May I suggest you read some of George Redmonds' books? When Mary was on the throne she re instituted the recording of godparents' names in the baptismal records. In the early Catholic church godparents were very important. Halifax has these records for a short period in the 1550s and you can see how godparents affected the naming pattern. Of course, your godparents could well be your aunts and uncles and so you could have a family name, but also, you might well be named after the landowner from whom your parents rented, or one of his children. Then the landowner would leave money in his will to his godchildren. One of the Broadleys ended up as Marmaduke in this way. G. R. explains how names from the richer people spread downwards through society. In 1524 Trollis (Troilus)Broadley was taxed in Huddersfield on £1 of earnings. He was a servant. His name comes from the rich Bolling family of Bradford and he was probably born in Bradford. In 1556 Nicholas Savile left a will "to Nicholas, son of Robert Broadley, one cow." When you look at wills you may find groups of men with the same first name, possibly related by their godfather. But do read G.R.
