ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2153 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2153 ************************************ From: "Sara L Friedemann" 25 Oct 2000 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if would be an appropriate German woman's name for the period between 1300 and 1600. Here is a brief letter with the information we have found. Variants of the name were popular in Germany throughout your period. Unfortunately, the only instance we found of the particular spelling is in 1286, so we cannot recommend it for more than the early end of your period. [3] If you would like to consider other spellings of that are found in your period, we recommend the following choices: [1,2] Katherin 1337 Katharina 1348 Katerina 1350 * Katusch 1365 * Kethe 1365, 1369, 1383 Katherine 1366, 15th C. * Keterlyn 1366 Katheryn 1383 Names with an asterisk before them are diminutive forms. Any of the above would be a fine choice for your given name. We find the surname in 1383, 1492, and 1580. A couple of the examples we found come from the upper Rhine Valley. [4] For most of your period, in many parts in Germany, a surname like this one would have been used by a woman with a feminine suffix. In the upper Rhine Valley, this suffix would have been <-in>. would be a fine name for this region in your period. We hope that this brief 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 were provided by Talan Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, Juliana de Luna, Dietmar von Straubing, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Hartmann Rogge. For the Academy, ~Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 25Oct00 --------------------------------------- References: [1] Talan Gwynek, "15th-Century German Women's Names" (WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1997) [URL:http://www.s-gabriel.org/docs/german15f.html]. [2] Talan Gwynek, "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia" (WWW: SCA, Inc., 1998) [URL:http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/bahlow_v.htm]. [3] Socin, Adolf, _Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch. Nach oberrheinischen Quellen des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts_ (Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1903; Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1966). p.91. [4] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960). s.n. Blank(en)horn