ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1235 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1235 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 12 Sep 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help creating a late period English feminine name based loosely on your name, . Here is the information we have found. One of the rules of the SCA College of Arms is that you cannot register your legal name; your legal name and your SCA name must differ by at least a syllable. If you want to register your name, you might want to consider some of the alternate spellings and forms listed below. If you don't care about registering your name, is an excellent name as it is. We found a number of spellings of that were used after 1250: 1386, 1524, 1450-53, 1554, 1450-53, 1450-53, 1535, 1514, and 1535. [1] Any of these spellings would be a fine choice. We found not only a number of surnames similar to , but also some that have the same meaning, but are quite different in form: Bakere 1246 le Backere 1280 Bakestre 1260 le Baxtere 1333 le Pestur 1259, 1279 le Pestour 1279 Pistor 1281 la Pesteresse 1270, the last four deriving from Old French and Latin words meaning "baker." [2] le Furner 1275, 1312 le Fornir 1279 le Furnere 1296 le Forner 1275 Le Forner 1327 le fourner 1331 le Furnier 1286, from the Old French , "baker" le Bolinger 1278 Bolonger 1327 Bolenger 1332 Bolynger 1333, from the Old French "baker" Kneder 1296 le Knedere 1280 Cneder 1327, "one who kneads, a baker" le Doghere 1333, "a maker of dough, a baker" A name such as or would be different enough from your legal name to be registerable. 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 Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali, and Arval Benicouer. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin September 11, 1998 --------------------------------------- References: [1] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995). s.n. Baker, Baxter, Pester [3] Fransson, Gustav, _Middle English Surnames of Occupation, 1100-1350_ Lund: C. W. K. Gleerup, 1935).