Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 801

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 801

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/801

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 on the Welsh name <Tegan>. Here is what we have found.

There is only very shaky, circumstantial evidence that <Tegan> was used as a feminine name in our period. It is not implausible: <Teg-> is a relatively common first element in Welsh names, and <-an> is a very common second element in masculine names and occasionally found in feminine names. Examples of <Teg-> include masculine <Tegwared>, <Tegfan>, <Tegno>, <Tegonwy>, and possibly feminine <Tegfedd> [3]; examples of <-an> include <Ananan>, <Lleian>, <Sanan> [3], <Bethan>, <Gwennan>, <Lluan> [4].

<Tegan> is sometimes found as an error for the actual historical name <Tegau> recorded in the early 15th century and also appearing in early Arthurian literature [1, 2].

There is a place <Llandegan> in Pembrokeshire, which can be translated as "Tegan's church", and which some writers have interpretted to imply that there was an early Saint Tegan [1]. But there is no other evidence that Saint Tegan existed and no indication of whether the saint was a man or woman. When the Welsh word <Llan-> "church" appears in place name, it is usually combined with given names; but not always. The <Tegan> in question could a stream by that name in Ceredigion [1], and <Llandegan> could actually mean <church on the Tegan>.

Our advice is that you avoid this name since its historicity is doubtful. You may want to choose a different name from one of the articles on Welsh names available from the web page:

http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/celtic.html

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 Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn.

For the Academy,

Arval Benicoeur


References

[1] Gruffudd, Heini, _Enwau i'r Cymry/Welsh Personal Names_ (Talybont: Y

Lolfa, 1984).

[2] Roberts, Glyn, "The Anglesey Submissions of 1406" in _Bulletin of the

Board of Celtic Studies_, vol. XV pp.39-60.

[3] Bartrum, P.C., _Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts_ (Cardiff: University

of Wales Press, 1966).

[4] Jones, Heather Rose, "A Welsh Miscellany", _The Compleat Anachronist_

#66 (Milpitas, CA: SCA, 1993).