|
[If you got two copies of this letter, I apologize; but I think it didn't go out correctly the first time.]
Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!
You asked for help finding a northern European given name that sounds similar to <Lorraine>. Here is what we have found.
Before I get to the details, I need to clarify just what the Academy offers. We provide research and advice on choosing and using names and armory that are good re-creations of period practices. If you want an authentic name, we will be happy to help you. On the other hand, if you want to call yourself <Lorraine> and you don't particular care whether that name is authentic, then the Academy can't help you.
The given name <Lorraine> is modern, used occasionally in the 19th century and fashionable in the 1930s. It isn't clear exactly how it arose. It may be one of many examples of surnames used as given names; this sort of transfer was quite common in 19th century Scotland and England. Alternatively, it may be a modern diminutive of <Lora>, itself a variant of <Laura>. <Lauren>, as a feminine name, is even more recent, dating only to the 1940s [1]. <Lora> and <Laura>, as well as <Lauretta> and <Laurencia> were all common in England from the late 12th century onward. The variants that might interest you most are <Laurencia> (13th century) and <Laurana> (1655) [2].
There were medieval feminine forms of <Laurence> found in Germany. The only one we've found in our references is <Loretta>, recorded in Arnsburg in the early 14th century [8]. Its presence suggests that other forms were also in use, but we haven't found evidence of them.
We could not find any medieval Scandinavian feminine form of <Laurence>. There are masculine forms and one form that was used as a byname in Denmark in 1448: <Clement Lorent> [3]. You could use this as your byname if you chose a Danish feminine given name to go with it.
We found two uses of <Lorride> in Norse mythology. One reference says that it is a nickname for Thor [6]; another uses it as the name of Thor's son, spelling it <Lóridhi> in Icelandic [7]. We did not find evidence that this name was ever used as a given name by real people. In general, divine or mythological names were not used by historical people in Scandinavian culture. There are some exceptions, but we do not recommend using mythological names without specific evidence that it was used by real people in period.
We thought you might be interested in other Scandinavian feminine names beginning with L. In the following lists, a slash represents a sharp accent on the preceding vowel. The combination 'o,' represents the Old Norse vowel that looks like an 'o' with a hook on the bottom. This letter is pronounced roughly the same as the vowel in <four>.
The first list contains Old Icelandic names [4]:
Lafvo,r Liúfa Langlíf Lofnheidhr Leikny/ Lopthóna Lina Lucia Liódhey Lúta Liót Lo,gvilda
Liótunnr
The second list contains names used in medieval Denmark, probably in the 14th and 15th centuries [5]:
Levekint Lucia Liutgerth Lunda Liuthild Lydeburgh
Liviva
If these possibilities don't appeal to you, we'd be happy to help you further. The more specific you can make your question, the more likely we can assist you.
I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek and Lindorm Eriksson.
For the Academy,
Arval Benicoeur
References
[1] Dunkling, Leslie and William Gosling, _The New American Dictionary of
First Names_ (Signet Books, 1983).
[2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_,
3rd ed. (Oxford University Press).
[3] Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, _Danmarks Gamle
Personnavne_, Vol II: Tilnavne (Copenhagen: 1949-64).
[4] Lind, E.H., _Norsk-Isla:ndska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn fra*n
Medeltiden_ (Uppsala & Leipzig: 1905-1915, sup. Oslo, Uppsala and Kobenahavn: 1931).
[5] Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, _Danmarks Gamle
Personnavne_, Vol. I: Fornavne (Copenhagen: 1936-48).
[6] _Eddan. De nordiska guda- och hja:ltesa*ngerna_, Brate, Erik, trans.
(Stockholm: Klassikerfo:rlaget Niloé, 1992) ISBN: 91-7102-291-0.
[7] _Snorres Edda_, Collinder, Bjo:rn, trans. (Tryckt i Ungern: Forum,
1983) ISBN: 91-37-08284-1.
[8] Mulch, Roland, _Arnsburger Personennamen: Untersuchungen zum
Namenmaterial aus anrsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert_ (Darmstadt & Marburg: Hessischen Historischen Kommission Darmstadt and the Historischen Kommission fu:r Hessen, 1974).