ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 843
http://www.s-gabriel.org/843
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* NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports     *
*       contain errors that we haven't yet      *
*       corrected.  Please use it with caution. *
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19 Apr 1998
From: Jodi McMaster 

Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel!

You asked for information on spelling the name "Iseult" for an Irish
woman for any time in period. Here's what we've found.

The name "Isolda" appears in many forms in our period.  We didn't find
it recorded in Ireland and we didn't find the specific spelling
"Iseult," but there are other spellings that you could use for a persona
living in Ireland.  The name is not Gaelic and would not have been used
in a Gaelic name; but it was used in England and therefore could have
been brought to Ireland by Anglo-Norman settlers from the 12th century
onward. [1] Therefore, if your persona was an Anglo-Norman living in
Ireland, any of the following versions would be appropriate choices for
a given name [2-7]:

        Hysode  (12th century)
        Isold   (late 12th, early 13th century)
        Isolda  (late 12th to early 15th century) 
        Ysoude  (late 12th century) 
        Ysout   (late 12th century)  
        Ysolt   (early 13th century)
        Isouda  (13th century)  
        Ysewda  (late 13th century)
        Ysouda  (late 13th century) 
        Iselota (late 13th century)
        Isota   (13th-14th century) 
        Isata   (15th century) 
        Isott   (late 16th century) 
        Isotte  (late 16th century)
        Izott   (late 16th century)

You could also be English or late period Scots, as all these forms came
from English sources.  If you choose one of these alternatives, the
byname you've chosen, "of Lothian," would be quite appropriate. 
Unfortunately, although locative bynames (those indicating where a
person is from) were used by Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland, the
designation "of Lothian" would not have been used because Anglo-Norman
settlers would not have come by way of that area of Scotland during the
period that true locatives would have been used. 

We're sorry we weren't able to help you find what you were looking for.
The best recommendation we have if you wish to keep the entire name is
to change your persona to a Scottish woman (although you'd still need to
spell the given name a little differently). If you want to use the given
name as an Anglo-Norman Irish settler, you'd need to use a different
byname.  If we can be of further assistance, please write and we'll be
glad to assist you further.

We hope this letter has been helpful.  Please write us again if any part
of it has been unclear or if you have other questions.  Talan Gwynek and
Arval Benicoeur contributed comments and/or research to this letter. 

For the Academy,

   AElfwyn aet Gyrwum
__________________

References:

[1] Maurice Powicke and E.B. Fryde, _Handbook of British Chronology_
(London: Office of the Royal Historical Society 1961, 2d ed.)

[2] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_
(London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995). 

[3] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980). 

[4] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian
Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). 

[5] Nicolaa de Bracton, "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex
Co., England, 1182-1272," Known World Heraldic Symposium Proceedings
1995 (SCA Inc.). 

[6] Assize Roll 223, 27 Henry III (1242-43), from private correspondence
with Brian M. Scott.

[7] Assize Roll 224, 53 Henry III (1268-69), from private correspondence
with Brian M. Scott.