18th Century Scots names

[AnyaKimlin]

I've had a new story appear. (not sure if it is fantasy or historical yet) It's set in 1704 in Morayshire, North East Scotland. I thought it would be great to use mostly real people. I've got a wizard, gypsy, witch, travelling players, peasants etc

However the name pallette is limited with most men being George, Robert, Alexander, John & James. Women being Margaret, Elizabeth, Jean, Jannette & Christian.

I thought I'd dealt with the four essential Alexanders (key witnesses to events in the story)- one became Sawney, one boy, the other Reverend Anderson and the other Alexander.

However I investigated the second parish on the land to find myself with my second Reverend Anderson.

Should I use artistic licence for clarity or plug on trying to use nicknames? Maybe call one Parson. (The records refer to them as parson even though they are vicars)

It's based on a real story that is shrouded in legend so some I have to keep.

 

[svalbard]

I think use artistic licence. Sharon Penman, when writing her books on the Welsh Princes of Gwynedd, changed around a few names of the historical characters, because of their similarities. It worked.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Thanks I might just try to stick to nicknames when I can but change the less important vicar.

 

[sknox]

In that time period, you are going to have a limited list of names. Scotland was still rather newly-Protestant (a hundred years), with all the ramifications in naming that that entailed.

But you have wizards and witches? They could come from another group. Go look for Celtic names, anything pre-Reformation. And the gypsy should certainly come from another family. Maybe go to Hungarian (medieval) names and Anglicize them?

Speaking very broadly, you'll find the Great Name Shift in every European culture. Protestantism considerably narrowed the field (heavy emphasis on New Testament names).

 

[AnyaKimlin]

The wizard is Sir Robert Gordon hes the laird he has to stay.

The witches are also mentioned by name in the historical record or hinted at.

 

[sknox]

Erg. Well, sometimes ya gotta go with what you're given, with historical fiction. Another problem, of course, is that even within Scotland, Highland names will differ from Lowland names. Still, these sources lengthen the list a bit:

http://www.mulletargent.com/projects/aberdeennames.html
http://medievalscotland.org/scotnames/ (with the warning about Reformation)
and this one
http://www.clanntuirc.co.uk/JSNS/V6/JSNS6 Crook.pdf
which shows the Scots to be depressingly unimaginative in their naming!

with a last name of Knox, I'm allowed a bit of leeway in insulting Scotsmen

 

[The Ace]

I would've thought that half your, 'Johns,' would've been, 'Ians,' with the odd Angus, Callum (Malcolm), Tormud, Domhul (Donald), Ruaridh, or Lachlan to break the monotony.

None of those names are unusual today, and it would hardly be a surprise to encounter them a few centuries ago.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I got the names from grave stones, Kirk Sessions etc. There is one Malcolm but as his surname is Macdonald it suggests he is not local to the villages he was the only MacDonald before the 1800s buried there.

I got seriously excited over a Lucy, a Betrict and a Hugh. Before and after the time period there are some more fun names. But not even Agnes or Andrew because of the reformation.

My main character I'm calling Robina because it is just about the right time frame.

 

[Pyan]

This has the Gaelic names with anglicized versions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_Gaelic_given_names

 

[AnyaKimlin]

The area isn't Gaelic. Not even Jessie appears for a few more years (It's from a Gaelic name)

I'm not really looking for the names more should I use some artistic licence and change the names of the people I've found i want to use, probably using their occupations for nicknames.

I'm stuck with two of the Alexanders at least but as one is a servant the laird can call him something else.

 

[alchemist]

I think you could change one or two and maintain the historical authenticity you want.

 

[jastius]

couldn't you have one alex and one sandy? sandy was a lower class name.
they did have a lower and a high class version of the most comman names. everyone in a village was from the same clan and so the last names were the same. if the laird or chieftain was well liked or thought of or the child was a by-blow, then they were often named after the man. but the deminuitives were used in comman reference to the child. another way persons were told apart was with the additions of descriptives. I.e. old robert young robert, simple robert strongrobert, lame robert dark robert fair robert.... and so on.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I know Sandy is too modern and I think Alex might be. I'm going to make one Sawney.

I think I'm going to be stuck using titles & nicknames.