Medieval witch names refer to the names that were associated with witches during the Middle Ages. These names often carried negative connotations and were used to label women who were accused of practicing magic or participating in occult activities. During this period, witchcraft was seen as a serious offense and those accused of being witches were often subjected to persecution, including imprisonment, torture, and even execution. The witch trials of the time produced a list of infamous witch names that have been passed down through history. Some of the most well-known medieval witch names include: 1. Agnes Sampson: Agnes Sampson was a Scottish midwife and healer who was accused of being a witch during the North Berwick witch trials in the late 16th century.

Witchy Names

Witchy names reflect a deep respect and love of nature, astrology, magic, and spirituality — values that are meaningful to an increasing number of parents.

Pagan baby names may honor various deities, such as Freya, Artemis, Ceridwen, and Gaia. Other mythological figures have ties to magic and witchcraft, such as Circe and Sybil, Morgan and Medea.

Wiccan baby names include the deity Hecate or Hekate — also referred to as Aradia in some Wiccan texts — as well as various elements used in Wicca like Rowan, Hazel, Primrose, and Castor.

Witchcraft emphasizes connection to nature, making names like Briar, Sparrow, Cedar, Lavender, Rue, Bramble, and Willow particularly meaningful. Names related to astrology and the sky include Venus, Solstice, Orion, Andromeda, Taurus, Luna, and Draco.

Other witchy girl names include Blair, Tabitha, Delphi, Taika, and Wednesday.

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Maeve is a short and sweet name that has become one of the most stylish Irish names for girls in the modern US. Maeve would make an excellent first or middle name choice, with more heft than Mae/May and more modern charm than Mavis.

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Aurelia is an ancient Roman name that's become a surprise hit in the contemporary world. A top favorite on Nameberry, it reentered the US Top 1000 in 2014 after a 70-year absence and continues to climb.

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The name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is derived straight from the Latin word for moon, luna. Luna’s divine complement is Sol, the god of the Sun. In Roman art, Luna is often depicted driving a chariot.

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A Nameberry favorite, Aurora has consistently been on the US popularity list since the nineteenth century, but has really taken off in the past 30 years. Aurora also enjoys remarkable international popularity, ranking in the Top 100 throughout the English-speaking world as well as in Italy, Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and several other European countries.

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Ophelia reentered the US Top 1000 in 2015 after more than 50 years off the charts, and rose more than 600 spots since then, with no signs of slowing down. Could Ophelia may be the next Olivia?

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Iris is one of the bouquet of turn-of-the-last-century flower names that is gradually beginning to regain its appeal: it is now at the highest point ever. Iris is also rooted in the trending mythological class of names..

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In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollo’s romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. It is from this myth that the plant genus daphne, which contains the laurel species, gets its name.

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Matilda is a sweet vintage name that has been gently climbing the popularity list for the past 15 years, after a half-century slumber. The spunky children's book heroine Matilda is one factor in its rise, along with others of its class like Eloise and Caspian.

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Freya has long been popular in the U.K. but has only taken off in the US in the last decade, along with the entire category of mythological names. Derived from the Old Norse name Freyja, meaning "Lady, noble woman", Freya is the name of the Norse goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.

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Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from phoibos, meaning “bright.” In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. The masculine version of Phoebe is Phoebus.

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Lyra is a name with ancient and celestial roots that's finding new popularity thanks to its starring role in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, seen in the movie The Golden Compass. Simple yet unique, Lyra hits the sweet spot between too popular and too unusual.

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Arthur, once the shining head of the Knights of the Round Table, is, after decades of neglect, now being polished up and restored by stylish parents, inspired perhaps by the new generation of royals. Arthur has led the list of possible names for the young British princes, chosen as a middle name for Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales.

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Cordelia is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name for girls that many parents are seeking for their daughters today. The name of King Lear's one sympathetic daughter, Cordelia has both style and substance along with its Shakespearean pedigree.

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Rowan – a strong surname and nature name (it's a tree with red berries) – is deservedly growing in popularity. Some scholars identify Rowan as originally a girls’ name, related to Rowena and Rhonwen, while others say Rowan's always been used for both genders. Sharon Stone chose the Roan spelling, which also relates to the reddish color, for her son, while Brooke Shields used Rowan for her daughter. Yet another increasingly popular spelling is Rowen.

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Poppy, unlike most floral names which are sweet and feminine, has a lot of spunk. Long popular throughout the rest of the English-speaking world, Poppy is finally starting to rise toward the top in the US, where it entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2016.

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Mabel is a saucy Victorian favorite rising in popularity in the US over the past decade, after a 50-year nap If you love offbeat old-fashioned names like Violet or Josephine, only sassier, Mabel is one for you to consider.

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Leo was derived from the Latin leo, meaning “lion.” Thirteen popes have carried the name, including St. Leo the Great. In Germanic languages, Leo has historically been used as a nickname for names including Leon and Leopold. In Latinate languages, Leonardo is considered a full form for Leo.

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Ruby, vibrant red, sassy and sultry, outshines other revived vintage gem names, with its sparkling resume of cultural references. Ruby is proof of the 100 Year Rule, trending again for the first time since its last heyday in the 1920s.

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Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara, meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to that of the gemstone, which comes from a Semitic word meaning "speckled stone." Jasper is the usual English form for one of the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to the infant Christ according to medieval tradition and appears in the Bible as a reference to the stone itself in Revelations 4:3.

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Astrid is derived from the name Ástríðr, which is made up of the Old Norse elements that mean "god" and "beautiful." Astrid has been a Scandinavian royal name since the tenth century, and many people associated it with the Swedish author of the Pippi Longstocking stories, Astrid Lindgren. Related names include Asta, a diminutive used throughout Scandinavia, and Astride, the French form. Despite their similarities, Astrid is unrelated to Astra, a Latin name meaning "of the stars."

