ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1198
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1198
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30 Aug 1998
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings,

Here's the information we found on the name "Justinus McDugal," which
you wanted to use as a Scottish name.

In our earlier letter, we reported that <Justinus> is an English name,
appropriate for the period between 1100 and 1300 [1].  However, this does
not mean that it is an appropriate Scottish name as well.

In your period, several languages were spoken in the area that is Scotland
today.  The major ones were:

* Norse, spoken in the far north and the western isles.
* English, spoken mainly in the southeast.
* Gaelic, spoken through much of the country.
* Norman French, spoken by Norman settlers and their Scoto-Norman
  descendents, mostly in the south.

The languages were very different and had different naming customs.  There
was some mixing of names from the different cultures, but most names
were not adopted into all of the cultures.  

<McDugal> is an English spelling of the Gaelic name <mac Dubgaill> "son of
Dubgall" [3].  In period, it would have been used literally, i.e. by the
son of a man whose given name was <Dubgall>.

<Justinus> is a Norman name, used in England in your period [2].  We don't
have evidence that it was carried north to Scotland either by
English-speaking or Norman settlers in the 12th or 13th century, but we
think that scenario is not unlikely.  However, in order for you to use some
form of <mac Dubgaill>, you would have to have born to a Gaelic-speaking
family.  It is considerably less likely that <Justinus> was adopted by
Gaelic-speaking families early enough to fit your period.  A man named
<Justinus> in Scotland in your period would most likely have been a
Scoto-Norman or an English speaker, and his name might have been recorded
something like <Justinus de Conyngham> "Justin from Conyngham" or <Justinus
filius Willelmi> "Justin son of Willelm".


Since we have found <Justinus> only in England in your period, the most
authentic option would be to choose an English name and persona.  If you
want a Scottish persona, then the name is probably also appropriate for an
English or Norman settler or his descendent.  The names we suggested in our
previous letter would be appropriate for either of these choices.  You can
find other medieval English names in the "A Dictionary of English Surnames"
[2], which is available in most good-sized libraries.

On the other hand, if you want a Gaelic name, you'll need to start by
choosing a Gaelic first name.  If you would like some help with Gaelic
names, we recommend that you start by reading "Scottish Names 101" and
"Quick and Easy Gaelic Bynames", which you can find on the web at

  http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scot_names_101.html
  http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/index.html

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write us again. 


Effrick neyn Kenneoch, Talan Gwynek and Aryanhwy Prytydes
contributed to this letter.


In service,
Alan Fairfax & Arval Benicoeur
Academy of S. Gabriel

30 Aug 1998

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References

[1] Academy of S. Gabriel Report (Accessed August 17, 1998)
http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi?551

[2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995).

[3] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The
Lilliput Press, 1990).

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