Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 331

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 331

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/331

Some of the Academy's early reports contain errors that we haven't yet corrected. Please use it with caution.

Greetings,

Here's the information we found about your name "Aminah de Montfort," which you wanted to use as an Arabic name.

In general, two languages were mixed in medieval names only when the two cultures had extensive interaction. We recommend to our clients that they avoid mixing two languages unless that particular combination can be documented in period. We have found no evidence of period English/Arabic names, and we feel that it is particularly unlikely combination for your period, when western Europe was actively at war with the world of Islam. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you choose one culture or the other.

If you want to use the surname "de Montfort", you may. Such names were not unique in our period, and the College of Arms does not consider conflict between household names and personal names.

If you want to use a different place name, you can do that as well. We didn't find any evidence that "Shadowwood" is a historical placename, and so we wouldn't recommend it.

If you're trying to show a relationship to your mother, you could use a metronymic--a name which means "daughter of..." Although we don't have examples of names derived from "Annora," the most likely form is "Annoras."

All of these suggestions are for English names, and you would need to use an English given name with them. If you want to use the Arabic given name "Aminah", then the rest of your name must be historically plausible in combination with an Arabic given name. There are no examples of Arabic/English names from the Middle Ages, and don't see any evidence that an Arabic/English combination would have been used. If you want to develop an English name, you may want to check the Web page

http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/reaney/

which contains hundreds of English women's names indexed by time period and alphabetically.

If you want to develop an Arabic name, we can also help you with that. The documentation for "Aminah" is valid; Shayk Da'ud ibn Auda is a former Laurel King of Arms and has done a great deal of research into Arabic names and armory. These names are taken from period sources, and the Laurel-level commenters are familiar with his work. If your herald is unwilling to accept this, I can contact Shayk Da'ud and have him give him (or her) the primary source.

Arval D'Espas Nord, Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte, Jaelle of Armida, Pedro de Alcazar, and Elsbeth Ann Roth contributed to this letter.

I hope this has been helpful. If you are in need of further assistance, please let us know.

In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of S. Gabriel