Medieval Name Generators

The origins and history of Medieval names

Long ago, castles and knights dominated Europe. Jousting was the rage and church was a mainstay, as sturdy members of guilds kept society moving. This epic European medieval era stretched from the 5th-century to the 15th-century, creating a vast and rich source of inspiration when it comes to medieval names. You only need to glance at George R.R. Martin, who based Game of Thrones — and its names — off of the War of the Roses in the Middle Ages.

Medieval names come from many different origins, stemming from Celtic, Latin, Germanic, and Hebrew roots, and often relate to religion, occupations, or physical attributes. Equally, surnames started to become more common in this period, drawing from location, family names, or even nick names. (Commoner surnames like "Baker" or "Smith" indicated one's trade or occupation, whilst surnames like "de Lancaster" or "Fitzroy" linked people to certain areas or royal bloodlines.) These surnames, which bear the burden of both individual history and the legacy of a world that was changing quickly, became a permanent fixture of family tradition by the end of the medieval era.

So, you want to create good Medieval character names?

If you’re struggling to come up with your own medieval name, that’s what this medieval name generator is for. Having stood the test of time, these medieval names now stand ready for you to use.

Here are some tips for you to consider while using this medieval name generator:

• Experiment with the spelling of the name. Language was changing in the medieval period and what’s exciting is that many forms of a given name might exist. For your reference, this medieval name generator uses the standardized spelling of the name.
• Consider the meaning of the surname when using a medieval name. Surnames in the Middle Ages were greatly significant and could describe professions, places, trades, nationalities, or statuses.   
• Depending on the background of your character, you may want to explore several regions in the Middle Ages. This medieval name generator will equip you with medieval names from Old Norse, Old Roman, Old Old Celtic, and Old English cultures.

If thou seeketh to breathe life into thy tale… using our Medieval name generator might be just the thing to give you a handy headstart!

Looking for more? Check out our Kingdom name generator to set the scene, or dive into our character naming guides for even more inspiration.

50 coolest medieval names for inspiration

Want to get ideas straight from the source? You're in luck. Here are the coolest medieval names of all time:

So feel free to use this medieval name generator as a springboard to your names! What if you’d like to learn more about the making of a character name? Great 👍 Head here for a guide on how to come up with character names.