ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1787
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1787
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From: "Braddon Giles" 
1 Jan 2000

Greetings from the Academy of St Gabriel. You asked for our assistance
in finding an authentic feminine name from the Duchy of Brittany,
between 1400 and 1500.  Your suggestion was <Eleonore de Bretagne>,
and you were interested in arms using fleur-de-lis and the tinctures
ermine, blue and white.

>From your letter you show an understanding that French and Breton
culture are different.  Name formation in Brittany was mostly French
by your period, especially among the nobility. [1]  Therefore, we will
answer your question by referring to northern French language
practices.

<Eleonore> is a modern French version of a feminine name from
Provence.  Originally <Alienor>, this name was carried to England by
the Normans, where we find <Alienor>, <Eleanor>, and <Elianor> in use
between the 12th and 15th centuries. [2,3]  <Eleonore> is the modern
French spelling.  We have not found examples of any form of <Eleanor>
in France in your period.  This may simply reflect our sources' spotty
coverage of late-period France, but it appears that the name was never
popular in northern France.  We can't make a definite statement one
way or the other, but we cannot recommend this name as a good choice
for late-period Brittany.

<Alienor> was the Provencal version of <Helen>, and we have found
<Helene> used in Normandy and Picardy between the 13th and 16th
centuries. [4,5]  We think that <Helene> would be a good choice for
you.  It would be pronounced \el-LEN-@\, where the \@\ is the last
vowel sound in 'sofa'.

You are correct that <de Bretagne> means 'of Brittany', as in your
example <Anne de Bretagne>.  She already had her family name - <de
Montfort> - a locative byname  which derives from the original town of
her family [6].  In her case <de Bretagne> was a distinguishing title,
rather than a name, that people used for her when she became the
Duchess of Brittany in 1488 [7].  Another name with a similar meaning,
<le Breton> 'the Breton', was more common. [8]  <De Bretagne> and <le
Breton> were first used outside Brittany to identify someone from
Brittany who had moved elsewhere.

A noblewoman of your period, living in Brittany, would probably have a
surname based on the name of a village, town, or manor rather than for
the entire province.  For example, <Helene> from the town of Auray,
the site of a church endowed by <Anne de Bretagne>, might be called
<Helene d'Auray>.  However, by your period these descriptive bynames
had often been converted to inherited surnames.  That is, if your
father was <Jean d'Auray> then you would probably be <Helene d'Auray>.

If you are still seraching for a surname, and want a name with a
particular meaning, please tell us and we may be able to help.  Or, we
suggest you consider our library at:

http://www.s-gabriel.org/docs/#france

The arms you described - 'Ermine, on a pale azure a fleur-de-lis
argent' - are elegant and simple, and at the time of this report we
believe you could register them with the SCA College of Arms.

We hope this letter has been useful.  We are sorry that we have taken
some time to complete it.  Please write to 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 Rouland Carre, Zenobia
Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Walraven van Nijmegen, Amant le Marinier,
Arval d'Espas Nord and AElfwyn aet Gywrum.

For the Academy,


Giles Leabrook.

01 / Jan / 2000

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Bibliography.


[1]Jones, Michael, _Ducal Brittany 1364-1399_, (Oxford University
Press, 1997).

[2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian
Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). s.n.
Eleanor(a)

[3] Dunkling, Leslie and William Gosling, _The New American Dictionary
of First Names_ (New York: Signet Books, 1983). s.n. Eleanor

[4] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de
personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens,
Musee de Picardie, 1967).

[5]Cateline de la Mor, "Sixteenth Century Norman Names" (SCA: KWHS
Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997)
http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/cateline/norman16.html

[6] de la Broderie, Arthur, _La Bretagne Aux Derniers Siecles Du Moyen
Age 1364-1491_ (Rennes, 1904)

[7] Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, re: "Anne Of Brittany"
http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=7779&sctn=1
[Accessed November 9 1999].

[8] Dauzat, Albert, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et
Prenoms de France_ (Paris: Libraire Larousse, 1987).  s.n. Bretagne