ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3216 http://www.s-gabriel.org/3216 ************************************ 6 Nov 2006 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if is an authentic Dutch feminine name for the period 1200 to 1500. Here is what we have found. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be. Our earliest examples of the name are from the 19th century. In England, the source of the name appears to be the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War. [1] In the Netherlands, the source is probably its use in operas by Romberg and Flotow. [2] The fact that arose from the Latin word for 'soul' probably also contributed to its popularity. As we have been unable to find any examples of this name, in any language or culture, prior to the nineteenth century, we recommend that you do not use this name. If you would like to choose a given name which is appropriate for the Netherlands during your desired period, then we recommend that you browse the following articles: "Names in the Low Lands: 1250-1300" http://www.keesn.nl/name13/ "Dutch Names 1358-1361" http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/dutch/earlydutch14.html "Dutch Names 1393-96" http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/dutch/dutch14.html "15th Century Dutch Names" http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/dutch/dutch15.html If you have any questions about how to construct authentic Dutch bynames, we'll be happy to help you, so please don't hesitate to write us again. Additional research and commentary on this letter was provided by Maridonna Benvenuti, Florens van Flardingh, Adelaide de Beaumont, Talan Gwynek, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 06 November 2006 -- References: [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Alma [2] Van der Schaar, J., _Woordenboek van Voornamen: inventarisatie van de doop- en roepnamen met hun etymologie_ (Utrecht & Antwerpen: Aula-Boeken, 1967), s.n. Alma