Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 722

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 722

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/722

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 Saint Gabriel!

You asked for information about the name <Thain>. Here is what we have found.

We found the name <Robertus filius Thein> recorded in Norfolk in 1166. The same man's name was also written as <Robert Tein>. The first example means "Robert son of Thein". It might be evidence that <Thein> was used as a given name in 12th century England [1]. There was a similar Scandinavian name <{TH}einn> [5], and it is quite likely that this given name passed into common use in the parts of England ruled by the Danes. (The symbol {TH} represents the letter thorn, which is pronounced like the 'th' in <thing>.) While <Thein> is therefore a plausible given name for 12th century England, it does not appear to have survived past the 13th century. It is improbable that the name would have been spelled <Thain>. The common word <thane> did not appear in this spelling until the 16th century [6].

The literal use of the word <thein> (which meant a servant, attendant, military retainer, or soldier) led to its use as a descriptive byname. It is recorded in various spellings in names in England and the Scots-speaking parts of Scotland from the 12th century onward [2, 3]. (Scots was a language very closely related to English; it should not be confused with Gaelic, another language spoken in Scotland.)

Kyned thainus de Katel 1177
Geoffrey le {TH}ein 1199
Adam {Th}ein 1221
Lorne Theine de Ures 1222
William le Theyn 1243
William Theynus de Kintor 1253

We could not find <Westbram> as a period surname or place name, but we found a man called <AEilmer de Westbrom> recorded in Suffolk in 1095 [4]. The element <-brom> derives from the Old English <brom> "broom (the plant)". It also appears in <Suthbrome> 1227, <Suthbrum> 1231. When the same element is used at the beginning of a place name, it frequently becomes <Bram->. For example, <Bramford> 1205, <Bramle> 1219, <Brampton> 1275, and others [3]. We didn't find examples of <-bram> as the second element of a name, but it is not impossible. <Westbrom> or <Westbrome> is certainly a correct place name for your period; <Westbram> may also be correct.

Putting the pieces together, we have two suggestions for you. The name <Thein de Westbrom> is probably a typical name for the northern part of England in the 12th or 13th century. <Thein Westbrom> is less typical, but it is possible, especially toward the end of this period.

Alternatively, you could split your current name <Wilthain> into a given name <William> and a byname <Thein>, and use <Westbrom> as a locative byname (that is to say, a byname that identifies where you live). <William Thein de Westbrom> follows the same pattern as several of the names we listed above; it would be an excellent name for the 12th or 13th century anywhere in England or the Scots-speaking parts of Scotland. If you prefer, you could shorten <William> to <Wille>, which is recorded in England in 1207 and 1212 [3, s.n. Will].

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, Margaret Makafee, AElfwyn aet Gyrwum, Tangwystyl ferch Morgant Glasvryn, and Charles O'Connor.

For the Academy,

Arval Benicoeur


References

[1] It is also possible that <Thein> was used here as a title, and that

Robert was the son of a thane. A thane was a man-at-arms sworn to his overlord, quite similar to a knight.

[2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and

History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986).

[3] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_

(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995).

[4] Ekwall, Eilert, _The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names_,

4th edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991).

[5] Clark, Cecily, "Early Personal Names of King's Lynn: Baptismal Names",

in Cecily Clark, _Words, Names and History: Selected Papers_, ed. Peter Jackson (Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1995).

[6] _The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary_ (New York:

Oxford University Press, 1973).