Collected Precedents of the S.C.A.: German


Name Precedents: German

Laurel: Date: (year.month.date) Precedent:
Shauna of Carrick Point 2004.05 This name combines English and German elements, which is one step from period practice. Some commenters wondered whether Rheinfels was a period spelling for this name, but no one found a period citation for this undoubtedly period castle. Therefore, we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt for the spelling of the byname. [Godfrey von Rheinfels, 05/04, A-Atenveldt]
Shauna of Carrick Point 2004.04 The name was originally returned at kingdom for lack of documentation that Friedrichsthal is a period place name. The submitter appealed the return on the grounds that she believed it to be a town name in Alsace-Lorraine or that it could be a constructed place name based on elements found in Bahlow (Friedrich on p147 and Stahl found on p 536.)

There is a place named Friedrichstal in Baden-Würtemberg, which was founded by Margrave Friedrich of Baden in 1699, and another named Friedrichsthal in Saarland, which was apparently incorporated in the 1960s. The College was unable to find any other place in Germany called Friedrichst(h)al. Furthermore, the deuterotheme of Friedrichsthal is -ta(h)l, 'valley', not sta(h)l, which is a given name.

However, the College was able to find some evidence of period German place names using the pattern given- or housename-+-tahl. Brechmacher, Etymologische Deutsche Familiennamenbuch, lists these names:

  • s.n. Bär(e)nthal(in), has Birgitta Berenthalin in 1579; from the forename Bern, Berno.

  • s.n. Frankenthal, Andris Frankintall, 1428. Franke may derive from an old tribal name, or from the forename Franko

  • s.n. Rosenthal(er), has Thulmannus de Rosindail zu Mainz in 1300. Rosen in this case may be a descriptive element, though.

Given this evidence, we are giving the benefit of the doubt and registering this name.

By precedent, combining French and German in a single name is one step from period practice. [Gabrielle von Friedrichsthal, 04/04, A-Calontir]

Shauna of Carrick Point 2004.04 Finally, the name combines a German preposition with a Lithuanian name in the same name phrase. The Rule for Submission III.1.a says "Each phrase must be grammatically correct according to the usage of a single language." Barring documentation that Risna is a German form of this place name, these two words cannot be combined in a name phrase. A better alternative would be to use an appropriate Lithuanian form for the locative byname. However, since we do not know the appropriate form for the place name, we are unable to suggest its byname form. [Katherne von Risna, 04/04, R-Lochac]
François la Flamme 2004.03 Submitted as Appolonia Rose Notburgen, the submitter requested authenticity for German and allowed any changes.

Appolonia and Notburgen were documented as German feminine given names dated to 1495. Rose is the submitter's modern middle name. It was also found as a feminine given name in English in period. Unmarked matronymic bynames (bynames formed from the mother's name) existed in German, but were rare. An example is found in Bahlow (p. 113 s.n. Elisabeth) which dates Dietrich Elisabet to 1289. As a result, this name may be considered to have the construction [German given name] [English given name] [German unmarked matronymic byname]. As such, it would be registerable. However, lacking any evidence that Rose was used in German in period, it would not be authentic for the submitter's requested culture. As the submitter allows any changes, we have dropped the element Rose in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Appolonia Notburgen, 03/2004, A-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2004.03 Submitted as Elias Treviranus, the submitter requested authenticity for German and allowed any changes. The LoI noted that he "cares most about the meaning ('A person from Trier') and the language/culture ('German')".

The documentation provided for Treviranus on the LoI was:

Treviranus is found in the Dictionary of German Names (Edda Gentry transl.) by Bahlow on page 513, which lists "Treviranus: a person from Trier (name from the Celtic tribe, Treveri)".

It is important to note that this entry does not show use of Treviranus in period. The focus of Bahlow is to present information about German surnames over time. As a result, not all information in it is appropriate for our period.

Clarion provided information about German locatives referring to Trier:

Bahlow, s.n. Treviranus, does list the name as meaning "a person from Trier." Under Trier, it lists a Heinrick Trier in 1345. Brechenmacher, s.n Teviranus, dates it to 1662 and, under Trier(er), dates Tryerer in 1344. For authenticity, Trier or Tryerer would be the best, especially as Treviranus has not been documented in period.

