ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1293 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1293 ************************************ 14 Oct 1998 From: Joshua Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the French name . Here is what we have found. is an excellent choice for your entire period. It was common in France throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance [5]. and are southern French surnames derived from pet forms of the masculine given name . The common diminutive ending <-ot> was added to the given name to create or , which was then contracted (possibly only as a surname) to and transformed to the identical-sounding [1]. The underlying given name was fairly common in various forms throughout medieval France. Spellings similar to the one you want include and , found in Picardy (northwestern France) in the 13th to 15th century; and the pet form , in Paris in 1292 [3]; and , in the Languedoc (southwestern France) in the 13th century [4]. This last example is most useful, since it places the given name in the part of France where the surname eventually became common. Since the given name was in use, the pet form could have been used. Similar pet forms, and , are recorded in a 13th century Occitan document [4]. You wrote that you want to set your persona after 1250. If you choose the early end of that period, then your surname would have been understood as a patronymic, i.e. a surname that identifies your father. Up to the early 15th century or so, would most likely have meant "Marie, daughter of Gauterot". In the 15th century, could also have been a true inherited surname, and by the 16th century, it would probably only have been used that way. We're not sure when it might have contracted to , but your own evidence justifies a guess that this spelling existed by the end of the 16th 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. Blaise de Cormeilles assisted me in preparing this letter. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 15 Oct 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Dictionnaire E/tymologique des Noms de Famille_ (Librairie Acade/mique Perrin, 1997), s.n. Gauthier. [2] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens, Musee de Picardie, 1967), p.105. [3] Colm Dubh, "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris", Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium 1996 (SCA: Montgomery, Alabama; WWW: SCA, Inc., 1997). http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/paris.html [4] Ramons lo Montalbes, "French/Occitan Names From The XII And XIII Century" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/ramon/occitan/ [5] Dauzat, Albert, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et Prenoms de France_ (Paris: Libraire Larousse, 1987).