ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1675 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1675 ************************************ 13 May 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an 11th or 12th century Scottish woman. Here is what we have found. You're on the right track, but there are a few details you'll need to work on if you want an authentic name. is a Scottish Gaelic form of the Norman name [1]. The Normans began to settle in Scotland in the 12th century, so the name could not have been adopted into Gaelic until then. The earliest example we found is 15th century, so we do not recommend it as a good choice for an earlier period. If you want an 11th or 12th century name, it would be better re-creation for you to use a native Gaelic name. If you prefer using the name , then we recommend you shift your persona to the 15th century or later. If you decide to do that, then your name might be spelled and pronounced slightly differently; write us for the details. If you'd like to choose a different first name, we have some lists you can consult. Because Gaelic was rarely used as a written language in Scotland, we have few clear examples of Gaelic women's names in that country. We've compiled the ones we've found in an article on the web: Some Scottish Gaelic Feminine Names http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/arval/scotgaelfem/ You can find another list of early-medieval Gaelic feminine names, based on Irish sources, in another article: Early Irish Feminine Names from the Index to O'Brien's Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/tangwystyl/obrien/ You can find a larger list in the book Irish Names, by Donnchadh O' Corrain and Fidelma Maguire (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990). Many Society heralds own copies, and you may be able to find it in a library. Gaelic pronunciation and spelling are a little tricky. If you pick out a couple names that appeal to you, we'd be happy to verify the details. is a later-period spelling of the Gaelic word for "daughter". Before 1200 or so, it was spelled and pronounced \IN-yen\. is a fine choice for your father's name [2]. Note that the accent, indicated by a slash, should be on the rather than the . When you incorporate your father's name into your own, you need to use the possessive form of his name, so that your surname means "Leo/d's daughter". The possessive form of is . A Scottish Gaelic woman named , daughter of , would have been called , pronounced \AHF-rick EEN-yen LYOAT\. 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 Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 13 May 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Arval Benicoeur, "Some Scottish Gaelic Feminine Names" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1998). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/arval/scotgaelfem/ [2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. Macleod.