ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2326 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2326 ************************************ 11 May 2001 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the name , particularly whether it was used between 1100 and 1400. This letter is a brief answer to your question. The Academy tries to help people to choose names to suit a particular time and place in history. Since you didn't tell us anything about the persona that goes with the name, we can't do that for you. We can give you some general information about the name and when and where it was used, and point you to some sources where you can learn more about names from that period. If your aim is to find documentation for a name so that you can register it with the SCA College of Arms, we may or may not be able to help you. Documenting submissions isn't our focus: We want to help you to choose and use a name that fits the historical culture you are re-creating. Our research can sometimes be used to support submissions to the College of Arms, but that is not our goal and our results are often incompatible with the College's needs. If your main goal is to register a particular name, then we may not be able to help you. The modern name originated in Ireland as a short form of , which itself probably derived from the Latin word "reputation, beauty" [1]. The Irish name appears to be a modern invention, but we did find a single earlier instance of that derived from a different source. A woman named is recorded in England in 1379 [2]. Her name was probably a shortened form of , an Anglo-Norman form of that was not uncommon in 13th England and remained in use at least through the early 15th century [3, 4]. If you want to use the given name , then we recommend you focus on late 14th century England and choose a surname recorded in that period. You can find several lists of appropriate surnames on our websites: An Index to the 1332 Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lincolnshire, England http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/LincLSR/ The Officers of Borough Government of East Anglian boroughs, 1272-1460, http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/mapp1_2.html Brass Enscription Index http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/brasses/ Most of the names listed in the last article are later than your period, but there are some from your period. 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 Benvenuti, Talan Gwynek, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Adelaide de Beaumont, Juliana de Luna, and Mari neyn Bryan. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 11 May 2001 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Nora. [2] Bardsley, Charles W. _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_, Genealogical Publishing, Company, 1996, ISBN 0-8063-0022-1, pg. 511, s.n. Manning. [3] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/ [4] Talan Gwynek, unpublished research.