ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1242 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1242 ************************************ 15 Sep 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the name , which you'd like to use as a late 14th or early 15th century Scottish name for a man of Clan Sinclair. Here is what we have found. In your period, there were two languages spoken in Scotland: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands, and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands and the towns. Gaelic is the same language spoken in Ireland at this time; Scots is closely related to contemporary English. Names were formed quite differently in the two languages, and the two styles of naming did not mix. Therefore, the culture you choose for your persona will determine how your name should be constructed. is a Scots spelling of the Gaelic name . Although this name originated in Gaelic, it was adopted by Scots speakers. We found these spellings around your period [1]: Dugal, Dugall 1261 Duugal 1312 Dugald 1347, 1354 Dowele (surname) 1408 Dougale (surname) 1415 Dougall (surname) 1552 was a Lowland (Scots) family name in your period. Although many Lowland families have come to call themselves clans in modern Scotland, they were not considered clans in period. They were powerful territorial families, whose relationship to their dependents was feudal. The Sinclair family name appears in many spellings around your period [2, 3]. Sancler, de Sancler, Syncler 1375 Seyntclere 1405 Santoclair 1407 Seintclere 1445 Singular ca. 1450 Singlar 1454 Synclere 1470 Synclare 1482 Singkler 1491 Notice particularly the form from 1375. The name originally derived from a place called in Normandy; before 1400 the family name was probably often used with with preposition "from". A name like is a fine choice for the 14th century, for the 15th century. I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Tangwystyl vz. Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 15 Sept 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. Dougal, Dowal, MacDoual. [2] ibid, s.n. Sinclair. [3] Symon Freser of Lovat, "13th & 14th Century Scottish Names" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/scottish14/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -