ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2129 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2129 ************************************ From: "Sara L Friedemann" 4 Oct 2000 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if the masculine name was in Germany between 900 and 1300. Here is a brief letter with the information we have found. is a Norse name, deriving from a very early Germanic root meaning "bear"; the represents an "o" with a reverse comma hook below it. [1,2] While this name was not used in Germany until modern times, other German forms based on this root were in use. We find the following forms in your period: [3,4,5,6,7] Bern 959, c.1000, 1082, 1095, 1138, 12th c. Berno 10th c., 1147, 1183, 1250-1300 Bero 1178, 1277 Bere 1275 Ber 1294 Any of these choices would be a fine German name for any part of your period. If you are more interested in the name than in having a German name, we recommend you read the following article on Norse naming practices: "A Simple Guide to Creating Old Norse Names" http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/sg-viking.html We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, and Dietmar Reinhart von Straubing. For the Academy, ~Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 04Oct00 --------------------------------------- References: [1] Fleck, G. (aka Geirr Bassi Haraldsson), _The Old Norse Name_, Studia Marklandica (series) (Olney, Maryland: Yggsalr Press, 1977). [2] Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Viking Names found in the Landna/mabo/k" (WWW: privately published, 1998) http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/landnamabok.html [3] Bahlow, Hans, _Dictionary of German Names_, tr. Edda Gentry (German-American Cultural Society, 1994 ISBN: 0924119357). s.n. Beer [4] Socin, Adolf, _Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch. Nach oberrheinischen Quellen des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts_ (Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1903; Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1966). pp. 3, 46, 124, 132 [5] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960). s.n. Bern [6] Mulch, Roland, _Arnsburger Personennamen: Untersuchungen zum Namenmaterial aus anrsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert_ (Darmstadt & Marburg: Hessischen Historischen Kommission Darmstadt and the Historischen Kommission fu:r Hessen, 1974). p. 32 [7] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, three volumes (Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972). I:54b