ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1281 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1281 ************************************ 14 Oct 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help choosing a 14th or 15th century Scottish name, with as your given name. 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, the towns, and the royal court. 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 name, common in that language throughout your period [1, 2], so we suggest you choose a Scots persona. Reference [1], which is posted on the web, includes a list of 13th and 14th century surnames from a Scots document. Because the source is about a century before your period, some of the spellings may not be appropriate for you. If you find a surname that you like, feel free to write us to verify that the spelling fits your period. In examining the surname list, you'll see the Scots surnames look very much like contemporary English surnames. Many are based on placenames: , . Others are based on a man's father's name: , "the son of Thomas". Some are based on an occupation, like "forester", or nationality, like . You should avoid the names like or ; these names were used by the heads of important noble families. If you drop the word , you'll have an appropriate name. You should also avoid the names beginning or ; these are Scots spellings of Gaelic names, generally not appropriate for a Scots persona. There are a couple odd letters used in the list; see the introduction to the article for explanations. 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 Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Effrick neyn Kenneoch, and Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 15 Oct 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Symon Freser of Lovat, "13th & 14th Century Scottish Names" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1996). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/scottish14/ [2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), passim.