ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 909
http://www.s-gabriel.org/909
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* NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports     *
*       contain errors that we haven't yet      *
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20 Apr 1998
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for information on the name <Tegan>.  Here is what we have found.

There is only very shaky, circumstantial evidence that <Tegan> was used as
a feminine name before modern times.  It is not an implausible Welsh name:
<Teg-> is a relatively common first element in Welsh names, and <-an> is a
very common second element in masculine names and is 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>, which is 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 the stream by that name in Ceredigion [1], and <Llandegan> could
actually mean <church on the Tegan>.

We found no evidence of any ancient British queen named <Tegan>.


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 Heather Rose Jones.

For the Academy,


  Josh Mittleman
  20 April 1998


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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).

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