Following on from our blogpost 'You can choose any name, as long as it is John' which highlighted a Manchester baptismal register from 1805 where a significant number of children were named John, our researchers this week have found an earlier example. The register of Ufford, a parish in rural Suffolk, shows that every child baptised in June and July 1594 was named John.
It is not surprising to see such a number of Johns baptised in this parish, for research has shown that John was very much the most popular forename of the 16th century.
Naming practices in Tudor England were relatively conservative. Many children were named after parents, grandparents, godparents, or local saints, which helped the same small pool of names remain dominant for generations.
The Reformation under Henry VIII and later Tudor rulers changed many aspects of English religious life, but traditional biblical names like John remained firmly popular. Even as newer Protestant influences began to shape culture, the name’s familiarity and religious significance ensured its survival.
