|
Greetings,
We were able to find two citations of the name "Polydore." Polydore Virgil (1470-1555) was an Italian who lived in England for many years as a tax collector for the Pope and who also wrote an important history of England (1). Polydore Plasden (?-1591) was hanged for being a Catholic priest (2). Although the origin of the name is undefinite, it's likely that the name comes from Polydorus, a prince of Troy in the "Aeneid." The "Aeneid" was a popular story in medieval Europe, and at least one other name from the Aeneid (Hector, the Trojan champion) was used in several countries during the later part of our period. We found an undated reference to the Italian given name "Polidoro." The author described it as "now rare", but it gave rise to the modern Italian surnames "Polidoro" and "Polidori. It is therefore safe to conclude that the given name must have been in use in the 14th and 15th centuries when Italian hereditary surnames were adopted.
If you would like to choose a full name that fits either of the periods in which we were able to document forms of "Polydore", we would be happy to help.
In Service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of St. Gabriel
(1) Elton, G. England Under the Tudors, 3rd ed., page 433
(2) Butler, A. Lives of the Saints, 1958 (under "December 10")
(3) De Felice, E. Dizionario dei Cognomi Italiani, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1978.
Greetings,
This is a report on the name "Polydore Pike." I apologize for the long delay in getting this letter to you.
The name "Pike" is documented in England from the Domesday Book in several forms. According to the "Dictionary of English Surnames" by P.H. Reaney, there are a number of origins of the name: it can be derived from the Old English "pic," which meant "tall and thin." "Pic" was also used to describe a long, narrow weapon or tool, and eventually evolved into the words "pike" and "pick," either of which could have given rise to the surname "Pike." Finally, "Pike" was sometimes used to describe a seller of fish or a fisherman.
In any case, there is ample evidence that the name "Pike" is appropriate for the 16th century. The spellings "Pike" or "Pyke" would both be appropriate.
Arval D'Espas Nord and I researched your name.
In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of S. Gabriel