ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1029 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1029 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 2 Jun 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked about the Welsh name , which you wanted to use for a feminine Irish persona between 900 and 1200. You also asked for suggestions on good web sites for research. Here is the information we have found. While some Welsh names do show up in Irish contexts, and Irish names in Welsh, the examples that we have are very few, and the names are always adapted to the local language and spelling system. It is difficult to predict how a name from one language would appear in another, and we strongly recommend against mixing languages at all. For more information on feminine Irish names, we suggest you read the following article: Feminine Names from the Index to O'Brien's 'Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae' http://www.us.itd.umich.edu/~ximenez/s.gabriel/docs/irish-obrien.html. If you would like help completing your name, please write again and we would be delighted to help. There is only very shaky, circumstantial evidence that was used as a feminine name before modern times. It is not an implausible Welsh name: is a relatively common first element in Welsh names, and <-an> is a very common second element in masculine names and is occasionally found in feminine names. Examples of include masculine , , , , and possibly feminine [3]; examples of <-an> include , , [3], , , [4]. is sometimes found as an error for the actual historical name , which is probably masculine, recorded in the early 15th century and also appeared in early Arthurian literature [1, 2]. For more information on Welsh names, we suggest you read A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/welsh13.html. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear, or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin ---------------------------------------------------------- References: [1] Gruffudd, Heini, _Enwau i'r Cymry/Welsh Personal Names_ (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 1984). [2] Roberts, Glyn, "The Anglesey Submissions of 1406" in _Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies_, vol. XV pp.39-60. [3] Bartrum, P.C., _Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1966). [4] Jones, Heather Rose, "A Welsh Miscellany", _The Compleat Anachronist_ #66 (Milpitas, CA: SCA, 1993).