Character Name

Dear son, here’s another piece of advice: on the road, or when taking lodging, share no man’s company for long without asking him his name; for know this, in short: by the name he acquires one knows the man. Chrétien of Troyes, Perceval

The character’s¹ name. A character’s name can tell you a lot about them - where they came from, their parent’s religion, or the heroes that inspired them, or their hopes and dreams for the child… or sometimes just a name they thought was cool or was trendy at the time.

Male Brythonic Names

Typically these would be names from Medieval Welsh, or older Cumbrian sources, Irish or Breton, etc.² You can find name lists or generators out there to pick your favorite, but if you’re just looking for a quick name, here’s a table to help you³⁴.

This is a 2D table - you can roll one six sided die (d6) and one twenty-sided die (d20), then find the name in the intersection of those rolls. Or you could roll just the d20 and pick, or just find your favorite. The columns are somewhat weighted to different “vibes”, from my arbitrary choices.

	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Aed	Adeon	Afan	Aeron	Aelhaiarn	Aldwyn
2	Amlyn	Andras	Angor	Anir	Arthmail	Athan
3	Branwaladr	Baedden	Barrys	Blaen	Branoc	Bran
4	Cadfannan	Bryn	Cadeyrn	Cadlew	Caradoc	Caw
5	Cadel	Cawrdaf	Cenn	Cenydd	Clywd	Coll
6	Cynhafal	Colwyn	Cuhelyn	Cynfelyn	Cynbal	Dei
7	Dafydd	Derwyn	Derfel	Dinan	Drem	Dubric
8	Edern	Eli	Enniaun	Eian	Eidyn	Eneas
9	Glynn	Fyrsil	Gahariet	Gerwyn	Girioel	Glew
10	Gwion	Gwrgwn	Gormant	Gwydyon	Gwynllw	Gwair
11	Hywel	Hedd	Haydn	Hyfaidd	Hewyn	Huw
12	Llywel	Idwal	Iowerth	Lleision	Lowarch	Llyr
13	Matho	Mael	Mathonwy	Macsen	Merrion	Meic
14	Morcant	Moelwyn	Mynyddog	Morial	Morfael	Myfyr
15	Neithon	Neirin	Nerthach	Nwython	Nudd	Neb
16	Owain	Owain	Owain	Owain	Owain	Owain
17	Prys	Pedrog	Peithan	Pedr	Prydderch	Pwyll
18	Tathal	Rhidian	Tegerin	Talfryn	Talan	Rhod
19	Tegid	Tarrant	Rudderch	Tegwared	Tyfid	Tad
20	Unwst	Urfai	Wren	Wynn	Yann	Ystrwyth

Female Brythonic Names

	1	2	3	4	5	6
1	Aderyn	Adwen	Aelwen	Aeronwy	Afon	Alis
2	Alwena	Anarawd	Angharawd	Anwyn	Aranrhod	Anna
3	Beca	Bethn	Bronwen	Blodeuyn	Brangwen	Brin
4	Cadi	Carys	Ceinwen	Collwen	Creirwy	Ceri
5	Crystin	Cerys	Creiddylad	Delwyn	Danbrann	Don
6	Deryn	Delyth	Dylis	Dyddgu	Dwynwyn	Dwyn
7	Ebril	Efa	Eigyr	Eilian	Eiluned	Elin
8	Elaine	Elaine	Elaine	Elaine	Elaine	Elaine
9	Eleri	Elidis	Eirian	Emblyn	Enfys	Erin
10	Ffion	Florie	Felinete	Felelolie	Ffraid	Fflur
11	Gaenor	Generys	Gladys	Gwenfaen	Guendolen	Glaw
12	Habren	Gwynedd	Gwenllian	Gweneth	Gwenfrewi	Gwen
13	Heledd	Hyledd	Idain	Iseult	Indeg	Haf
14	Luned	Lyn	Leri	Iona	Laudine	Lin
15	Mairwen	Madlen	Lore	Lona	Llewella	Mai
16	Mared	Marged	Mari	Meinir	Meinwen	Myf
17	Nerys	Nest	Nia	Melior	Morwenna	Non
18	Úna	Olwenna	Olwin	Owena	Reannon	Rhian
19	Rhonwen	Rhosyn	Sara	Siwan	Tarren	Siân
20	Tanree	Tegwen	Tydfil	Ysbail	Teleri	Tryamour

Roman

Many Roman names are easily converted between feminine and masculine forms. On columns 1-5 we have names in masculine form - cut the final us or ius or is and replace with a or ia to get the feminine form. The final two columns give gender-specific names (though some of these still follow the same pattern - there’s exceptions to the pattern that I wanted to make sure had space, but I didn’t have a full 20 exceptions).

