ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 812 http://www.s-gabriel.org/812 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Later research turned up additional * * information relevant to this report. * * See the end of the letter for details. * * * ************************************************* From: "S Friedemann" 5 Apr 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked about and as Scottish feminine given names, used in the twelfth to fifteenth centuries. You also asked about a surname based on either or , and for advice on your arms. Here is the information we have found. You wrote that you want a Scottish name, but you didn't specify whether you want a Gaelic names or a Scots name. Scots was a language similar to English, spoken in the towns and some other parts of Scotland in your period. It was a different language from Scottish Gaelic, and name formation in the two languages was very different. The names you've chosen are more appropriate for Scots speakers than Gaelic speakers in your period, so we've focused on that language. is recorded in Scottish records c.1200 and c.1250 [1]. It is a perfect choice for your persona. We did not find as a given name in Scotland. It is a surname, derived from a form of the masculine given name [1, 2]. We did find several similar-sounding names which might interest you. In Scotland, in Scots records, we found 1250 and 1374, 1280. English variants of include 1319, 1379, 1273, 1379 [3]. 1190 and 1221 are derived from an Old French name [3]. The name appears as 1200, 1219, 1327 [4]. These examples were recorded in England, but it is not unreasonable to believe that they could also have been used by Scots speakers. There is a modern Gaelic name or , an adaptation of , but we have no evidence that it was used in period [5]. There is also a Scottish Gaelic version of , (pronounced \EHL-uhs-ahtch\) [5]. If you would like a Gaelic name, please write us again for information on how such names were formed. Women in Scotland in your period were commonly known as their fathers' daughters. The name was common in Scots culture, so the name would be a fine choice. In your period, names were often recorded in Latin, so you could also write your name as . You asked about arms with a white background and randomly placed ladybugs. We assume that you intend naturally-colored ladybugs, so we would blazon your design "Argent semy of ladybugs proper." These arms are unlikely to have been used in Scotland in your period. We have found no examples of insects in Scottish heraldry. Although your design is attractive, we must recommend against ladybugs as charges. If you do use the ladybugs, then it would be better to use just a few in a standard heraldic arrangement, such as one, three, or six, rather than a large number placed randomly. In period arms, we've generally noticed that the more unusual the charge, the less complicated the designs that use it. We hope that this letter has been useful to you. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear, or if you have any other questions. Reasearch and commentary on this letter was contributed by Alan Fairfax, Arval Benicoeur, Daniel de Lincolia, Jaelle of Armida, Lindorm Eriksson, Lothar von Katzenellenbogen, Talan Gwynek, Walraven van Nijmege, and Zenobia Naphtali. For the Academy, Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin ------------------------------------------------ References: [1] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.nn. Renigod, Rosyth for . [2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). [3] Reaney, P.H. and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames, 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995 [4] Talan Gwynek. A List of Feminine Personal Names Found In Scottish Records. (WWW,J. Mittleman, 1996) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/scottishfem/ [5] Woulfe, Patrick, Irish Names for Children (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1974). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Correction, 26 Mar 2002, Arval: Changed , a modern spelling we've not yet found in period sources, to . See Scottish Gaelic Given Names, http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/gaelicgiven. Correction, 25 Jan 2006, Arval: Added a reference for to note [1].