What were common names for middle age people?

Answer 1

It depends on which country you are referring to - German names were very different to those in Spain, and English names were very different to those in Wales, Cornwall, Scotland or Flanders.

In England, the names introduced by the Normans in 1066 gradually became adopted by the English population at all levels of society, with most traditional Saxon names becoming obsolete by about 1220.

After that date the names Walter, Robert, Richard, Simon, Peter, Philip, Geoffrey, Hugo, Michael, Stephen, John, David, Gerald, Waryn, Helen, Matilda, Alice, Mary, Constance and many other Norman names were also used by ordinary peasant folk - all of them were names introduced by the Norman invaders. A few Saxon names such as Alfred, Albert and Godiva survived, but were very unfashionable.

Among the lower classes names were frequently shortened or converted: Walter became Wat, Robert became Rob, John became Jack and so on.