ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2914 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2914 ************************************ 13 Sep 2004 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if (or any variant of ) is an authentic name for an Italian woman living between 1300 and 1500. Here is the information we have found. is a fine choice of given name for your chosen culture and time period. The name was used widely in the northern and central Italies during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and was in use throughout your period. [1,2]. It was recorded as in Sicily in 1312 [5], as in 15th century Florence, and as or in 13th-C Perugia [3,6]. We have also found and in 16th century Palermo; these may be forms of the same name [4]. We have not found the spelling in our sources. We did, however, find a city, in Salerno, and a river, in Campania, both called . [7,9] A woman from this city name have been known as . The modern Italian surname derives from this place name [8]; we are not sure when this surname first came into use. We believe that the development of this surname was from by , a family name, which later contracted to . is a fine name for a Sicilian woman from your period. We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Maridonna Benvenuti, Juliana de Luna, and Arval Benicoeur. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 13 Sep. 2004 -- References: [1] De Felice, Emidio, _Dizionario dei nomi italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milan, 1992). s.nn. Ginevra [2] David Herlihy and Christiane Klapisch-Zuber, Census and Property Survey of Florentine Domains in the Province of Tuscany, 1427-1480. Machine readable data file. Online Catasto of 1427 Version 1.1. Online Florentine Renaissance Resources: Brown University, Providence, R.I., 1996 [3] Arval Benicoeur, "Feminine Given Names from Thirteenth Century Perugia" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) [URL:http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/arval/perugia/]. [4] Lyneya Fairbowe, unpublished research based on a baptismal register from Palermo 1561-3 that is available from the research library of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. [5] Girolamo Caracausi, _Dizionario Onomastico della Sicilia_ (Palermo, 1994), s.n. Ginevra. [6] Rhian Lyth, "Italian Renaissance Women's Names" (WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1996). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html. [7] Fascimile of Mercator's map of Italia, 1554, (Walking Tree Press, U.S.A., 1998) [8] De Felice, Emidio, _Dizionario dei cognomi italiani_ (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1978). s.n. Sarno [9] Pelligrini, G.B., _Toponomastica Italiana_, Ulrico Hoepli, ed., Milano, 1990, ISBN 88-203-1835-0, p.368, #142.