ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1016 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1016 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 14 May 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help with the name . Here is the information we have found. is an English name that we find in this spelling first in 1273. [1] was the site of a battle during World War 2. It is in Egypt, and the Egyptian form is . [2] Unfortunately, we do not have a date for when this name was first used, though it may have existed in period. Although the parts of your name may be correct, the combination is historically implausible. We find no evidence that Middle Eastern place names were used in English naming, nor that English given names like were used in Arabic. Languages were only rarely mixed in medieval personal names, and then only when two cultures had sustained close contact that allowed the neighboring languages to mingle. The only circumstance under which we can imagine an Englishman using a Middle Eastern place name as his surname is if he were the ruler of that territory, and Society custom forbids that sort of claim of rank. We're sorry that this letter could not be more useful to you, but we'd be delighted to help you if you would like an fully Arabic or fully English name, and hope that you will not hesitate to write again if any part of this letter was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur and Margaret Makafee. For the Academy, Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin 14May98 --------------------------------------------------------- References: [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). [2] "Qattara Depression" Britannica Online. [Accessed 06 May 1998].