Names from an Early 16th C Census of Rome

by Sara L. Uckelman
known in the SCA as Aryanhwy merch Catmael

© 2011-2014 Sara L. Uckelman; all rights reserved
last updated 21Nov14

Introduction

The following names are taken from a census of Rome during the pontificate of Leo X (1513-1521). The census, written in the vernacular, contains the names of roughly 3658 people. I have omitted names which are incomplete (due to flaws in the manuscript), and I have also omitted all titles.

Presentation of data

The data is still in process and will be presented in five different lists below. The given names of each gender are in the two lists, first by frequency, and then alphabetically. Following that will be a list, alphabetical only, of the family names. There is also a separate page with a list of household names.

Naming patterns

The names show a wide variety of naming patterns; and the pattern <given name> di <given name>, common in data from central Italy, is astonishingly rare. In many cases, due to lack of inflection, it is impossible tell whether the pattern <given name > + <given name>, commonly evinced, represents a person with two given names (a first name and a middle name), or a person with a single given name followed by the given name of his father (or mother). Due to this uncertainty, I have treated all of these examples as if they ere genuine given names of the person bearing the name, when making the alphabetical and frequential lists below.

The lists

Feminine Given Names - by frequency (incomplete)
Feminine Given Names - alphabetically (not yet available)
Masculine Given Names - by frequency (incomplete)
Masculine Given Names - alphabetically (not yet available)
Bynames - alphabetically (incomplete).
Household Names - by type


References & notes

Mariano Armellini, Un censimento della città di Roma sotto il pontificato di Leone X. Tratto da un codice inedito dell'archivio Vaticano, (Rome: Tipografia di Roma del cav. Alessandro Befani, 1882).