French "Witches" (14th–16th centuries)

On August 9, 1390, two women, Margot de la Barre and Marion la Droiturière , were sentenced by the judges of the Châtelet in Paris to the pillory and then to be burned at the stake. Their case, carefully recorded in the Registre du Châtelet de Paris by the notary Aleaume Cachemarée, offers a telling example of the shift in attitudes toward sorcery that occurred as the Middle Ages drew to a close. Sorcerers—both men and women—who had long been a traditional part of the social fabric of their communities were increasingly finding themselves targets of the judicial system. Clever women skilled in divination, magic love philters and the uses of herbs, were now carried off to the torture chamber, where they were tormented into confessing their allegiances to the Devil and participation in a celebration of evil known as the witches' Sabbath. Under the condemnation of ecclesiastical and lay prosecutors, the formerly accepted figure of the sorcerer was now transformed into a demonic puppet of Satan. In the case of Margot de la Barre and Marion la Droiturière, the two women were first interrogated at the end of July 1390. The accusation against them was the casting of a spell on Ainselin, the former lover of Marion, and his wife Agnesot . To regain her lover, Marion had been advised by a friend to share a drink with Ainselin, made of a few drops of her menstrual blood mixed with red wine; from Margot de la Barre she had obtained two recipes, the first based on herbs gathered during the magical night of Saint John, which was to provoke impotence in Ainselin with his wife. The second, intended to arouse his desire for Marion, involved roasting the testicles of a white rooster, grinding them into powder, and putting it into Ainselin's pillow for nine days before mixing it in his food and wine. By themselves, these misdeeds, which were confessed by the accused at their first questioning, did not merit the death penalty. But after sessions in the torture chamber, both admitted to their abjuration of Christ and invocations of the Devil, crimes subject to redemption if confessed, but which still called for capital punishment. A few months later, at the end of October 1390, two other women, known as skilled in divination and magic arts, similarly fell victims of the judiciary. Jehenne de Brigue , described in the Registre as a soothsayer, specialized in the recovery of lost objects, a respectable enough vocation in the Middle Ages. Some six years earlier, she had been approached by the priest of a neighboring village for aid in recovering a sum of money and a silver cross stolen from his church. It was not uncommon for a parish priest of the time to share his parishioners' beliefs in such a woman's gifts, as well as a deeper understanding of her social function. The priests themselves were mediators of the supernatural, endowed with powers of healing and exorcising evil spirits, and subject themselves to accusations of exercising magic.

Agnes Sampson: Agnes Sampson was a Scottish midwife and healer who was accused of being a witch during the North Berwick witch trials in the late 16th century. 2. Alice Kyteler: Alice Kyteler was an Irish noblewoman who was accused of witchcraft in 1324.

Barre, Margot de la (d. 1390)

She was the first person in Ireland to be formally convicted of witchcraft. 3. Joan of Navarre: Joan of Navarre, also known as Joan of Lancaster, was accused of witchcraft in 1419 after her marriage to King Henry IV of England. She was later acquitted of the charges. 4. Moll Dyer: Moll Dyer was a legendary figure in American folklore who was accused of witchcraft in Maryland during the 17th century. She was said to have been driven out of her home and frozen to death. These names serve as a reminder of the fear and superstition that surrounded witchcraft during the medieval period. They also highlight the injustices and horrors faced by those accused of witchcraft, particularly women who were often targeted based on their social status or non-conformity to traditional norms. Today, these medieval witch names continue to be used in literature, films, and popular culture as symbols of mystery, magic, and female empowerment. They have become a part of our cultural imagination and are often associated with strong, independent characters who challenge societal norms and fight against injustice..

Reviews for "Echoes of the Past: Explore the Legacy of Medieval Witch Names"

1. Mary - ★☆☆☆☆

Medieval witch names was a complete disappointment for me. I was hoping to find unique and intriguing names for my fantasy novel, but I found the suggestions to be cliché and unimaginative. It seemed like the author just compiled a list of common witch names like Morgana, Hecate, and Circe without providing any background or context. I was expecting more historical accuracy and depth, but instead, I felt like I was just reading a generic listicle. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for genuinely unique and historically accurate witch names.

2. Thomas - ★★☆☆☆

As someone interested in medieval history and witchcraft, I was excited to come across "Medieval witch names". However, I found the content to be quite lacking. The majority of the names suggested were well-known and overused, leaving me disappointed and wanting more. I was hoping to find lesser-known or more obscure names that could bring a sense of authenticity and originality to my writing. Unfortunately, this book did not deliver on that front. The information provided was minimal, and I felt like I could have easily found the same suggestions by doing a quick online search. In summary, this book fell short of my expectations and left me wanting more unique and lesser-known medieval witch names.

3. Emily - ★★☆☆☆

While "Medieval witch names" had potential, I found it to be lacking in substance. The names presented were fairly common and didn't offer much variety or originality. I was expecting to discover hidden gems that would add an air of mystique to my writing, but unfortunately, I didn't find what I was looking for. Additionally, the lack of historical context and background information made the names feel disconnected and random. Overall, I was left wanting a more comprehensive and unique selection of medieval witch names that would truly elevate my storytelling.

4. Jacob - ★☆☆☆☆

I have to say, I was extremely disappointed with "Medieval witch names". The names provided were basic and uninspiring, ranging from the typical Morgana to Hecate. I was looking for more unconventional or lesser-known names that could add depth and intrigue to my storytelling. Instead, I found myself reading a list of names I had already come across numerous times. The lack of originality and creativity left me feeling frustrated and underwhelmed. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking truly unique and captivating medieval witch names.

Enchanting Medieval Witch Names That Transport You to Another Era