As no evidence was found of Treviranus used as a personal byname in period, we have changed this byname to the documented form Trier in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Elias Trier, 03/2004, A-Outlands]

François la Flamme 2004.03 Submitted as Otric von Mecklenburg, no documentation was presented and none was found that Mecklenburg is a plausible period spelling of this placename. Siren found that "Breckenmacher (s.n. Mecklenberg(er)) dates <Franko Mekelenborgh> to 1387." We have changed the submitted byname to use the spelling of the location found by Siren in order to register this name. [Otric von Mekelenborgh, 03/2004, A-Calontir]
François la Flamme 2004.03 Submitted as Gy�el die Spacz, the submitter allowed minor changes. The byname was intended to mean 'the sparrow'. The College of Arms was unable to find the submitted spelling as either a period or a modern form, but was able to find other forms of this byname dated to period. Red Hawk said, "[Brechenmacher] shows <Ulrich Späzzi> 1285, <Burkart Spätzi> 1359, <Hainrich Spatz> 1382 and <Michel Spatz> 1467."

In German descriptive bynames, the article (such as die) matches the gender of the word it modifies, not the gender of the person being described. Since Spatz is a masculine word, it cannot take the feminine article die, making the form die Spatz grammatically incorrect. Moreover, the College of Arms was unable to find evidence that an article was used either with this form, or with other bynames derived from birds. Therefore, we have dropped the article die, and changed the spelling of the byname to Spatz, the documented form closest in sound to the submitted form. [Gy�el Spatz, 03/2004, A-Atlantia]

François la Flamme 2004.03 This name is being returned for having two weirdnesses: one for the lingual mix and a second for temporal disparity.

The documentation showed that the given name Ago was used as a Frankish name recorded in 974. Frankish is the dialect of Old High German spoken in what is today France. The byname Praunfalk is a Middle High German byname dated to 1560.

Just as there is a weirdness for combining Old English with Middle English, or Middle Gaelic with Early Modern Gaelic, there is a weirdness for combining Old High German and Middle High German.

Since the given name is dated to 974 and the byname is dated to 1560, this name also has a weirdness for a temporal disparity of greater than 300 years between the elements. [Ago Praunfalk, 03/2004, R-Drachenwald]

François la Flamme 2004.03 The submitter allowed minor changes.

Gustav was documented as an undated German given name and as a modern rendering of the given names of two Swedish kings. The name Gustav was recently discussed:

German sources make it clear that Gustav was borrowed from Swedish; the College was unable to find evidence that it was used as a German given name before 1600. The spellings Gustaf and G�staff are found in Swedish (in Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn, vol. 9 s.n. G�tstaf). [Gustaf Zizka, 06/2003 LoAR, A-Trimaris]

Lacking evidence of use of any form of Gustav in German in period, this element must be considered Swedish based on the documentation. While two given names are registerable in German, no similar pattern has been found in Swedish in period. As a result, a name using two given names in Swedish is not registerable.

Though there is evidence of unmarked patronymic bynames in German, no such evidence was provided for Swedish names during commentary for this submission. Lacking evidence for unmarked patronymic bynames in Swedish in period, a name combining two given names in Swedish could not be interpreted as a given name followed by a patronymic byname. Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn (vol. 9, column 568, s.n. Gotstaf) dates Swen G{o/}stafson to 1502. Therefore, this name would be registerable as Sven G{o/}stafson von Bremen. However, the change from the given name Gustav to the patronymic byname G{o/}stafson is a major change, which the submitter does not allow. [Sven Gustav von Bremen, 03/2004, R-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2004.02 Submitted as Susanna von Schwei�guth, the submitter allowed minor changes.

The only documentation provided for von Schwei�guth on the LoI was the statement, "Schwei�guth is formed from the Schweissgut family, dated to 1427 according to the Wappenbook." This statement is a woefully inadequate summarization of the submitted documentation. It is also misleading. As noted by Clarion:

Unfortunately Wappenbuch is a generic term meaning "roll of arms." It is unclear what book actually contains the citation (although it appears to not be Siebmacher).

