ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2695 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2695 ************************************ 11 Mar 2003 From: "Kitty O'Neal" Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an Englishwoman living between 1200 and 1400 AD. This letter is an answer to your question. is a fine English name, with many examples from 1130 to 1457-58 [1]. was recorded in 1327 [2], but note the spelling. We could not find any evidence that it was ever spelled without the 'h', although forms without the 'n' are possible, as in below. There are a number of surnames with this basic meaning during your period, most likely indicating where the person lived. Below are a number of recorded variations [2]. 'in the wood': 1327, 1332, 1333 1327 1327 1280 'by the wood': 1280, 1311, 1329, 1332, 1333 1317 1315, 1327 [3] 1307 In summary, there is no indication the spelling was used, but is a very good name. We hope this 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, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, Lucien d'Artois, Laurensa de Chambord, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Juliana de Luna. For the Academy, Ekaterina Novgorodskaia 11 Mar 2003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Scott, Brian M. (aka Talan Gwynek), _Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames_, (WWW: Brian M. Scott, 1994). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/ [2] Lo:fvenberg, Mattias. _Studies on Middle English Local Surnames_, Lund Studies in English XI. (Lund: Ha*kan Ohlssons Boktryckeri, 1942). s.v. Wode [3] In the original source, the in represented the letter thorn.