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

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.  :-)

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)

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