Instead of being from a wappenbuch, the submitted documentation was from a different source altogether. The submission form stated "Schwei�guth = location in Austria; Family coat of arms dated to 1525 in Tirol. (See attached)." The attached documentation was a copy of Andrew Madison Swicegood, Schweissguth Wappenbrief: Schweissguth Coat of Arms (1994). It is an analysis of information in an attempt to determine which of several different coats of arms are the correct arms for this family. It is important to note that the focus of this article is the arms, not the name of this family. All of the information regarding the family name is third-hand, at best. The included Wappenbriefe (letters) are all transcriptions, not originals or photocopies, and are in German (for which no translations were provided). While period dates are noted next to some names, the names seem to be standardized or modernized.

As a result of the language issues with this documentation, and the inadequate summarization provided to the College, this documentation is not sufficient to support the submitted name. Various members of the College researched this name to aid the submitter. Nebuly described issues with the submitted form von Schwei�guth:

Also, while the LoI is correct in saying that von is German for "of" in names, it is only used to mean "from the place named...". In other words, we need to know that there is a place named Schwei�guth for this name to be correctly constructed. No supporting evidence for a place with that name was presented. In fact, the name Schwei�guth was not properly documented, since no source for the information was provided. It is dated to 1427 in whatever roll of arms (Wappenbuch) the submitter or Atlantian College used, but we are not told which one that was. The only citation I have for Schwei�gut(h) is dated to 1700 in Brechenmacher (q.v.), without the preposition. Since the name Schwei�guth means either "good blood" or "goods gained through sweat/blood", it is unlikely that this is anything other than a nickname.

The College was unable to find support for a period location named Schwei�guth. Lacking such documentation, the submitted form von Schwei�guth is not registerable. Therefore, we have dropped von from the byname in order to register this name. [Susanna Schwei�guth, 02/2004, A-Atlantia]

François la Flamme 2004.02 Submitted as Wolfgang Grothe zu Verron, Verron was documented by the submitter and by the College only as a French place name. As such, the phrase zu Verron combines the German zu with a French place name and, so, violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase. We have changed this byname to the fully French form de Verron in order to register this name. [Wolfgang Grothe de Verron, 02/2004, A-Outlands]
François la Flamme 2004.02 The submitter requested authenticity for "Germanic" 14th to 15th C and allowed no changes to his given name.

This name has two problems. The first is that Jörgen, which was cited from Gentry's English edition of Bahlow (s.n. Jörn), is not a given name. Instead it is a genitive form that effectively means 'George's'; hence Jörgensen 'George's son'. No evidence was found of Jörgen used in a given name position, rather than as part of a patronymic byname, in German in period. Lacking evidence that Jörgen was a form used as a given name in period, it is not registerable.

The second problem with this name is that documentation was only found for Unruh as a descriptive byname meaning 'troublemaker'. The LoI documented Von Unruh from the Gentry's English translation of Bahlow (p. 520 s.n. Unruh). However, that entry turns out to have a translation error. Nebuly explains:

The submitter has misinterpreted the documentation for the byname from Bahlow (s.n. Unruh). The complete entry appears as follows:

Unruh (LGer. Unrau [unrest]), also: von Unruh: 'troublemaker' (Nicclos Unru, Liegnitz 1390, Unrowe, Hildesheim 1368).

The misinterpretation is the result of incomplete translation into English by Gentry. The von at the end of the first line of the entry should have been translated to from, since it is used to indicate the etymology of the byname, and not as part of a byname construction.

The particle von is used in locative bynames that refer to specific placenames, for example von Köln meaning 'of Cologne'. Lacking evidence of Unruh as a German placename in period, the byname Von Unruh is not registerable.

A grammatically correct, and registerable, form of this name would be Jörg Unru or Jörg Unrowe. However, as the submitter allows no changes to his given name, we must return this submission. [Jörgen Von Unruh, 02/2004, R-Æthelmearc]

François la Flamme 2004.01 Listed on the LoI as Otto van Aaken, this name was submitted as Otto von Aachen and changed at Kingdom to better match available documentation. The submitter requested authenticity for 1350 - 1400 German (Rhineland area).

Bahlow (p. 1 s.n. Aaken) dates Heinrich Aken to 1484 and notes that "around 1300, de Aken meant the city of Aachen as a place of origin". Orle notes that

[Name] What [Kingdom] actually did was change it to a Low German spelling. Since the Rhineland is closer to Middle High German for that period I would use von Aken.

Based on the citations in Bahlow and the information provided by Orle, we have changed this byname to the form von Aken to match documented period spellings and to make this name authentic for the submitter's requested time and culture. [Otto von Aken, 01/2004, A-Outlands]

François la Flamme 2003.12 Listed on the LoI as Wilhelm von Bassel, this name was submitted as Wilhelm von Basel. The LoI stated that "The name was originally submitted as Basel, but we [i.e. Kingdom] did not have any documentation to support this formation." This statement implies that the name was originally submitted as Wilhelm  Basel not Wilhelm von Basel, as is clearly shown on the submission form. Additionally, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th to 16th C "German, Landsknecht". This information was not included in the LoI, depriving the College of the ability to properly comment on this name.

We would remind submission heralds that proper summarization of forms, including changes allowed by the submitter and requests for authenticity, is required as part of the LoI. Improper summarization of a submission is cause for return of that submission. The College of Arms has a limited amount of time and all of us are volunteers. Asking the College to evaluate names based on incomplete or entirely missing data is both unfair to the College and a disservice to the submitter.

Orle and Hund both found a dated example of this byname in Brechenmacher (p. 77 s.n. Basel) which dates the form von Basel to 1360. By coincidence rather than intent, since the College was unaware of the submitter's request for authenticity, this dated example show's the submitter's desired form of this byname in his desired period. We have changed his name to this form in order to register his name and to meet his request for authenticity. [Wilhelm von Basel, 12/2003, A-West]

François la Flamme 2003.12 Submitted as Amalie von den Blumen, the submitter requested authenticity for German and allowed minor changes. No evidence was found that von den would be used with Blumen in a byname in period. Instead, the College found that Brechenmacher (p. 165 s.n. Blum) indicates that this surname derived from a house name and dates Haus zem Bluomen to 1393. Bahlow (p. 51 s.n. Blum) dates Nic. zem Blumen 1289 (zem is a contraction of zu dem 'at the'). Lacking evidence that von den Blumen is plausible in period and grammatically correct, we have changed her byname to zu dem Blumen in order to register this name and to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Amalie zu dem Blumen, 12/2003, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2003.11 As submitted, Beorn was documented as Old English and Boghener as German, a mix that has previously been ruled unregisterable due to a lack of evidence of significant contact between speakers of these languages (for a recent discussion of this issue, see Leofric von der Ertheneburg, October 2003 LoAR, Drachenwald's returns).

However, Beorn is also a Swedish name dated to 1200 in Sveriges medeltida personnamn (s.n. Biorn). That form is registerable with a German byname, as there is a weirdness for the lingual combination of Swedish and German in a name, but none for temporal disparity. [Beorn Boghener, 11/2003, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2003.11 This name combines a Norse given name with a German byname. There is a weirdness for the lingual combination, but it is registerable. There was considerable contact between Germany and Denmark, including Danish kings controlling the adjoining parts of modern Germany in the 12th and 13th century.

The submitter requested the German form of Sigurd if one could be found. Bahlow documents several names with the first element Sieg-, but not this name. They include the sound-alike Sighart dated to 1295. However, as it is not the same name, we declined to make that change. [Sigurd Grunewald, 11/2003, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2003.11 This name has several problems. First, Engel was submitted as a feminine name based on a citation in Bahlow (s.n. Engel) of H. domine Engele. However, it is not clear that this is a reference to a given name, let alone a feminine one. Nebuly explains:

There is one citation that Bahlow interprets as a metronym, but I believe this is an error. The citation is:

Occurs as metr.: Heinrich fron Englun = H. domine Engele [= H. of Lady Engel], 1244

I believe this is a misinterpreted reference to Henry III, ruler of England at the time of the citation, and not a reference to someone called "of Lady Engel." This interpretation probably results from a misreading of domina (lady) for dominus (ruler).

