Linguistic Archaeology: the popularity of particular names

Anglo-Saxon

Males                 Females                     
Arwold              Aebba                         
Bede                  Aelflaid           
Beornwine       Asthelberg                   
Caedmon          Aethelthryth 
Cerdic               Baldhild           
Ecgric                Bebba           
Egbert               Begu               
Gefmund          Cwenburg     
Hangist             Cyneburh           
Hewald             Cynwise         
Horsa                Eafe                 
Ingwold            Eanflaed       
Luidhard          Fara                 
Nothelm           Frigyth         
Octa                  Hilda                         
Osric                 Hildelith       
Raedwald         Osthryth       
Swaefred          Ricula           
Tunberht          Saethryth     
Wuffa                Verca  

Vowel & Consonant appearance (anglosaxon subgroup)

Vowel appearance (males vs female)

Sex   letter a   %     Letter e    %        letter i     %        letter o    %     letter u   %
M      10/20   50%   11/20    55%     6/20      30%      8/20    40%    3/20    15%
F       13/20   65%   14/20    70%     7/20      35%      1/20      5%    3/20    15%

Consonant appearance (males vs female)

Sex   letter b      %     Letter c    %      letter d   %     letter f     %        letter g      %
M       4/20       20%     5/20     25%     9/20   45%    3/20    15%       5/20       25% 
F        7/20       35%     5/20     25%     5/20   25%    5/20     25%      4/20       20%

Sex    letter h     %          letter j    %      letter k   %    letter l     %      letter m     %
M        6/20      30%        0/20     0%      0/20     0%    5/20    25%     3/20       15%
F         9/20      45%        0/20      0%     0/20     0%     8/20   40%      0/20       0%

Sex    letter n    %    letter p    %   letter q  %    letter r    %   letter s     %
M        7/20    35%    0/20     0%    0/20   0%   9/20    45%    4/20   20%
F         3/20    15%    0/20     0%    0/20   0%   10/20  50%    4/20   20%

Sex    letter t    %    letter v    %   letter w  %    letter x    %   letter y  %
M        5/20    25%   0/20    0%   7/20     35%   0/20   0%    0/20   0%
F         6/20    30%   1/20    5%   2/20     10%   0/20   0%   6/20   30%

Popular use
Potential female names
70% {E}
65% {A, e}
50% {R, a, e}, Rae, Aera, Are (Arku)
45% {H, r, a, e} Hera
40% {L, h, r, a, e} Helea, Hel
35% {B, i, l, h, r, a, e} Bilara, Aebba, Bebba
30% {T, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Tybil, Aethelthryth
25% {C, d, f, t, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Baldhild, Eafe, Fara, Hilda, Hildelith
20% {G, s, c, d, f, t, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Shirley, Aelflaid, Asthelberg, Begu, Frigyth, Saethryth
15% {U, n, g, s, c, d, f, t, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Sean, Banshee (Barns-hei), Cyneburh, Eanflaed, Ricula
10% {W, u, n, g, s, c, d, f, t, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Ngulwun, Cwenberg, Cynwise
5% {V, o, w, u, n, g, s, c, d, f, t, y, b, i, l, h, r, a, e} Connor, Dragon, Draco, Woden, Tybolt, Eve, Arwold, Osthryth, Verca

Potential male names
55% {E}  
50% {A, e}
45% {D, r, a, e} Drae, Rade, Edar, Erda, Erad, Eadr, Aedr, Aedar
40% {O, d, r, a, e} Daro, Odar
35% {N, w, o, d, r, a, e} Woden, Darren
30% {H, i, n, w, o, d, r, a, e} Odin, Hera
25% {C, g, l, t, h, i, n, w, o, d, r, a, e} Draco, Connor, Thingol, Dragon, Agon, Eldred, Thor, Otar, Arwold, Cerdic, Ecgric, Hewald, Ingwold, Nothelm, Octa, Raedwald
20% {B, s, c, g, l, t, h, i, n, w, o, d, r, a, e} Banshee (Barns-hei), Sean, Bede, Beornwine, Egbert, Hangist, Horsa, Osric
15% {U, f, m, b, s, c, g, l, t, h, i, n, w, o, d, r, a, e} William, Adolf, Gandalf, Hercules, Caedmon, Gefmund, Luidhard, Swaefred, Tunberht, Wuffa

Anglosaxon Group
Name length   4                  5                    6                 7                   8                  9        10                11        12
Male                  2/20 10%   3/20 15%   5/20 25%  5/20 25%    4/20 20%   1/20 5%  0/20  0%   0/20     0%      0/20  0%
Female             3/20  15%  4/20  20%  2/20  10%  2/20  10%  6/20 30%  2/20  10% 0/20   0%     0/20    0%  1/20  5%

