ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1258 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1258 ************************************ 26 Aug 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the biblical name or . This letter is a brief answer to your question. The Academy tries to help people to choose names to suit a particular time and place in history. Since you didn't tell us anything about the persona that goes with the name, we can't do that for you. We can give you some general information about the name and when and where it was used, and point you to some sources where you can learn more about names from that period. If your aim is to find documentation for a name so that you can register it with the SCA College of Arms, we may or may not be able to help you. Documenting submissions isn't our focus: We want to help you to choose and use a name that fits the historical culture you are re-creating. Our research can sometimes be used to support submissions to the College of Arms, but that it not our goal and our results are often incompatible with the College's needs. If your main goal is to register a particular name, then we may not be able to help you. The name appeared in Acts 17:34 of the King James Version. Damaris is an Athenian Jewish woman, a follower of Paul. The name may be an incorrect rendering of the Greek "a calf". As far as we know, this name was not used in period Europe until it was adopted by English Puritans in the 17th century. The earliest examples we find are in Gedney, Lincolnshire, in 1597 and 1620 [1]. Unless you want your persona to be a very late-period Puritan, we recommend that you choose a different name. I hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions or would like more information on medieval Irish names. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Walraven van Nijmegen and Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 26 Aug 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -