Since the action in my Wessex campaign has moved to Cornwall, I decided to do a thimblefull of research on Cornish names. Listed below is what I came up with. The results aren't as well-targeted on the medieval period as my work on Norman names, but it's good enough for some D&D characters.
Cornish names, male (d100)
1. Aedan
2. Alan
3. Anaoc
4. Benesek
5. Boult
6. Branek/Branok
7. Cadan
8. Cador
9. Carasek
10. Carlyon
11. Casvelyn
12. Carne
13. Clemo(w)
14. Colan
15. Conan
16. Corentyn
17. Cubert
18. Daveth
19. Denzel/Denzil/Danzel
20. Derrick
21. Digory
22. Dofagan
23. Donyerth/Donyarth
24. Edern
25. Ennor
26. Enyon
27. Gawen
28. Gerens
29. Gorran
30. Gurcant
31. Gurcon
32. Guriant
33. Gryffyn
34. Gwithyen
35. Hammitt
36. Hedrek
37. Hedyn
38. Hendra
39. Howel
40. Jacca
41. Jago
42. Jermyn
43. Jory
44. Jowan
45. Keby
46. Kenan
47. Kenver
48. Kenwyn
49. Kernick
50. Kevern
51. Kitto
52. Lanyon
53. Lewyth
54. Locryn
55. Maban
56. Madern
57. Margh
58. Massen
59. Mawgan
60. Medrod
61. Melor
62. Menadue
63. Meriasek
64. Merryn
65. Morcum
66. Myghal
67. Nadelek
68. Neythen
69. Pasco
70. Padern
71. Pasco
72. Peder
73. Pedrek
74. Penrice
75. Perran/Piran/Peran
76. Petrok
77. Remfry
78. Rowse
79. Ruan/Rewan
80. Sithny
81. Talan
82. Talek
83. Tomas
84. Treyfusis
85. Trelawney
86. Tre(y)mayne/Tre(y)main(e)
87. Tresco
88. Trethowan
89. Teudar
90. Treeve
91. Trevelyan
92. Tristan
93. Tyack
94. Ust
95. Vyvyan
96. Wella
97. Wendron
98. Yestin
99. Ythel
100. Zennor
Cornish names, female (d100)
1. Aedoc
2. Arranza
3. Anaguistl
4. Bennath
5. Berlewen
6. Bersaba
7. Beryan
8. Blejan
9. Bronnen
10. Bryluen
11. Caja
12. Chesten
13. Colenso
14. Conwenna
15. Crewenna
16. Delen
17. Demelza
18. Derowen
19. Ebrel
20. Elestren
21. Elowen
22. Endelyon/Endellion
23. Eseld/Esyld
24. Eva
25. Ewella
26. Hedra
27. Jenna
28. Genna
29. Gloiucen
30. Gunnoda
31. Gwen
32. Gwenna
33. Gwennap/Gwenep
34. Gwenneth
35. Gwenno
36. Gwenora
37. Gwin/Gwynne
38. Ienipa
39. Jena
40. Jenifry
41. Jowna
42. Kayna
43. Kelynen
44. Kensa
45. Kerensa/Karenza
46. Kerra
47. Kew
48. Lamorna
49. Loveday
50. Lowenna
51. Mabryn
52. Medguistl
53. Mellyn
54. Melwyn
55. Melyor
56. Meraud
57. Merryn
58. Morenwyn
59. Morva
60. Morvoren
61. Morwenna
62. Newlyna
63. Onwen
64. Pasca
65. Rosen
66. Rosenwyn
67. Rosevear
68. Senara
69. Sidwella
70. Sowena/Sowenna
71. Steren
72. Talwyn
73. Tamsin
74. Tanguistl
75. Tecca
76. Tegen
77. Tressa
78. Ursell
79. Wenna
80. Ygerna/Igerna
81. Ysella
82. -100. reroll
Cornish surnames
Like most folk in the period, surnames identify either a parent or a place. In the first case use [roll1] son of [roll2] or [roll1] daughter of [roll2]. For men you can also use the patronymic 'map', the Cornish equivalent to the 'mac' of Scotland or the "O'" of the Irish, so Talan map Keby might work as a Cornish name. I don't know the female equivalent.
For place-based surnames use the construction "X of Y". To get the Y part, roll d8 on the chart below:
1. Tre-
2. Ros(e)-
3. Pol-
4. Lan-
5. Car-
6. Pen-
7. Nan-
8. Saint [roll another first name]
The prefixes need to be attached to something. I recommend rolling again on one of the first two charts, but truncating or otherwise mangling the results. E.g. "Lan-" plus "Morvoren" becomes "Lanvoren" or "Lanmor" or something like that.
PoP!
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I have drawn three pieces today, and this -- with no hint of irony or
self-deprecation -- is the best of them all.
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Posts
Where do you find this name lists? Your "minor research" results in more names than any sourcebook I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm tempted to run Wessex rather than my own pseudo-historical Celtic game idea b/c you've posted so much great setting info.
It's cobbled together from a couple of SCA articles and some scholarly stuff online, as well as some baby names sites. It was all just googling and sifting the results, really.
ReplyDeletePeople's Names by Holly Ingraham is a great source for names. Published by McFarland Press.
ReplyDeleteThis passes my acid test by including Demelza and Morwen (I grew up with girls who had both names, though actually naming your kid Demelza sounds pretty camp to me these days). Some of the names are clearly imports, but I don't see any that might be out of place in 12/13th c Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteIt must mean something that you're managing to make me homesick with your posts.
The traditional way to pick names in Cornwall is to spread feed over a copy of the family tree and then put a chicken on the tree--the first name that gets pecked at is the name the kid gets.
ReplyDeleteThey use a Cornhish Name Hen.
Zak reminded me: not only is the term "Cornish hen" unknown in the UK (as was "English muffin" until its recent importation from America), there is also no tradition of eating small poultry in Cornwall. Mother Internet tells me the Cornish Hen was developed by cross-breeding in Connecticut in the 1950s from "Indian Game" birds.
ReplyDeleteThe item of Cornish "local cuisine" best beloved by TV chefs and the Travel Channel is stargazy pie, but I've never seen anyone actually prepare or eat one in Cornwall. You do get people eating pasties, hog's pudding (which sounds appalling but is really just a spicy sausage), cream teas, saffron cakes and hot cross buns in the wild. Whether pastry was common or just for the rich back in King Stephen's day I don't know.
Thanks! This is great and really useful.
ReplyDelete