Elizabethan Random Name Table
Have a need for an English name that is 16th century accurate, or just a bit anachronistic? This is the table for you. I found these names over here, if you are looking for a bit of context and historical interest to go along with the list.
Common First Names
These names are ordered by decreasing popularity, so if you want a more generic name you can leave out the leading 1d6 roll and pick from the first set of 1d20 results.
1d6 Roll | 1d20 Roll | Male Names | Female Names |
1-2 | 1 | John | Elizabeth |
1-2 | 2 | Thomas | Joan |
1-2 | 3 | William | Margaret |
1-2 | 4 | Robert | Agnes |
1-2 | 5 | Richard | Alice |
1-2 | 6 | Henry | Anne |
1-2 | 7 | George | Mary |
1-2 | 8 | Edward | Jane |
1-2 | 9 | James | Catherine |
1-2 | 10 | Francis | Elinor |
1-2 | 11 | Nicholas | Isabel |
1-2 | 12 | Ralph | Dorothy |
1-2 | 13 | Christopher | Margery |
1-2 | 14 | Anthony | Susanna |
1-2 | 15 | Matthew | Ellen |
1-2 | 16 | Edmund | Sarah |
1-2 | 17 | Walter | Clemence |
1-2 | 18 | Hugh | Frances |
1-2 | 19 | Andrew | Joyce |
1-2 | 20 | Humphrey | Bridget |
3-4 | 1 | Leonard | Christian |
3-4 | 2 | Martin | Edith |
3-4 | 3 | Simon | Emma |
3-4 | 4 | Peter | Lucy |
3-4 | 5 | Philip | Martha |
3-4 | 6 | Stephen | Marion |
3-4 | 7 | Lawrence | Cecily |
3-4 | 8 | Roger | Frideswide |
3-4 | 9 | Daniel | Grace |
3-4 | 10 | Michael | Amy |
3-4 | 11 | Samuel | Barbara |
3-4 | 12 | Allen | Rachel |
3-4 | 13 | Charles | Charity |
3-4 | 14 | Alexander | Mabel |
3-4 | 15 | Gregory | Millicent |
3-4 | 16 | Nathaniel | Rose |
3-4 | 17 | Abraham | Thomasin |
3-4 | 18 | Barnaby | Fortune |
3-4 | 19 | Geoffrey | Gillian |
3-4 | 20 | Reynold | Judith |
5-6 | 1 | Arthur | Julian |
5-6 | 2 | David | Philippa |
5-6 | 3 | Fulke | Audrey |
5-6 | 4 | Luke | Helen |
5-6 | 5 | Mathias | Janet |
5-6 | 6 | Tobias | Sybil |
5-6 | 7 | Isaac | Ursula |
5-6 | 8 | Jerome | Avis |
5-6 | 9 | Joseph | Beatrice |
5-6 | 10 | Rowland | Blanche |
5-6 | 11-20 | (reroll) | (reroll) |
Less Common First Names
If, for some reason, you are looking for a less common name of the age (although not always less anachronistic to our modern ears), you can use the following table instead.
1d20 Roll | Male First Names | Female First Names |
1 | Adam | Ruth |
2 | Adrian | Wilmot |
3 | Ambrose | Christina |
4 | Avery | Constance |
5 | Bartholomew | Denise |
6 | Benedict | Ellen |
7 | Bernard | Florence |
8 | Cuthbert | Josian |
9 | Gerard | Lettice |
10 | Gilbert | Maria |
11 | Giles | Maud |
12 | Julian | Mildred |
13 | Lancelot | Parnell |
14 | Mark | Rebecca |
15 | Miles | Winifred |
16 | Oliver | (reroll) |
17 | Oswyn | (reroll) |
18 | Piers | (reroll) |
19 | Solomon | (reroll) |
20 | Valentine | (reroll) |
Surnames
I made this list by randomly selecting sixty names from the above linked page. They are ranked alphabetically, so ignoring the 1d6 roll here will skew your results.
1d6 Roll | 1d20 Roll | Surnames |
1-2 | 1 | Aumberden |
1-2 | 2 | Baker |
1-2 | 3 | Basset |
1-2 | 4 | Benthey |
1-2 | 5 | Bilingford |
1-2 | 6 | Brampton |
1-2 | 7 | Brouncker |
1-2 | 8 | Canteys |
1-2 | 9 | Carbonall |
1-2 | 10 | Cavell |
1-2 | 11 | Coggeshall |
1-2 | 12 | Cosworth |
1-2 | 13 | Delabere |
1-2 | 14 | Donnet |
1-2 | 15 | Dunham |
1-2 | 16 | Eyer |
1-2 | 17 | Fitzgeffrey |
1-2 | 18 | Fitzherbert |
1-2 | 19 | Fortescue |
1-2 | 20 | Frowseloure |
3-4 | 1 | Gerard |
3-4 | 2 | Goberd |
3-4 | 3 | Golding |
3-4 | 4 | Goodnestone |
3-4 | 5 | Grafton |
3-4 | 6 | Harryses |
3-4 | 7 | Heron |
3-4 | 8 | Holes |
3-4 | 9 | Holland |
3-4 | 10 | Horthall |
3-4 | 11 | Hylderley |
3-4 | 12 | Knighton |
3-4 | 13 | Kytson |
3-4 | 14 | London |
3-4 | 15 | Lupton |
3-4 | 16 | Lynde |
3-4 | 17 | Maynwaring |
3-4 | 18 | Merstun |
3-4 | 19 | Oke |
3-4 | 20 | Osyllbury |
5-6 | 1 | Palmer |
5-6 | 2 | Pemberton |
5-6 | 3 | Perchehay |
5-6 | 4 | Plessi |
5-6 | 5 | Plymmyswoode |
5-6 | 6 | Prophete |
5-6 | 7 | Rede |
5-6 | 8 | Roberts |
5-6 | 9 | Robins |
5-6 | 10 | Rochforth |
5-6 | 11 | Spencer |
5-6 | 12 | Spicer |
5-6 | 13 | Staverton |
5-6 | 14 | Stevyn |
5-6 | 15 | Strachleigh |
5-6 | 16 | Throkmorton |
5-6 | 17 | Waldeley |
5-6 | 18 | Wayte |
5-6 | 19 | Worsley |
5-6 | 20 | Wythinghall |