Friday, May 30, 2014

Period or Not . . . Shakespeare's Heroines

My continuing series in the East Kingdom Gazette talking about names that are and aren't period takes on the names of Shakespeare's heroines.  How many of them can be documented as used by real people and not just through the plays?  Quite a few, in fact:

Beatrice is found in various spellings throughout Europe, including England, France and Italy, through the later parts of period. [1], [3]

Bianca is found as a female name in Italy.[2]

Celia likewise is a female Italian name.[3]

Cordelia is found in sixteenth and early seventeenth century England.[4]

Hero is found as a female given name in England, the Netherlands and Germany.[5]

Juliet is found in early seventeenth century England.[6]

Olivia is found in England and Italy.[2], [7]

Portia can be found as the name of real women in sixteenth century Italy.[2]

We very recently found evidence of Miranda as a female given name in Spain.[8]

We are still researching whether a number of other Shakespearean names are documentable.  As more and more period books and documents become generally available through digitization, we continue to uncover evidence for names we previously thought “undocumentable.”

[1] “English Names found in Brass Enscriptions” by Janell K. Lovelace (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/brasses/women.html)

[2]  “Names from Sixteenth Century Venice” by Julia Smith (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/juliana/16thcvenice.html).

[3] “Feminine Given Names from the Online Catasto of Florence of 1427″ by Josh Mittleman (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/catasto/)

[4] “Something Rich and Strange: “Undocumentable” Names >From The IGI Parish Records” by Alys Mackyntoich (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/SomethingRichandStrange.html).

[5]  “England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NJ9C-GYB), Hero Olde and Wilmott, 17 Jan 1603; citing Gwinear, Cornwall, England, Batch: M02571-3; “Netherlands, Marriages, 1565-1892,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FN7W-NTG : accessed 22 Apr 2014), Hero Cornelisz and Jannetje Alberts, 08 May 1611; citing Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, Batch: M01224-8

[6]  “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V5LP-V4L), Juliet Mordent, 15 Jul 1621; citing SAINT BOTOLPH BISHOPSGATE, LONDON, LONDON, ENGLAND, Batch: P00161-1

[7] “England Marriages, 1538–1973 ,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V52F-1F9), Ricardus Howarde and Olivia Hille, 11 Jun 1587; citing High Ham, Somerset, England; Batch: M01936-2

[8] “España, defunciones, 1600-1920,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FNMS-RL8), Miranda Miguel, 10 Feb 1642; citing Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Batch:  B86284-3

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Documentable Game of Thrones House Names

Pennsic is coming. . . .      Fortunately, many of the family names used in Game of Thrones are, in fact, registerable surnames.   I am putting what I've found so far here, so that I have them in one place for the summer consult season.


Robert Stark
Gender: Male
Burial Date: 30 Sep 1570
Burial Place: Keelby, Lincoln Co., England
Batch: B02948-3

Elyzabeth Lanyster
Female
Marriage
Event Date: 1558
Event Place: St. Martin, Lincoln, Lincoln, England
Batch: M02576-3

Fynlie Arryn
Male
Marriage
Event Date: 02 Jul 1627
Event Place: Saint James, Clerkenwell, London, England
Batch: M00141-1

Gabrell Martell
Male
Marriage
Event Date: 31 May 1545
Event Place: Saint Lawrence Pountney, London, London, England
Batch: M02163-1

William Tyrell
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 19 Apr 1573
Christening Place: Colyton, Devon, England
Batch: P00185-1

Odes Tully
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 08 Mar 1592
Christening Place: Paignton, Devon, England
Batch: C05192-1

Alice Frey
Female
Marriage
Event Date: 03 Nov 1567
Event Place: Bosham, Sussex, England
Batch: M07016-1

Isabella Bolton
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 05 Apr 1573
Christening Place: Dunsby (near Bourne), Lincoln, England
Batch: C02796-3

William Umber
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 13 Jan 1575
Christening Place: Saint James, Clerkenwell, London, England
Batch: P00141-1

Margreat Tarth
Female
Marriage
Event Date: 14 Jun 1565
Event Place: Holy Trinity, Coventry, Warwick, England
Batch: M04192-2

Andrew Mormont
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 31 Jan 1574
Christening Place: Saint Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Batch: P01262-1


For those born on the wrong side of the blankets:

John Snow
Gender: Male
Burial Date: 21 Aug 1594
Burial Place: Exford, Somerset, England
Batch: B00037-4

Elioner Stone
Female
Marriage
Event Date: 20 May 1594
Event Place: Steeple-Ashton, Wiltshire, England
Batch: M15347-1

Issabell Sand
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 13 Dec 1581
Christening Place: Priory Church, Cartmel, Lancashire, England
Batch: P00532-1

Dorrothie Flowers
Female
Marriage
Event Date: 17 Aug 1573
Event Place: Corby, Lincoln, England
Batch: M02766-3

Try to use this information in the service of good.  :-)

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Follow up on Scots Naming Patterns

