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Names

Names are important in any worldbuilding endeavor,  from making up character for fiction or gaming to designing genealogies.  Here are a few sources.

20000-Names.com: "Find Baby Names, Pet Names, Story Character Names.  Look up the meaning of your own name!"
Kate Monk's Onomastikon (dictionary of names) compiled for gamers; includes names from various nationalities and tribes.
The Random Vocabularies / Name Generation Page 
Behind the Name: the etymology and history of first names
Last Name Meanings
This site claims to have half a million baby names
Jerry Hill Presents Names : not just people names, but place names as well.
The Random Name Generator
Nomen Culture: Names in a Cultural Context, which includes a list of the more popular names of the century by decade. 
Baby Name Trends by decade.
Baby Names Unlimited is a bit fluffy but useful.
Choosing Your Baby's Name also gives some cultural and (recent) historical guidelines.
Think! Baby Names: An online dictionary and reference guide on the origin and meaning of first names.  Includes some lists: popularity by dates and by country (limited number of countries).
Medieval Names Archive.  Developed for reenactors.
Listings and guidelines for medieval names are on the Laurel Education Page (roughly the last half of the page).
British and Anglo-Saxon Names

The First Thousand Years of British Names

Medieval Naming Guides which is probably replicated elsewhere in this section.
Anglo Saxon Names compiled from Bede's A History of the English Church and People
An excellent list of Anglo Saxon, Viking, and Welsh names from Regia Anglorum.
A list of Anglo-Saxon people recorded in selected reference works.  From the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England.
Anglo-Saxon names gleaned from Bede.
History of Anglo-Saxon Names .
Anglo-Saxon women's names from charters.
Female given names from A Dictionary of English Surnames.
Male and Female Saxon names from 20,000 Names website.
Sampling of A.S. names from Kate Monk.
A chart showing the Descent of the Anglo-Saxon Kings "from Noah."  Useful for names.
Irish naming traditions and baby names.

Return to Medieval History Page

Chinese Names
Mandarin Names for Gamers.
Short article on the meaning behind Chinese Names.
About.com's links to understanding Chinese Names.
Chinese characters and culture.
Chinese namefinder, with links to other tools.
Name Generator
Arabic Names
Arabic names, male and female, and medieval construction of Arabic names.
Miscellaneous
Homepage of the American Name Society.