Names Found in 17th C Wills from the Shetland Islands, Scotland: Men's Given Names
by Mari ingen Briain meic Donnchada (Kathleen M. O'Brien)
© 2013 by Kathleen M. O'Brien. All rights reserved.
Version 1.0, updated 28 June 2013
Men's Given Names
In the lists below, there are a handful of cases where a man is listed in the records twice.
These occur because there is a listing for a will for that man and a listing of a will for his wife or widow,
where her will includes his name.
It is also possible, given the time range of these documents, that a man could be listed as
a child on one or more wills for his parents when he was a minor, then later be listed in his own will
and that of his wife or widow.
Because of these issues, and the inability to be certain when matching up names to identify multiple references
to the same person, I have treated every name as a separate person for the purposes of the frequency counts below.
Also, due to the inability to be certain that any two listing refer to the same person, it is
not possible to tell if a name that originated as a diminutive or corrupted form of another name was used
as a diminutive or "nickname" at the time of these records.
For that reason, I have listed names that originated as diminutive or corrupted forms under their own
header.
Sorted By Frequency
|
| Sorted Alphabetically
|
| Sort Under | Count | Variant Spelling | Count | Notes |
| James | 82 | James | 82 | |
| John | 82 | John | 82 | |
| Magnus | 79 | Magnus | 79 | From the Old Norse Magnús. |
| Andrew | 77 | Andrew | 68 | |
| Andro | 9 |
| William | 66 | William | 66 | |
| Laurence | 55 | Laurence | 55 | |
| Thomas | 54 | Thomas | 54 | |
| Nicol | 46 | Nichol | 2 | A diminutive form of Nicolas. |
| Nicol | 34 |
| Nicole | 1 |
| Nicoll | 9 |
| Ola | 41 | Ola | 37 | From the Old Norse Óláfr. |
| Olaf | 1 |
| Olaus | 2 |
| Olaw | 1 |
| Erasmus | 36 | Erasmus | 36 | |
| Henry | 34 | Henry | 34 | |
| Robert | 29 | Robert | 29 | |
| David | 27 | David | 27 | |
| Mans | 22 | Mans | 10 | Originated as a form of Magnus. |
| Manse | 2 |
| Manss | 10 |
| Gilbert | 19 | Gilbert | 19 | |
| Patrick | 18 | Patrick | 18 | |
| Malcolm | 17 | Malcolm | 17 | From the Gaelic Maol Choluim or the Old Norse equivalent Melkólmr. |
| Mathew | 17 | Mathew | 15 | |
| Matthew | 2 |
| Arthur | 16 | Arthur | 16 | |
| Peter | 15 | Peter | 15 | |
| Edward | 14 | Edward | 14 | |
| George | 14 | George | 14 | |
| Alexander | 13 | Alexander | 13 | |
| Walter | 13 | Walter | 13 | |
| Christopher | 12 | Christopher | 10 | |
| Cristopher | 2 |
| Bartholomew | 9 | Bartelmo | 4 | |
| Barthelmo | 1 |
| Barthol | 1 |
| Bartholimo | 1 |
| Bartholomew | 2 |
| Jerome | 8 | Jerom | 1 | |
| Jerome | 7 |
| Schewart | 8 | Schewart | 4 | From the Old Norse Sigurðr. |
| Sewart | 1 |
| Shew | 1 |
| Sheward | 1 |
| Shewart | 1 |
| Gregorius | 6 | Gregorious | 1 | Gregorius - the Latin form of Gregory. |
| Gregorius | 5 |
| Harry | 6 | Harie | 4 | |
| Harry | 2 |
| Michael | 6 | Michael | 6 | |
| Anthonie | 5 | Anthone | 1 | |