Barring clear evidence of Engel as a feminine name, it is only registerable as a masculine name.

Second, the element Irene was justified as a saint's name. However, she is not a Catholic saint, but an Orthodox one. Barring evidence of a cult of Saint Irene in Germany, the name is only justifiable in linguistic traditions in which Orthodox saints were venerated.

Finally Lassin is a hypothetical variant of the undated surname Lassen, which may or may not be a variant of Larsen. No evidence was presented nor could any be found that any form of Lassen was used in German in period. To register this element, the spelling would have to be changed to a documented form.

This name, then, combines a masculine given name with a feminine given name, rendering the name unregisterable. We might consider Irene a matronymic byname, but Lassin appears to be a patronymic form; no evidence has been found for two patronymic bynames in German or for a patronymic and matronymic byname. We cannot drop the element Irene or the element Lassin, as the submitter does not allow major changes. [Engel Irene Lassin, 11/2003, R-East]

François la Flamme 2003.10 Submitted as Gertrude der Afteiker, no evidence was found that the form Afteiker was used in period. We have changed this name to the documented form Apteker in order to register this name.

There was considerable discussion regarding whether the byname der Afteiker was grammatically correct. Bahlow (Gentry trans, p. 18, s.n. Apteker, Afteiker) dates Peter Apteker to 1375, der apteker to 1349, and Franzke der apteker to 1549. In German, an article (such as der 'the') must match the gender of the word it is referring to. For example, the word apteker is masculine. Therefore, in the byname der apteker found in the name Franzke der apteker, apteker takes the article der 'the'. If apteker is used in a woman's byname, the article used is the masculine der 'the' rather than the feminine die 'the', because this article refers to apteker, which is masculine.

As a result, the byname der Apteker is grammatically correct for use with a feminine given name. [Gertrude der Apteker, 10/2003, A-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2003.10 This name combines Old English and German, a combination that was ruled unregisterable due to the lack of documentation of significant contact between these cultures in the January 2003 LoAR.

This submission provided no evidence of significant contact between speakers of Old English and German. While the College found some evidence of contact between the area that is now Germany and Anglo-Norman England, no evidence was found of significant contact between speakers of Old English (rather than Middle English or Anglo-Norman French) and German. Lacking such evidence, the precedent ruling a name combining Old English and German to be unregisterable is upheld.

As the submitter only allowed minor changes, and changing the language of a given name from Old English to Middle English is a major change, we were unable to change Leofric from an Old English form to a Middle English form (such as Leffrich dated to 1240 in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Leverage) in order to register this name.

Additionally, Ertheneburg was documented as the name of a town. As a result, von der Ertheneburg 'of the Ertheneburg' is not grammatically correct. The correct form would be von Ertheneburg 'of Ertheneburg'. [Leofric von der Ertheneburg, 10/2003, R-Drachenwald]

François la Flamme 2003.10 Listed on the LoI as Ghertrud Scharber von Württenberg, this name was submitted as Ghertrud Scharber von Württemberg. We have corrected the last surname. The submitter requested authenticity for the language/culture of Württemberg.

The submitted form Ghertrud is a Low German form of this name. In the region of Württemberg, the dialect spoken was High German rather than Low German. The College found a number of High German forms of this name. Of these, the closest to the submitted Ghertrud was Gertrud found dated to 1282 in Socin (p. 636). We have changed the given name to this form in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Gertrud Scharber von Württemberg, 10/2003, A-Ansteorra]

François la Flamme 2003.09 The submitter requested authenticity for "Late 16th C France - 1595" and allowed minor changes.