This is specifically a Romano-British name list⁵, and most Latin names have local variants and vice versa. For example, Prince Ambrosius Aurelianus is known by his Latin name (and nickname), but in Brythonic that’s Emrys - whereas his brother Uther is call by the Brythonic variant instead of Utherius. Similarly, if you roll, say, Christophorus below, that may be your formal name but you may go by Christopher, especially in less Latinized circles.

	1	2	3	4	5	6 (male)	6 (female)
1	Adeodatus	Aegidius	Amabilis	Amadeus	Amandus	Amor	Anna
2	Amantius	Carvilius	Amatus	Angelus	Beatus	Belcatus	Aurea
3	Benedictus	Benignus	Bonifatius	Bonitus	Caelestinus	Cador	Alogiosa
4	Caelestis	Caietanus	Callistus	Callixtus	Candidus	Amator	Calliopia
5	Christianus	Christophorus	Columbanus	Corbinianus	Crescentius	Clemens	Cara
6	Cyriacus	Delphinus	Deodatus	Desideratus	Desiderius	Euticius	Columba
7	Dominicus	Donatianus	Domnius	Dorotheus	Eligius	Durans	Cariniana
8	Emerentius	Emygdius	Ephesius	Felicius	Felinus	Emeterius	Helen
9	Firminus	Florentinus	Florinus	Fortunatus	Franciscus	Catamanus	Civila
10	Frigidianus	Fulgentius	Gabinus	Honoratus	Iacomus	Iordanes	Gleva
11	Ieronimus	Ignatius	Innocentius	Iosephus	Iustianus	Ioannes	Docca
12	Iustinus	Iacobus	Iustus	Leocadius	Leonius	Leo	Lovernisca
13	Liberius	Lupus	Mauritius	Maurus	Modestus	Latinus	Maria
14	Narcissus	Natalius	Nazarius	Onuphrius	Patricius	Salvator	Ursula
15	Peregrinus	Prudentius	Quirinus	Renatus	Romaeus	Tador	Regina
16	Romanus	Sabellius	Sanctius	Sebastinaus	Servatius	Silvester	Salvatrix
17	Sidonius	Silvius	Ursinus	Ursus	Verissimus	Salomon	Totia
18	Victorianus	Victorinus	Victorius	Vincentius	Virgilius	Urban	Violante
19	Vitalis	Vivianus	Zephyrinus	Crispus	Fulvius	Victor	Vinda
20	Domitius	Albanus	Priscus	Clarus	Laurentinus	Yvainus	Uccu

WIP - more name tables

At the very least, Saxons are pretty common, as are Picts and Gaels. Further expansions could be Greek, Baltic (and maybe further afield, Slavic, Persian, North African - but there’s certainly diminishing returns unless players are taking particular interests in a region… and then it’s kind of up to them).

Male Germanic Names

	Saxon	Frisian	German	Dane	Frank	Goth
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Female Germanic Names

	Saxon	Frisian	German	Dane	Frank	Goth
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Picts and Gaels

	Pictish (male)	Pictish (female)	Gaelic (male)	Gaelic (female)
1
2
3
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5
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7
8
9
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Footnotes

1. Some rpg sheets will also put a player’s name up here, but with the coat of arms we can probably identify that already. ↩

2. You may want to aim to a specific region if you’re from that one. ↩

3. Names are a mixture of modern or semi-modern names from nearby language groups (including English, though trying to avoid the more distinctly Germanic roots), historically attested names, and Arthurian names that felt generic enough (i.e. it would feel weird to be a second Lancelot, but there’s probably other Caradoc’s). ↩

4. This being the Middle Ages, spelling and variations are all over the place. I provide some links for suggested etymologies, but there’s lots of drift, guesses, and folk etymologies mixed into that (for the names that aren’t just made up wholecloth). ↩

5. Which is to say, regional languages sneak their influence into the list. It’s mostly reasonable for other regions, though. ↩