We looked at names from King Henry III’s fine rolls (13th century) a couple of weeks ago, so now let’s go back a bit further and look at names from the Domesday Book (11th century).
What is the Domesday Book?
It’s a land survey, compiled in 1086, that covered much of England and parts of Wales.
The Domesday Book provides extensive records of landholders, their tenants, the amount of land they owned, how many people occupied the land (villagers, smallholders, free men, slaves, etc.), the amounts of woodland, meadow, animals, fish and ploughs on the land (if there were any) and other resources, any buildings present (churches, castles, mills, salthouses, etc.), and the whole purpose of the survey – the value of the land and its assets, before the Norman Conquest, after it, and at the time of Domesday.
The book is held at The National Archives in London, but its contents are available online at Open Domesday.
Most of the names in the Domesday Book are male, as most landowners were men. So, to be different (and to make things easier!) I thought I’d focus on the women.
The female names below appeared in the Open Domesday database just once, except where noted. (Multiple mentions don’t necessarily speak to name popularity, as this is not a representative sample of 11th-century people. Also, some individuals are simply mentioned in the book more than once.)
A
- Adelaide
- Adelina (2)
- Adeliza
- Aeldiet
- Aeleva (3)
- Aelfeva (9)
- Aelfgyth (4)
- Aelfrun
- Aelfthryth
- Aelgeat
- Aelgyth
- Aelrun
- Aethelfled
- Aethelgyth
- Agnes (2)
- Ailhilla
- Aldeva
- Aldgyth (13)
- Aldhild
- Aldwif
- Aleifr
- Aleva
- Alfhild (3)
- Alfled (3)
- Alswith
- Althryth
- Alware
- Alweis
- Alwynn (2)
- Asa
- Asmoth
- Azelina
B
- Beatrix
- Bothild
- Bricteva (8)
- Brictfled
- Brictgyth
C
- Christina
- Cwenhild
- Cwenleofu
- Cwenthryth
D
- Deorwynn
- Dove
E
- Edeva (8)
- Edhild
- Edith (5)
- Edlufu
- Egelfride
- Emma (7)
- Estrild
- Eva
G
- Goda (6)
- Gode (2)
- Godelind
- Godesa
- Godgyth (4)
- Goldhild
- Godhyse
- Godiva (7)
- Godrun
- Goldeva
- Goldrun
- Gudhridh
- Gunild (2)
- Gunwor
- Guthrun
- Gytha (4)
H
- Heloise (2)
- Hawise
I
- Ida
- Ingifrith
- Ingrith
- Isolde
J
- Judith
L
- Lefleda
- Leodfled
- Leofcwen
- Leofeva (9)
- Leoffled (4)
- Leofgyth
- Leofhild
- Leofrun
- Leofsidu
- Leofswith
- Leofwaru
- Leohteva
M
- Matilda (3)
- Mawa
- Menleva
- Mereswith
- Merwynn
- Mild
- Modeva
- Molleva
- Muriel
O
- Odfrida
- Odil
- Odolina
- Oia
- Olova
- Oseva
Q
- Queneva
R
- Regnild
- Rohais (2)
S
- Saegyth
- Saehild
- Saelufu
- Saewaru
- Saieva
- Sigrith
- Skialdfrith
- Stanfled
- Sunneva
T
- Tela
- Thorild
- Thorlogh
- Tova
- Tovild
- Turorne
- Tutfled
W
- Wigfled
- Wulfeva (9)
- Wulffled (2)
- Wulfgyth
- Wulfrun
- Wulfwaru (2)
- Wulfwynn (2)
See anything you like?
Also, did you notice the names of Scandinavian origin (e.g., Guthrun, Ingrith, Sigrith)? “These names are most numerous in the eastern half of the country, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. This is precisely where, as we know from other evidence, there was a substantial settlement of Scandinavian immigrants.”
Update, Feb. 2013: Here are the Male Names in the Domesday Book.
Sources:
- The Domesday Book Online – Frequently Asked Questions
- Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Woodbridge, Suffolk, England: The Boydell Press, 2001.
Image: Domesday Book for Warwickshire (public domain)
[Latest update: July 2023]
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