ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2668 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2668 ************************************ 29 Aug 2003 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the English given name and surname , as well as English surnames derived from the word "eagle". You also asked whether there were any medieval German given names that started and that would match the surname derived from the German word for "eagle". Here is what we have found. Before we start, we'd like to apologize for the time it has taken to complete this report. The name ultimately derives from and , the normal English forms of the Frankish given name . An English pet form or arose from this; it was recorded as a given name 1299 and used as a surname as 1275. It remained in use until the late 14th century in Yorkshire. The common diminutive suffix <-el> was added to this short form, appearing as a given name as 1204, 1260 and c.1290; and as a surname as 1250 [1, 2, 8]. The particular spelling probably arose originally as a surname; we don't recommend it as the best choice for a given name in our period. The Middle English word for the alder tree, , gave rise to a surname that was recorded as 1221, 1277, 1313, and 1327, 1332 [3, 9]. The didn't appear until the 14th century [10]. Thus, "Rand [who lives] at the aldertree" is fine late 13th century English name; and is a reasonable 14th century name, though or may have been more typical. We don't recommend using any later than 1400 or so, and that only in the north of England. Several English surnames derive from "eagle". was mentioned in 1230, in 1297 [4]. In both cases, these men's surnames were descriptive; and was simply a written form of . is another fine 13th century English name. We found one German given name that starts with : , recorded in western Germany in c.1250 as a given name and in 1518 as a surname [5]. It was evidently a rare name, and we found no evidence that it was abbreviated to in Germany. In late medieval and renaissance Germany, it was common for the urban wealthy to decorate their houses with distinctive symbols, often animals, to identify them. These marks served much the same purpose as modern street addresses, and the houses were often refered to simply by the symbol, e.g. "the ship", "the lion", "the rose". The German surname originally derived from such a house name; a person living at or near a house known "The Eagle" might have been described as or "at the Eagle" or "the Eagle-man". We find this surname in several similar forms throughout the 14th century [6, 11]. appears on its own as a surname in 1392, 1395, and 1414 [7]. Thus, is a reasonable late 14th or 15th century western German name, though the given name may have been quite rare. If you prefer something a bit earlier, c.1300, then "Randolf [who lives] at the Eagle" might be more appropriate. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write 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 Adelaide de Beaumont, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 22 Aug 2003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Randal. [2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn. Rand, Randall. [3] Reaney and Wilson s.n. Alder. [4] Reaney and Wilson s.n. Eagle. [5] Bahlow, Hans, _Deutsches Namenlexikon : Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklaert_ (Frankfurt am Main : Suhrkamp Taschenbuch Verlag, 1985, 1990), s.n. Randolff. [6] Bahlow s.n. Adler. [7] Schwarz, Ernst, _Deutsche Namenforschung. I: Ruf- und Familiennamen_ (Goettingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 1949). s.n. Adler [8] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), s.nn. Rand, Randell. In the names , , and , the bynames are almost certainly literal. [9] Bardsley s.n. Alder. [10] _The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973), s.v. alder. [11] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960), s.n. Adler.