Metron Ariston found evidence that the form Odillia is not a French form of this name:

A quick look at the internet confirmed my recollection that Odillia in that spelling is particularly associated with the Germany and the Lowlands in period. The mother of the woman whom Engelbrecht of Nassau married in 1403 appears in sources in Dutch as Odillia, Gravin van Salm and Englebrecht's granddaughter, born in 1437, also bore that given name (members.home.nl/pushkar/kindEngelbrecht.html). I also found an Odillia Wouter van Haren born in 1525 (home.planet.nl/~pete0057/dat18.htm#3) and an Odillia Weidenfeldt born around 1527 (www.camerama.demon.nl/wijd/wijded/). There is evidence that the name made it to England in period as it appears in some lines from The Weakest goeth to the Wall, a play printed in 1600: "Is there no beauty that can please your eye, But the divine and splendant excellence Of my beloved dear Odillia?" (www.bartleby.com/215/1304.html#txt12). Nonetheless, for a purely French name, I would rather expect the form Odile, familiar in a later period from Swan Lake but also in period the French form of the name of the Alsatian abbess and saint.

Based on this information, Odile Marguerite du Parc would be a fully French form of this name. As the submitter only allowed minor changes, and changing the language of an element is a major change, we were unable to change the language of the given name from the German or English Odillia to the French Odile in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Odillia Marguerite du Parc, 09/2003, A-Middle]

François la Flamme 2003.09 Submitted as Michael Ludovicus Dub von Affoltern, Dub was documented as a locative byname. Therefore, this name had two locative bynames, Dub and von Affoltern. Lacking evidence that such a combination is plausible in German, we have dropped the second locative byname in order to register this name. [Michael Ludovicus Dub, 09/2003, A-Meridies]
François la Flamme 2003.09 This name is being returned for combining German and Welsh in a single name which has previously been ruled reason for return (Anton Cwith, August 2001) barring evidence of significant contact between these two cultures. The name Alaric was documented from Withycombe (p. 4 s.n. Alaric). However, this entry gives no indication that the name Alaric was used in English in period. The only period information regarding this name provided by Withycombe is the statement that Alaric was "the name of several kings of the West Goths, notably Alaric I who sacked Rome in A.D. 410." This statement only supports Alaric as an early Germanic name. Lacking evidence that the name Alaric was used in a language whose speakers had significant contact with Welsh speakers, this name is not registerable. [Alaric Morganygg, 09/2003 LoAR, R-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2003.08 Submitted as Wolfgang Günthersohn, the byname Günthersohn was submitted as a constructed byname. Brechenmacher lists a number of examples of this type of name, including: (s.n. Sohn) Henrich Adrians Sohn dated to 1580, (s.n. Jakobsen) Drewes, Jacoppes son zu Lübeck dated to 1335, (s.n. Friedrich) Chuonnrat Friderichs sun zu Hottingen dated to 1313, and (s.n. Wilhelmsen) Jakob Wilhelmes sohne dated to 1526. These examples demonstrate that this construction existed in period. They also show that the expected form would have an s added to the end of the father's name, forming a patronymic such as Günthers sohn. Brechenmacher (s.n. Wolterssohn) also shows an example of the sohn 'son' element appended to the end of the patronym: Jasper Wolterszoen 1573. This example supports a construction such as Güntherssohn. We have changed the submitted byname to this form in order to follow period examples in order to register this name. [Wolfgang Güntherssohn, 08/2003 LoAR, A-�thelmearc]
François la Flamme 2003.08 Submitted as Pierre von Vorman RaKogscy de Saint Germain, there were a number of issues with this name. [...]

As submitted, this combined French (Pierre and de Saint Germain), German (von Vorman), and Hungarian (RaKogscy) in a single name. Lacking evidence that there was a time and place that these three languages would have been spoken at the same time, this combination violates RfS III.1, which states in part, "Each name as a whole should be compatible with the culture of a single time and place."

No documentation was provided and none was found that the byname von Vorman is plausible as a German byname in period. Nebuly explains:

The element Vorman is a German byname meaning "man who lives by the ford", which means that it would not take the preposition von, since Vorman is a description of a person and not the name of a place.

Lacking evidence that the byname Vorman would have included the particle von in period, we have dropped this element in order to register this name. [...]

Lacking support for the form RaKogscy, and lacking evidence that French, German, and Hungarian would plausibly be combined in a name in period, we have dropped this element in order to register this name.

