ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2017 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2017 ************************************ 11 Apr 2000 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a late 13th to early 15th century Englishman. This letter is a brief answer to your question. , an English form of the Latin name , did not come into use in English until the 17th century, after the Reformation and after our period [1]. We recommend you choose a different name. You can find several lists of period English masculine names on the web at: http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/english.shtml If you want a similar-sounding name, you might consider , a very common name in England in your period, or [3]. The modern word derives from the Middle English , "skilled with the hands". Period examples of it as a byname include 1275 and 1391-2 [2]. It is a fine choice for your period, though we recommend the spelling for the 13th or 14th century. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Maridonna Benevenuti, Talan Gwynek, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 11 Apr 2000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Silas. [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Hondy, Handy. [3] Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "An Index to the 1332 Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lincolnshire, England" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 2000). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/mari/LincLSR/