ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1639
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1639
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From: 
11 Apr 1999


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked us whether the feminine name <Daniela> or <Danielle> was used in
the period from 500 to 1600 AD.

We found the related masculine name <Daniel> in use during this period in
various spellings in France [1,2,3,4], England [5,6], Italy [7,8], and
Poland [9], among others.  Despite the popularity of the masculine name
<Daniel>, we could find no evidence of a feminine form before the 19th
century.

The name <Danielle> or <Daniela> can be found in several languages
currently, including English, German, and Italian.  Our sources differ on
the origin of the name -- one traces it to French, one to Italian -- but
none of these references provides dated examples before the 19th century,
nor do they provide clear evidence of the origin of the name.  We think it
is quite likely a modern invention, in any case.

We hope this research has been helpful, and are sorry we could not find
conclusive information for you.  We hope that we can continue to assist
you with future questions.  Talan Gwynek and Arval Benicoeur contributed
to this letter. 

In service,
--Walraven van Nijmegen
Academy of S. Gabriel

11 April 1999

[1] Marie-Therese Morlet, _Dictionnaire E/tymologique des Noms de Famille_
    (Librairie Acade/mique Perrin, 1997)
[2] Albert Dauzat, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et
    Prenoms de France_ (Paris: Libraire Larousse, 1987)
[3] Marie-Therese Morlet, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de
    personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens,
    Musee de Picardie, 1967)
[4] Marie-Therese Morlet, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de 
    l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_ (Paris: Centre Nacional 
    de la Recherche Scientifique, 1968)
[5] P.H. Reaney & R.M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
    (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995)
[6] E.G. Withycombe, _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_,
    3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) 
[7] Emidio De Felice, _Dizionario dei Nomi Italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori
    Editore, Milan, 1992) 
[8] Emidio De Felice, _Dizionario dei Cognomi Italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori
    Editore, 1978)
[9] Witold Taszycki (ed.), _Slownik Staropolskich Nazw Osobowych_, 7 vols. 
    (Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy Imienia Ossolin'skich, Polska Akademia
    Nauk, 1965-1987)
[10] Hans Bahlow, _Unsere Vornamen im Wandel der Jahrhunderte_, Vol. 4 
     in the series _Grundriss der Genealogie_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn: C. A.
     Starke Verlag, 1965).  s.n. Daniel(l)a 
[11] Guenther Drosdowski, _Duden Lexikon der Vornamen_, 2nd ed. (Mannheim:
     Dudenverlag, 1974)
[12] Dunkling, Leslie and William Gosling, _The New American Dictionary of
     First Names_ (New York: Signet Books, 1983)