A Small Collection of Late 6th Century Merovingian Given Names

Mistress Alys Mackyntoich (Alissa Pyrich)

July 2020

            This set of given names was compiled from multiple letters to and from Brunehild, queen of Austrasia and Burgundy, which are published on Epistolæ (http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/), a website maintained by Columbia University collecting writings to and from women in the Middle Ages. The letters are transcribed in the original Latin with translations by Professor Joan Ferrante of Columbia University. 

            The name data in this article are extracted from letters originally written in Latin between 580 and 602 C.E. Since the names are in Latin, their spelling varies depending on the form and tense.  The most common nominative form – in other words, the direct form used in given names – is identified as the bolded header form.  The forms actually appearing in the text are listed below the header.  Where the form appearing in the text is a variant spelling of the nominative form, it is marked with an asterisk (*).  Note that, for SCA purposes, only nominative forms can be used to create given names.

For submitters who do not want to use the Latin forms, in most cases, the vernacular form can be identified by dropping the –us from the end of male names.  For example, the probable vernacular form of Hildebertus is Hildebert.

            The source documents did not contain full names, only given names and titles.  Therefore, we are unable to discuss naming patterns specific to this time and place.  However, simple patronymic bynames can be created as follows:

[male given name] + filius (“son”) + [genitive form of father’s name]

[female given name] + filia (“daughter”) + [genitive form of father’s name] 

Female

Anastasia

Anastasie

Brunehildis

Brunehildae

Brunehildis

Brunichildae

Brunichildis*

Brunigildae

Brunihildae

Male

Aetherius

Aetherio

Athanagyldus

Athanagyldo

Augustinus

Augustino

Augustinum

Burgoaldus

Burgoaldo

Candidus

Candido

Candidum

Childebertus

Childebertus

Cyriacus

Cyriaco

Germanus

Germanus

Gregiorius

Gregorius

Hilarius

Hilarius

Hildebertus

Hildeberti

Hildebertum

Laurentius

Laurentio

Mauricius

Mauricio

Mellitus

Mellito

Petrus

Petri

Petrus

Sigibertus

Sigibertus

Syagrius

            Syagrius

Theodocius

Theodocium

Vuarmaricarius

Vuarmaricario