ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2749 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2749 ************************************ 25 Apr 2003 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked us to suggest a surname appropriate for a late 12th century Anglo-Norman woman that means "horse", "mare", "the horsewoman", etc. Here is what we've found. We have found several surnames that might interest you, but mostly used by men. The byname (literally descriptive surname) was recorded in 1226-7. In most cases, it meant "the mounted warrior, rider, groom, or horse-dealer" [1]. We found one instance of it used by a woman, 1273, who might have been the wife of a warrior, horse-dealer, etc., or might have been a rider herself [2]. The Norman French equivalent appears in the names 1226 and 1205 [3]. Closer to your period, we find 1148-79, 1201; and the French equivalent 1208, 1228 [4]. Another way to describe a horseman is demonstrated in the name 1204, another byname that probably meant "knight, mounted warrior" [5]. A compound of that word produced the byname 1327 "ride out", for someone who rides a great deal, which appears earlier in the name 1274 [6, 7]. Any of these bynames is probably appropriate for an Anglo-Norman woman in your period. 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 Talan Gwynek, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, and Mari neyn Brian. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 25 Apr 2003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Horseman. [2] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980), s.n. Horseman. [3] Reaney and Wilson s.nn. Chevenger, Chevalier. [4] Reaney and Wilson s.nn. Horse, Cheval. [5] Reaney and Wilson s.n. Rider. [6] Reaney and Wilson s.n. Rideout. [7] Jo:nsjo:, Jan, _Studies on Middle English Nicknames_, v.1 Compounds (CWK Gleerup, date unknown), pp.151-2.