remember, in choosing a name, you need a first name, that everyone will call you, and a second name (family name, byname, placename, patronymic, etc.) to identify you more specifically.

Persona Development

• Jargon or “What do they mean by THAT?”
• What is an SCA Name?
• Choosing a Name & Creating a Persona (start here)
• SCA Persona Worksheet
• SCA Personas
• On Choosing a Name & Persona: A Quick & Dirty Guide
• Who Are You? The Art of Persona Development

Name Lists

Lists of actual historical names used. These are just a few lists to help you get started. More are available at the Academy of St. Gabriel’s Medieval Names Archive.

• Asian
  • 9th-14th Century Tamil (Southern India) Names
  • 12th-14th Century Chinese Men’s Names
  • 12th-14th Century Mongolian Names
  • 16th Century Indian Women’s Names
  • 16th Century Persian & Turkish Names
  • Pre-17th Century Chinese Names
  • Pre-17th Century Japanese Men’s Names
  • Pre-17th Century Japanese Names
• Byzantine
  • 6th-16th Century Byzantine Names
  • 6th-7th Century Common Names of Roman Aristocracy
  • 10th-15th Century Byzantine Names
• Dutch & Belgian
  • 10th Century Frisian Men’s Names
  • 14th Century Dutch Names
  • 14th-15th Century Popular Dutch Women’s Names
  • 15th Century Names from Leyden
  • 15th-16th Century Flemish Names from Bruges
• Eastern European
  • 9th-16th Century Croatian Names
  • 14th-16th Century Names from the Royal Lines of Moldavia and Romania
  • 15th-16th Century Czech Names
  • 15th-16th Century Hungarian Women’s Names
  • 16th Century Polish Names
• English
  • 1st-10th Century British Names
  • 8th Century Anglo-Saxon Names
  • 11th Century Men’s Names from Cornwall
  • 13th Century English Men’s Names
  • 13th Century English Women’s Names
  • 15th Century Surnames in York
  • Late 16th Century English Given Names
  • 16th & Early 17th Century English Given Names
• French
  • 6th-11th Century Breton Names
  • Late 13th Century Given Names in Paris
  • Late 13th Century Occupational Bynames in Paris
  • 14th Century Women’s Names from Périgueux
  • 15th Century French Names from Chastenay
  • 16th Century Names Found in a French Marriage Register
• German
  • 13th Century German Given Names
  • 13th Century German Bynames (esp. Bavarian)
  • 15th Century German Women’s Names
  • Late 15th Century Names from Nürnberg
  • 15th-16th Century German Men’s Names
• Irish
  • 10th-11th Century Top Men’s Names
  • 12th-16th Century Quick & Easy Gaelic Names
  • 14th Century Irish Names
  • Early 16th Century Manx Names
  • 16th Century Anglo-Irish Names
• Italian
  • 9th-11th Century Women’s Names in Southern Italy
  • 11th-12th Century South Italian Names
  • 13th Century Men’s Names in Pisa
  • 13th Century Women’s Names in Perugia
  • 14th Century Venetian Personal Names
  • 14th-15th Century Italian Women’s Names
  • 15th Century Italian Men’s Names
• Jewish
  • Jewish Names in the World of Medieval Islam: Men
  • Jewish Names in the World of Medieval Islam: Women
  • 16th Century Jews in Rome
• Middle Eastern
  • Up to 6th Century Persian Names
  • 8th-12th Century Andalusian Names (Arabs in Spain)
  • 14th Century West African Men’s Names
  • 16th Century Turkish Names
  • Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices
• Roman
  • 1st -3rd Centuries: Simple Guide to Imperial Roman Names
  • 6th-7th Century Common Names of Roman Aristocracy
• Russian
  • A Dictionary of Russian Period Names
  • 11th-15th Century Russian Personal Names
  • 15th-16th Century Russian Occupational Bynames
• Scandinavian
  • 9th-13th Century Viking Given Names
  • 9th-13th Century Viking Bynames
  • 13th Century Swedish Women’s Names
  • 14th Century Norwegian Names
  • 14th-16th Century Finnish Names
• Scottish
  • 12th Century Scottish Gaelic Names
  • 12th Century Scottish Women’s Names
  • 13th Century Names from Scottish Parliamentary Records
  • 13th-14th Century Scottish Names
  • Late 16th Century Names from Old Edinburgh
• Spanish & Iberian Peninsula
  • 8th-12th Century Andalusian Names (Arabs in Spain)
  • 10th-13th Century Basque Feminine Names
  • 13th-14th Century Jews in Catalonia: 1250-1400
  • 14th-15th Century Portuguese Names
• Welsh
  • 10th Century Cornish (and other Celtic) Names
  • 12th-13th Century Welsh Men’s Names
  • 13th Century Welsh Names and Guide
  • Early 16th Century
  • Late 16th Century Welsh Names