Another example of Mc- and Mac- used interchangeably for the same name in the same Scots document:

Johnne MacLowren  -- Johnne McLowren  (http://www.rps.ac.uk/mss/1584/5/72)

Friday, May 9, 2014

Part 2 of draft article: LATINIZED NAMES FROM 12TH CENTURY JERUSALEM



C.    Bynames
1.      Marked Locatives
Name in the Text
Likely Modern Form
Dates
de Acu
Acre?
1146-47
de Bar

1151
de Barra

1155
de Branca forti

1156
de Burri

1146-47
de Frandolio

1146-47
de Funda

1160
de Gau

1146-47
de Gerin

1150
de Gossedo
Grosseto
1156
de Guella

1159
de Hibelino
Ibelin
1156
de Hosdenc

1160
de Ioppe
Jaffa
1160
de Lisuncort

1151
de Mahomeriola
Mahomeria
1159
de Monte Barro

1155
de Monte Lauduno

1146-47
de Nazareth
Nazareth
1152
de Neapoli
Nablus
1150
de Neapolim
Nablus
1156
de Pazi
Paz
1146
de Perregort
Périgord
1151
de Pirregort
Périgord
1150
de Porta

1156
de Regiteste
Rethel
1152
de Risberge

1159
de Rochia
Roche or la Roche?
1155
de Sancto Amando

1155, 1159
de Sancto Audemaro

1159
de Sancto Valerio

1159
de Samusac

1160
de Satorono

1155
de Torone
Toroni
1159
de Turcarme

1152
de Valancienes
Valenciennes
1150
de Valentienes
Valenciennes
1152
de Valentiennes
Valenciennes
1160
de Ybelino
Ibelin
1155

2.      Unmarked Locatives
Name in the Text
Likely Modern Form
Dates
Antiocheni (gen.)
of Antioch
1156
Ascalonis
of Ascalon
1155, 1156, 1160
Ascalonitanus
of Ascalon
1156
Bethlemita
of Bethlehem
1151
Cesariensis
of Caesarea
1159
Jerosolimis
of Jerusalem
1146-47
Jerosolimitanus
of Jerusalem
1144, 1159, 1160
Laodicensis
of Laodicea
1159, 1160
Neapolis
of Nablus
1146-47
Neapolitanus
of Nablus
1151, 1155, 1156, 1159, 1160
Rametensis
of Ramla
1146-47
Rigitestensis

1159
Sydoniensis
of Sidon
1146
Torpeiensis

1146
Tyberiadensis
of Tyberias
1159
Tyrensis
of Tyre
1146




3.      Occupational Bynames
            I have not included unique titles such as King, Queen, Master of the Temple or Master of the Hospital.
Name
Meaning
Dates
abbas
abbot
1146, 1146-47, 1151, 1156
archiepiscopus
archbishop
1146-47
archidiaconus
archdeacon
1146, 1160
camerarius
chamberlain
1150, 1151, 1152
cancellarius
chancellor
1146, 1146-47, 1150, 1155, 1159, 1160
castellanus
castellan
1155, 1159, 1160
canonicus
canon
1151, 1159
clericus
clerk, clergyman
1156
constabularus, constabularius
constable
1150, 1151, 1155, 1159
dapifer
steward
1151
episcopus
bishop
1146, 1146-47, 1151, 1156, 1159
Falconarius
falconer
1156
Iudex
judge, arbiter
1156, 1159
li Fanchenirs
falconer
1152
li Palmentirs
tailor
1150
marescalcus
marshal
1144, 1159, 1160
Mercatibus
merchant
1156
Notarius
notary
1156
prior
prior
1146, 1159, 1160
picerna
butler, cup-bearer
1146
thesaurarius
treasurer
1146, 1146-47
scriba
scribe
1150
subprior
sub-prior
1146

4.      Other Bynames

Name
Likely Meaning
Dates
Asinus
perhaps descriptive, “donkey, ass”
1155
Bastardi (gen.)
descriptive, “bastard”
1152
Bencellinus

1150, 1151
Bubalus
perhaps descriptive, “antelope, gazelle” or “wild ox”
1151, 1159, 1160
Capelle
perhaps locative, “chapel” or “of the chapel”
1146-47
Fulcherij

1150
Gumbaldi

1146
Lombardus
descriptive, “the Lombard”
1151
Longobardus
descriptive, “the Lombard”
1150
Malduit

1151
Niger
descriptive, “black, dusky, swarthy”
1159
Normannus
descriptive, “the Norman”
1159
Palacii (gen.)
perhaps locative, “palace” or “of the palace”
1146-47
Passerellus

1144, 1146, 1159, 1160
Rufus
descriptive, “red”
1151, 1160
Salomon

1153
Sechir

1150
Strabo
perhaps descriptive, “cross-eyed man”
1149, 1150, 1151
Tortus
perhaps descriptive, “twisted, crooked”
1159
Vacarius

1160
Vacher

1144, 1146, 1151
Vacherius

1144, 1146