Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 842

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 842

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/842

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Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked about the name <Inez da Silva> as a possible Portuguese feminine name between 1300 and 1600. Here is what we have found.

<Inez> we find as early as 1367, and have evidence that it was used for a couple hundred years after that. [1] In one study of 16th century Spanish names, <Inés>, with the slash representing an accent over the 'e,' was found the 8th most common feminine name. [2]

<da Silva> means either "from a place called <Silva>" or "from the woods." It is very common in Portuguese today and follows the pattern of many early locative bynames. We find an <Andreas da Silva> in the early 16th century. [3] Therefore, either <Inez da Silva> or <Inés da Silva> would be an appropriate Portuguese or Spanish name for your period.

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. I was assisted in the research and commentary by AElfwyn aet Gyrwum, Alan Fairfax, Arval Benicoeur, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Pedro de Alcazar, Ramon Diego de la Luna, and Walraven van Nijmege.

For the Academy,
Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin


[1] Lopes, Ferna~o, The English in Portugal, 1367-87 : extracts from the chronicles of Dom Fernando and Dom Joa~o / Ferna~o Lopes; with an introduction, translation, and notes by Derek W. Lomax & R.J. Oakley, (Warminster, England : Aris & Phillips, c1988.)

[2] Elsbeth Anne Roth, 16th-Century Spanish Women's Names (WWW: Self-published, 1998) URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~kvs/fnames.html.

[3] Catholic University Library Catalogue URL: http://www.aladin.wrlc.org