Top male names in England, 1560-1621

A while back, I stumbled upon a register of people associated with Oxford University in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The most interesting part? The author of the register included a chapter dedicated to first names and surnames, and that chapter featured a table of male forenames ranked by frequency of occurrence from 1560 to 1621.

The author claimed that, for several reasons, these rankings were “probably…more representative of English names than any list yet published” for that span of time. One reason was that the names represented men from “different grades of English society” — including peers, scholars, tradesmen, and servants.

Ready for the list?

1. John, 3,826 individuals
2. Thomas, 2,777
3. William, 2,546
4. Richard, 1,691
5. Robert, 1,222
6. Edward, 957
7. Henry, 908
8. George, 647
9. Francis, 447
10. James, 424
11. Nicholas, 326
12. Edmund, 298
13. Anthony, 262
14. Hugh, 257
15. Christopher, 243
16. Samuel, 227
17. Walter, 207
18. Roger, 195
19. Ralph (sometimes confused with Raphael/Randall in the records), 182
20. Peter, 175
21. Humphrey, 168
22. Charles, 139
23. Philip, 137
24. David, 129
25. Matthew (sometimes confused with Matthias), 116
26. Nathaniel, 112
27. Michael, 103
28. Alexander, 98 (tie)
29. Arthur, 98 (tie)
30. Laurence, 90
31. Giles, 88
32. Stephen, 86
33. Simon (sometimes confused with Simeon), 83
34. Daniel, 79
35. Joseph, 78 (tie)
36. Lewis, 78 (tie)
37. Andrew, 69
38. Roland (also Rowland), 65
39. Griffith (also Griffin), 60
40. Evan, 55
41. Abraham, 54 (tie)
42. Leonard, 54 (tie)
43. Owen, 53
44. Gilbert, 52
45. Morris (sometimes confused with Maurice), 51
46. Bartholomew, 46 (3-way tie)
47. Oliver, 46 (3-way tie)
48. Timothy, 46 (3-way tie)
49. Morgan, 45
50. Martin, 44 (tie)
51. Rice (sometimes confused with Richard), 44 (tie)
52. Gabriel, 41
53. Benjamin, 40
54. Jeffrey (also Geoffrey; sometimes confused with Godfrey), 38
55. Ambrose, 36
56. Adam, 35
57. Toby (also Tobias), 34
58. Jerome, 33
59. Ellis, 30
60. Paul, 29
61. Bernard, 28 (3-way tie)
62. Gregory (sometimes confused with George), 28 (3-way tie)
63. Isaac, 28 (3-way tie)
64. Jasper (also Gaspar), 26
65. Randall (also Randle, Randolph; sometimes confused with Ralph), 26 (tie)

Did the relative popularity of any of these names surprise you?

Entries lower down on the list included Lancelot (23), Jarvis (22) Theophilus (19), Marmaduke (18), Fulke (17), and Cadwalader (9).

The author also included every other Oxford-associated name from that general time period, so here’s a sampling of the rare names that popped up in the register just once:

• Aegeon, Arundel, Aunstey, Aymondesham
• Bamfield, Beauforus, Bezaliel, Bulstrod
• Cadoc, Cannanuel, Chiddiock, Cosowarth
• Dabridgcourt, Delvus, Deodatus, Donwald
• Erisy, Esdras
• Fettiplace, Florice, Fogge
• Glidd, Gourneus, Granado
• Hattil, Hercius
• Jarniot, Jerameel, Jeremoth, Jolliffe
• Kelamus, Killingworth, Kingsmell
• Leoline, Levinus, Livewell
• Maior, Maniewe, Marchadine, Moyle
• Nargia, Nizael, Noye
• Ogier, Olliph
• Peleger, Periam, Pexall, Phatnell
• Rimprum, Rollesley, Rotheram, Rumbold
• Scipio, Snappe
• Thekeston, Thrasibulus, Timoleon, Tournie
• Ulpian, Umpton, Utred
• Wallop, Walsingham, Warian, Willgent
• Yeldard
• Zorobabel

Source: Register of the University of Oxford, vol. 2, part 4, edited by Andrew Clark, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889.