| Anthonie | 1 |
| Antonius | 2 |
| Antony | 1 |
| Daniel | 5 | Daniel | 5 | |
| (blank) | 5 | (blank) | 5 | |
| Adam | 4 | Adam | 4 | |
| Gotherum | 4 | Gotherum | 2 | From the Old Norse Guðþormr. |
| Gutheram | 2 |
| Martin | 4 | Martin | 4 | |
| Matches | 4 | Matches | 4 | From the Old Norse Matheus. |
| Simon | 4 | Simon | 2 | |
| Symon | 1 |
| Symond | 1 |
| Bothwell | 3 | Bothwell | 3 | |
| Christian | 3 | Christian | 1 | |
| Christianus | 1 |
| Cristian | 1 |
| Donald | 3 | Donald | 3 | |
| Erick | 3 | Eric | 1 | From the Old Norse Eiríkr. |
| Erick | 2 |
| Hew | 3 | Hew | 3 | |
| Oliver | 3 | Oliver | 3 | |
| Anley | 2 | Anley | 2 | |
| Francis | 2 | Francis | 2 | |
| Gawn | 2 | Gawn | 1 | |
| Gayn | 1 |
| Iver | 2 | Ever | 1 | From the Old Norse Ívarr. |
| Iver | 1 |
| Jacob | 2 | Jacob | 2 | |
| Ninian | 2 | Ninian | 2 | |
| Poll | 2 | Poill | 1 | A form of Paul. |
| Poll | 1 |
| Stephen | 2 | Stephen | 1 | |
| Steven | 1 |
| Swannie | 2 | Swannie | 2 | From the Old Norse Sveinn. |
| Turvold | 2 | Turvell | 1 | From the Old Norse Þorvaldr. |
| Turvold | 1 |
| Allan | 1 | Allan | 1 | |
| Bartian | 1 | Bartian | 1 | |
| Berald | 1 | Berald | 1 | |
| Claus | 1 | Claus | 1 | A diminutive form of Nicolas. |
| Court | 1 | Court | 1 | |
| Dounie | 1 | Dounie | 1 | |
| Edmond | 1 | Edmond | 1 | |
| Finla | 1 | Finla | 1 | From the Gaelic Fionnlagh. |
| Gabriel | 1 | Gabriel | 1 | |
| Garth | 1 | Garth | 1 | |
| Geilles | 1 | Geilles | 1 | |
| Harold | 1 | Harold | 1 | |
| Hercules | 1 | Hercules | 1 | |
| Hermane | 1 | Hermane | 1 | |
| Hutcheon | 1 | Hutcheon | 1 | |
| Joseph | 1 | Joseph | 1 | |
| Nicolson | 1 | Nicolson | 1 | |
| Orne | 1 | Orne | 1 | From the Old Norse Ormr. |
| Osea | 1 | Osea | 1 | |
| Philip | 1 | Philip | 1 | |
| Richard | 1 | Richard | 1 | |
| Rodger | 1 | Rodger | 1 | |
| Silvester | 1 | Silvester | 1 | |
| Sulomone | 1 | Sulomone | 1 | |
| Vincens | 1 | Vincens | 1 | |
| Zeanes | 1 | Zeanes | 1 | I do not know if the Z in this name represents a Z or a yogh. If it is a yogh, this name would properly be written Ȝeanes. |
|
|
| Sort Under | Count | Variant Spelling | Count | Notes |
| Adam | 4 | Adam | 4 | |
| Alexander | 13 | Alexander | 13 | |
| Allan | 1 | Allan | 1 | |
| Andrew | 77 | Andrew | 68 | |
| Andro | 9 |
| Anley | 2 | Anley | 2 | |
| Anthonie | 5 | Anthone | 1 | |
| Anthonie | 1 |
| Antonius | 2 |
| Antony | 1 |
| Arthur | 16 | Arthur | 16 | |
| Bartholomew | 9 | Bartelmo | 4 | |
| Barthelmo | 1 |
| Barthol | 1 |
| Bartholimo | 1 |
| >Bartholomew | 2 |
| Bartian | 1 | Bartian | 1 | |
| Berald | 1 | Berald | 1 | |
| Bothwell | 3 | Bothwell | 3 | |
| Christian | 3 | Christian | 1 | |
| Christianus | 1 |
| Cristian | 1 |
| Christopher | 12 | Christopher | 10 | |
| Cristopher | 2 |
| Claus | 1 | Claus | 1 | A diminutive form of Nicolas. |
| Court | 1 | Court | 1 | |
| Daniel | 5 | Daniel | 5 | |
| David | 27 | David | 27 | |
| Donald | 3 | Donald | 3 | |
| Dounie | 1 | Dounie | 1 | |
| Edmond | 1 | Edmond | 1 | |
| Edward | 14 | Edward | 14 | |
