Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 592

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 592

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/592

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

Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel!

Here is the information we have found about your proposed name and arms.

You asked whether "Isobella" might have been used in 14th century Scotland, and whether it might have been used with the surname "Adunalle."

"Isobella Adunnale" would be a good choice for an early 16th century name, but we think it is not appropriate for the 14th century. We'll explain the details below.

There was an "Isobella Lovell" recorded in 1545, so this variant of "Isabella" would be fine for the early 16th century. (1)

However, you asked us about a plausible name for someone who lived in the 14th century. We have found the following forms of Isabelle in use in Scotland during the following years:

        Isabel: c.1350, 1584
        Isabele: 1296
        Isabelle: 1377
        Isobella: 1545
        Issabella: 1527
        Issobell: 1530, 1597
        Issobella: 1611
        Ysabell: c.1240
        Ysabella: 1365

Given these, we don't think that "Isobella" is completely out of place in the 14th century, at least in a Latin context, although it's noticeable that the "o" forms are all from the 16th century. (1)

Our sources show various forms of "Adunnale" in use in Scotland depending on the particular century, including "Adowell" (1498), "Adunnale" (1507), "Adunnyel" (1520), "Adumnell" (1530), "Adonaile" (1477), "Adouell" (1508) and "Adowell" (1508). (1) So "Adunnale," in any of these forms, would also be fine, for the early 16th century.

We have no information on any form of the name "Adunnale" before the later 15th century, so we're not sure that it would be appropriate at all for the 14th century. The problem is that we don't know for sure where the name came from. We suspect that it's a corruption of "mac Domhnaill," but we have no idea whether this dialectical reduction of "mac" to "a" was occurring that early.

Taking all this information together, you should consider whether using the name "Isobella Adunnale," or creating a 14th century persona is more important to you. If you like the name and are not terribly attached to the 14th century, it is a fine choice. If, on the other hand, you have your heart set on a 14th century persona, you should consider using a different form of the name.

You're off to a good start in designing arms to fit your persona. Sable and argent was a fairly popular two-color combination in Scottish arms, and checky is found in your period. It's usually used as the tincture of an ordinary, usually a fess or chevron, less often a bend, and occasionally a chief or saltire.

If you want to stick with an entirely black and white design, your best option is a checky ordinary on a sable or argent field, perhaps with a set of three or four secondary charges around the ordinary. The secondary charges would be the opposite tincture from the field. For example, "Argent, a chevron checky sable and argent between three cinquefoils sable". A cinquefoil is a stylized five-petalled flower, with petals similar to those on a shamrock.

You could also use a third tincture in the field: "Or" (gold) or "gules" (red) would be the best choices for the heraldic style of your period. "Azure" (blue) or "vert" (green) are possibilities, but less typical of that style.

If you decide to add secondary charges to your arms, then there are several ways to arrange them around the ordinary. If your central ordinary is a fess, you could use three charges arranged two above and one below the fess, or four charges three-and-one, or either two or three charges above the fess. The same arrangements are found around a chevron. Sometimes a chevron is accompanied by a single charge in base. The most common secondary charges in arms of your period are mullets (six-pointed stars) and cinquefoils.

One of the simplest designs which fits these patterns is a checky chevron on a plain field, e.g. "Argent, a chevron checky sable and argent". As far as we can tell, this design is also clear of conflict when its field is argent, Or, or gules.

We hope that this has been helpful. If we can be of further service, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Arval d'Espas Nord, Naitan de Yerdeburc, Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte, Jamie FitzGeorge and Rouland Carre contributed to this letter.

In Service,

Giulietta da Venezia
Academy of St. Gabriel

  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland, The New York Public Library, 1986, (s.n. Lovell).