 Irish

Males                 Females
Ailill                   Ailinn                 

Began                Aine             
Brendan           Aynia           
Bresal               Badb             
Cerbhall           Becuma       
Colum               Brigit           
Conchobhar    Cliodna               
Culann             Deirdre          

Cynyr               Emer           
Diarmaid        Etain             
Donnan           Ethnea         
Eoghan            Fand             
Erim                Fiona               
Ferghus          Grainne 
Gwiawn          Lethrenn     
Maelen            Liban           
Medr                Luchair             
Morfran          Medhbh       
Senan              Niamh                     
Uchdryd         Oenghus

Irish Group
Name length   4                 5                 6                 7                   8                9            10
Male            2/20 10%  4/20 20%  7/20 35% 4/20 20%  2/20 10%  9/20 45%  1/20  5%
Female       4/20  20%  5/20 25% 4/20  20%  5/20  25%   1/20 5%   0/20 0%  0/20  0%

Vowel & Consonant appearance (Irish subgroup)

Vowel appearance (males vs female)

Sex   letter a   %     Letter e    %        letter i     %        letter o    %     letter u   %
M      14/20   70%   10/20    50%     4/20      20%      5/20    25%    4/20    20%
F       14/20   70%   10/20    50%     11/20    55%      3/20    15%    2/20    10%

Consonant appearance (males vs female)

Sex   letter b      %     Letter c    %      letter d   %     letter f     %        letter g      %
M       5/20       25%     6/20     30%     5/20   25%    2/20    10%       3/20       15% 
F        5/20       25%     3/20     15%     5/20   25%    2/20     10%      3/20       15%

Sex    letter h     %          letter j    %      letter k   %    letter l     %      letter m     %
M        5/20      25%        0/20     0%      0/20     0%    5/20    25%     4/20       20%
F         6/20      30%        0/20      0%     0/20     0%     5/20   25%      4/20       20%

Sex    letter n    %       letter p    %   letter q  %    letter r    %       letter s     %
M        10/20    50%    0/20     0%    0/20   0%   10/20    50%    3/20       15%
F         13/20    65%    0/20     0%    0/20   0%   6/20       30%    1/20        5%

Sex    letter t    %     letter v    %   letter w  %    letter x    %     letter y  %
M        0/20    0%     0/20      0%   1/20     5%   0/20      0%    2/20    10%
F         4/20    20%   0/20      0%   0/20     0%   0/20      0%   1/20     10%

Popular use
Potential female names by popularity
70% {A}
65% {N, a} An, Anna
55% {I, n, a} Ain
50% {E, i, n, a} Aine
30% {H, r, e, i, n, a} Irina
25% {B, d, l, h, r, e, i, n, a} Ailinn, Badb, Deirdre, Liban
20% {M, t, b, d, l, h, r, e, i, n, a} Emer, Etain, Ethnea, Lethrenn, Medhbh, Niamh
15% {O, g, c, m, t, b, d, l, h, r, e, i, n, a} Connor, Draco, Brigit, Cliodna, Grainne
10% {U, f, y, o, g, c, m, t, b, d, l, h, r, e, i, n, a} Hel, Luna, Aynia, Becuma, Fand, Fiona, Luchair
5% {S, u, f, y, o, g, c, m, t, b, d, l, h, r, e, i, n, a} Sean, Banshee (Barns-hei) Oenghus

Potential male names by popularity of use
70% {A}  
50% {N, r, a, e} Arn, Nar, Nara, Ean, Ran, Ra, Ar, Enar
30% {C, n, r, a, e} Crane
25% {O, b, d, h, l, c, n, r, a, e} Hel, Connor, Nero, Brendan, Cerbhall, Conchobhar, Donnan
20% {I, u, m, o, b, d, h, l, c, n, r, a, e} Luna, Harlan, Ailill, Colum, Culann, Diarmaid, Erim, Maelen, Medr
15% {S, g, i, u, m, o, b, d, h, l, c, n, r, a, e} Bilara, Banshee (Barns-hei), Draco, Dragon, Sigmund, Sean, Began, Bresal, Eoghan, Senan
10% {F, y, s, g, i, u, m, o, b, d, h, l, c, n, r, a, e} Cynyr, Ferghus, Morfran, Uchdryd
5% {W, f, y, s, g, i, u, m, o, b, d, h, l, c, n, r, a, e} Gwiawn

Conclusions

Sean is more likely to be common amongst Anglo Saxon males than Irish, yet Connor is more likely to be an Irish or Anglo-saxon  name than Sean. In all likelyhood Sean originates with the Anglosaxons. These popularity trends can be down to the misdeeds associated with individuals, the source of a shared alphabet.

Aine is a standout name amongst Irish women. The need of a reduced character set for it to exist might mean it has an ancient origin as the name of the first Irish woman. Who is Aine?
Aebba & Bebba on the other hand are apparently Twins. Though not as popular amongst the Anglosaxons as Aine is to the Irish.