| Erasmus | 36 | Erasmus | 36 | |
| Erick | 3 | Eric | 1 | From the Old Norse Eiríkr. |
| Erick | 2 |
| Finla | 1 | Finla | 1 | From the Gaelic Fionnlagh. |
| Francis | 2 | Francis | 2 | |
| Gabriel | 1 | Gabriel | 1 | |
| Garth | 1 | Garth | 1 | |
| Gawn | 2 | Gawn | 1 | |
| Gayn | 1 |
| Geilles | 1 | Geilles | 1 | |
| George | 14 | George | 14 | |
| Gilbert | 19 | Gilbert | 19 | |
| Gotherum | 4 | Gotherum | 2 | From the Old Norse Guðþormr. |
| Gutheram | 2 |
| Gregorius | 6 | Gregorious | 1 | Gregorius - the Latin form of Gregory. |
| Gregorius | 5 |
| Harold | 1 | Harold | 1 | |
| Harry | 6 | Harie | 4 | |
| Harry | 2 |
| Henry | 34 | Henry | 34 | |
| Hercules | 1 | Hercules | 1 | |
| Hermane | 1 | Hermane | 1 | |
| Hew | 3 | Hew | 3 | |
| Hutcheon | 1 | Hutcheon | 1 | |
| Iver | 2 | Ever | 1 | From the Old Norse Ívarr. |
| Iver | 1 |
| Jacob | 2 | Jacob | 2 | |
| James | 82 | James | 82 | |
| Jerome | 8 | Jerom | 1 | |
| Jerome | 7 |
| John | 82 | John | 82 | |
| Joseph | 1 | Joseph | 1 | |
| Laurence | 55 | Laurence | 55 | |
| Magnus | 79 | Magnus | 79 | From the Old Norse Magnús. |
| Malcolm | 17 | Malcolm | 17 | From the Gaelic Maol Choluim or the Old Norse equivalent Melkólmr. |
| Mans | 22 | Mans | 10 | Originated as a form of Magnus. |
| Manse | 2 |
| Manss | 10 |
| Martin | 4 | Martin | 4 | |
| Matches | 4 | Matches | 4 | From the Old Norse Matheus. |
| Mathew | 17 | Mathew | 15 | |
| Matthew | 2 |
| Michael | 6 | Michael | 6 | |
| Nicol | 46 | Nichol | 2 | A diminutive form of Nicolas. |
| Nicol | 34 |
| Nicole | 1 |
| Nicoll | 9 |
| Nicolson | 1 | Nicolson | 1 | |
| Ninian | 2 | Ninian | 2 | |
| Ola | 41 | Ola | 37 | From the Old Norse Óláfr. |
| Olaf | 1 |
| Olaus | 2 |
| Olaw | 1 |
| Oliver | 3 | Oliver | 3 | |
| Orne | 1 | Orne | 1 | From the Old Norse Ormr. |
| Osea | 1 | Osea | 1 | |
| Patrick | 18 | Patrick | 18 | |
| Peter | 15 | Peter | 15 | |
| Philip | 1 | Philip | 1 | |
| Poll | 2 | Poill | 1 | A form of Paul. |
| Poll | 1 |
| Richard | 1 | Richard | 1 | |
| Robert | 29 | Robert | 29 | |
| Rodger | 1 | Rodger | 1 | |
| Schewart | 8 | Schewart | 4 | From the Old Norse Sigurðr. |
| Sewart | 1 |
| Shew | 1 |
| Sheward | 1 |
| Shewart | 1 |
| Silvester | 1 | Silvester | 1 | |
| Simon | 4 | Simon | 2 | |
| Symon | 1 |
| Symond | 1 |
| Stephen | 2 | Stephen | 1 | |
| Steven | 1 |
| Sulomone | 1 | Sulomone | 1 | |
| Swannie | 2 | Swannie | 2 | From the Old Norse Sveinn. |
| Thomas | 54 | Thomas | 54 | |
| Turvold | 2 | Turvell | 1 | From the Old Norse Þorvaldr. |
| Turvold | 1 |
| Vincens | 1 | Vincens | 1 | |
| Walter | 13 | Walter | 13 | |
| William | 66 | William | 66 | |
| Zeanes | 1 | Zeanes | 1 | I do not know if the Z in this name represents a Z or a yogh. If it is a yogh, this name would properly be written Ȝeanes. |
| (blank) | 5 | (blank) | 5 | |
| |
Medieval Scotland | Medieval Names Archive | Names Found in 17th C Wills from the Shetland Islands, Scotland
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(Jan 2006)
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