[ANSTHRLD] Name Documentation Questions

doug bell magnus77840 at hotmail.com
Wed Aug 15 14:51:56 PDT 2001


May 2001 LoAR Elsbeth said it best.
An Tir acceptances  Aster Peyton. Name.
"Submitted as Astor Peyton, the given name was documented as a header
spelling in Reaney and Wilson’s A Dictionary of English Surnames. While we
do register header spellings from this source as standard modern forms, the
header spelling of a surname, as in this case, is not necessarily acceptable
as a given name. We have therefore
substituted a spelling used as a given name and dated by Reaney and Wilson
to 1642, within our grey area."

>I have seen people documenting their given name using Reaney and Wilson.
>And they seem to be using that it appears in R&W with period dates to
>justify it being a given name.  I do not believe this is adequate
>documentation for the name to be a given name, just for a surname.  Am I
>wrong?

Yes, you aren't.
You have to look at what is actually said about the name
in R&W and at the dated examples given.  You should
be able to tell when there is evidence for use as
a given name.  If there is no evidence for given name
usage you should consider it as only a surname.

>Secondly (again using R&W since that's what I've got in front of me), I
>have seen people take a variant spelling that is in the header and try
>to register it although that spelling has no dates associated with it in
>the listing.  For example, if someone wanted to have the name "Pleaden"
>(under "Blethyn") that spelling is not given any dates or even appears
>in that entry outside of the header.  Is it acceptable to use those
>spelling variants even though they do not have dates?

Yes the SCA does register header spellings in R&W,
Black, and Bardsley as surnames.  That doesn't mean it is a period usage or
even a good idea but it is done.  I only
resort to this when the client has picked an esoteric
spelling of a name that is likely to be a nightmare
and time consuming search to find.  It will get a
shaky name out of kingdom and in front of the CoA
to comment on.  Dozens of commenters may find
a documentation source I missed for the client or
it may get registered as SCA but not really period.

Depends on whether the client wants a period name
or has fallen in love with a certain name and doesn't
care.  Or has been using the name unregistered since
AS single digits and suddenly need to register it.

Magnus von Lubeck

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp




More information about the Heralds mailing list