The form Pierre Vorman de Saint Germain also avoids conflict with the submitter's possible mundane use name of Pierre von Vorman d'St. Germain by removal of the element von. [Pierre Vorman de Saint Germain, 08/2003 LoAR, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2003.08 [Household name Haus Tagestërne] Submitted as Tagstern, this submission had a number of problems. This household name was submitted as a constructed word using the modern German words tag 'day' and stern 'star'. No evidence was provided that tagstern is a word in modern German, much less a word used in period. Examples were cited for construction patterns for English inn sign names. However, evidence of a pattern in English is not evidence for the same pattern in German.

Metron Ariston found an Old High German dictionary online that lists tagestërne as a word in Middle High German:

The German parallel formation shown in Bahlow (Deutsches Namenlexikon, s.n. Stern), though undated, is Morgenstern. However, a quick look at the net found an on-line PDF version of an Old High German dictionary where under the letter T at www.koeblergerhard.de/germanistischewoerterbuecher/althochdeutscheswoerterbuch/ahdT.pdf I found the following entry: "tagessterno* 1, ahd., sw. M. (n): nhd. Morgenstern; ne. morning star; �G.: lat. (sidus lucis) N, stella diei N; Hw.: s. tagasterno*; Q.: N (1000); I.: Lüs. lat. Stella diei; E.: s. tag, sterno; W.: s. mhd. tagestërne, sw. M., Morgenstern; nhd. Tagesstern, M., Tagstern, DW 21, 72, 85".

This entry shows that tagestërne is equivalent to Morgenstern. Aryanhwy merch Catmael found Morgenstern as an undated surname in Bahlow:

Bahlow s.n. Morgen says "Morgenstern [morning star] (freq.) can also be interpreted as a house name. <Leydestern> 1327: the Pole Star."

Brechenmacher (p. 286 s.n. Morgenstern) dates Dietrich M. to 1374 and Heinrich M. to 1460, showing forms of Morgenstern were used as surnames in period.

Given the examples of Leydestern and Morgenstern dated to period, combined with the dictionary entry showing tagestërne as a Middle High German word with the same meaning as Morgenstern, it is plausible that Tagestërne could have been used as a surname in period.

As submitted, this household name included no designator, which is required for registration. The LoI noted:

If required, the household indicator Haus may be added to the name (e.g., Tagsternhaus); this follows the naming practices seen in Hoffbrauhaus, a German brewery dated back to 1160 A.D. (http://www.hofbrauhaus-freising.de/).

However, the element -haus in this example is not used in the manner of a designator. Koira explains:

Also, _haus_ in Hofbräuhaus_ is not what we'd call a designator; rather, _Bräuhaus_ is the German word for Brewery, and the entire three-part compound glosses to _Royal Brewery_.

A household name formed from this hypothetical surname Tagestërne would take the form Haus Tagestërne. We have changed this household name to this form in order to register this name. [Edric Longfellow, 08/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2003.08 This submission combines an Old Norse given name with a Middle High German locative byname. Old Norse was still in use in 1100. It is generally agreed that Middle High German came into use before 1100. Therefore, Old Norse and Middle High German were in use at the same time. Given this information, combining Old Norse and Middle High German in a name is registerable, though it is a weirdness. [Tyrfingr von Wolfsberg, 08/2003 LoAR, A-Outlands]
François la Flamme 2003.07 Submitted as Franco Kind von dem Wald, the phrase Kind von dem Wald was submitted with the intended meaning of 'child of the wood(s)'.

Orle found support for a registerable form of this name, though not with the submitter's desired meaning:

Suprisingly, this is registerable in the form given, descriptive, locative. Franco is from the 10th century. Bahlow page 294 s.n. Kind gives Ludwig das kind died 911. A side note that kind means child in Old High German. Brechenmacher page 41 s.n Kind gives Cuonr. qui cognomine Chint 1202. This looks like the descriptive for someone with the mind of a child. Bahlow page 589 s.n. Wald gives the form 'of the woods' in Wernher zu dem Walde from 1361. I recommend Franco Kind zu dem Walde.

We have changed the byname to the form suggested by Orle in order to register this name. In this form, the meaning of the bynames Kind and zu dem Walde do not combine. Rather than 'child of the wood(s)', these bynames simply mean that Franco is childlike (or that his inherited byname is Kind 'child') and that he comes from a wooded area. [Franco Kind zu dem Walde, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2003.07 Submitted as Jürgen Weiterschein von Landstuhl, the byname Weiterschein was submitted as a constructed byname using elements from Bahlow, specifically Weiter (p. 602) meaning 'dyer' and schein (p. 485) meaning 'gleaming, bright, shining'. No evidence was provided to demonstrate that these elements would be combined in a byname in period. Lacking such evidence, we have dropped the element -schein from this byname in order to register this name. [Jürgen Weiter von Landstuhl, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Calontir]
François la Flamme 2003.07 Submitted as Steavean die Glaubingen, the submitter requested authenticity for 15th C German and allowed any changes.

Steavean is the submitter's legal middle name. As it is a variant of Steven it is registerable in a given name position. Talan Gwynek's article "Medieval German Given Names From Silesia" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/) lists a number of forms of the name Steven dated to the 15th C including Steffan and Stephan.

The byname die Glaubingen was submitted with the intended meaning 'the Faithful'. Glubigen is plural, and so would not appear in a byname. The College found examples of a period byname based on this root in Bahlow (p. 174 s.n. Glaube) which gives the meaning of this byname as 'a believer' and dates Nic. Glaub to 1348 and Lotze Glaube to 1373.

As the submitter requested authenticity for 15th C German, we have changed this name to Steffan Glaube in order to meet his request. [Steffan Glaube, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Lochac]

François la Flamme 2003.07 Submitted as Bjorn Krom von Hakenberg, Hakenberg was documented as a Danish rendering of a German placename found in Knudsen, Kirstensen, and Hornby, Danmarks Gamle Personnavne (column 400, s.n. Hakenberg), which dates Hans Haghenberch to 1429, Bernd Hakenbergh to 1464, Bernd Hakenbergs to 1468 (the source notes the byname is in genitive case in this example), Bernt Hackenberg to 1470, and Bernd Hakenberg to 1481. This submission noted von as an attempt at a Danish word for 'of/from' and requested help in correcting this element. The particle von is German while Hakenberg is documented as Danish. As a result, the byname von Hakenberg violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency in a name phrase, and so is not registerable. As all of the Danish examples of bynames referring to Hakenberg do not use a particle, we have registered this byname without a particle in order to follow the standard Danish usage for this name. [Bjorn Krom Hakenberg, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2003.07 Submitted as Amelie von Prague, the submitter requested authenticity for the 9th to 13th C and allowed any changes. She did not specify a desired culture, but her form lists Amelie as German.

The submitter's form documents Amelie as a German form of Amelia found in Withycombe (p. 19). This is incorrect. Withycombe lists Amalie as a German form and Amélie as a French form. In addition, Withycombe's strength lies in English. In most cases, when she is referring to names that are not in English, she is referring to modern forms. Black Pillar found support for a similar form near the submitter's desired time period:

If the submitter wants a German name, <Amalie> is dated to 1349 in Talan Gwynek's "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia", (http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/bahlow_v.htm).

Prague is the English name for this city. The German form is Prag (per Brechenmacher, p. 197 s.n. Prager). Therefore, the submitted byname von Prague combines German and English in a single name phrase and so violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase. The completely German form of this byname would be von Prag. The completely English form of this byname would be of Prague. Bahlow (p. 421 s.n. Prager) also dates Karel der Prager to 1272 and Herman Prager to 1362, showing forms of Prager 'person from Prague' in and near the submitter's desired time period.

We have changed this name to the fully German form Amalie von Prag to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Amalie von Prag, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Lochac]

François la Flamme 2003.07 The submitter requested authenticity for 10th to 11th C Germanic and allowed any changes. The byname Sigfridsson was documented to the 17th C as Swedish. While no documentation was found of Sigfridsson as a German byname in period, it follows a documented patronymic construction pattern found in German.

Sigfrid is dated to 1310 as a masculine given name in German in Talan Gwynek's article "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia, