ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1633 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1633 ************************************ 14 Apr 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked our opinion of as a name for Englishwoman living between 1000 and 1600. Here is what we have found. As you discovered, is a Cornish form of [1]. We don't know if the name was particularly used in Cornwall in period, but we did find evidence that it was used in medieval English in the form . It was definitely more common after the Reformation, when the Puritans and other Protestant sects made especial use of unusual Old Testament names. However, it does appear to be a fine name for medieval England, albeit a rare one [2]. We did not find examples of the surname . However, it is not an impossible 14th century placename, which could have been used as a surname. The element is pretty common, appearing in placenames like 1304, 1361, 1198, and 1282. The Middle English word "nook or corner" evolved into the surname of 1327. The two elements could have been compounded, and could have become in the 14th century [3, 4]. We also found places recorded as and in late medieval England [3]. If these are close enough for your taste, then they would be the best choices since they are actual historical place names. In summary, or would be excellent 13th or 14th century English names. would be a good choice, too, but not quite as good re-creation. We 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 no one and it's kinda lonely. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 14 Apr 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Dunkling, Leslie and William Gosling, _The New American Dictionary of First Names_ (New York: Signet Books, 1983). [2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Bathsheba. [3] Ekwall, Eilert, _The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names_, 4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), s.nn. Thorney, Thornhaugh. [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn. Hawk, Thornholm, Thornham.