ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1213
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1213
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From: "Rachel Cates "
29 Sep 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You wanted to use <Birgette Frenzel> or <Birgette Freiderich>, as a feminine
German name of the early Renaissance. Here is the information we've found:

The Swedish Saint <Birgitte> lived from 1303-1373, and was canonized in
1391[1].  Her name didn't become popular in Germany until the 1800's.[3]  We
have not found any examples of <Birgette> or any related name in Germany in
the time period you specified.  We therefore recommend against using
<Birgitte> for a late-period German name.

The cult of the Irish Saint <Brigid> flourished in Germany in the 8th and
9th centuries.[3]  It is possible that the name was used in some form like
<Brigitte>.  However we have not found evidence that this name was used, and
it is very unlikely that it persisted for 500 years without leaving some
record.  We also recommend against using this name.

If you'd like to consider some other given names, we have a couple lists of
names appropriate to your period.  You can find "15th Century German Women's
Names" and "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia" on the web at:

http://www.us.itd.umich.edu/~ximenez/s.gabriel/docs/german15f.html

and 

http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/bahlow/

Your surname choices are fine for your period.  In Germany as in most of
Europe, many surnames came from given names.  Originally, these surnames
were "patronymic" i.e. based on the bearer's father's name and changing with
each generation.  Eventually surnames came to be inherited in the modern
manner.  

<Frenzel> was originally a pet form of the given name <Franz>.  We found it
used as a surname in 1475[2].

<Freiderich>, as you spelled the name in your letter, is not a correct
spelling.  The modern spelling is <Friederich>.  The order of the <ei> and
<ie> is important as they are pronounced very differently.  The most common
spelling in your period is <Friderich>; we found an example in 1317.  We
also found the surname <Friedreicher> in 1367, which shows that the <ie>
spelling <Friederich> could have existed in your period.  However
<Friderich> is probably the most common form[2].

We hope that this letter has been useful to you.  Please do not hesitate to
write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions.
Additional research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan
Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, and Walraven van Nijmegen.


For the Academy,
Ethini ingen Cormacc


References:

[1]   Withycombe, E.G,_The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_,
3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. "Bridget"

[2]   Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Worterbuch der
deutschen familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag,
1957-1960), s.nn. Frenz(el), Friedrich, Friedricher.

[3]   Bahlow, Hans, _Unsere Vornamen im Wandel der Jahrhunderte_, Vol. 4 in
the series _Grundriss der Genealogie_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn: C. A. Starke
Verlag, 1965).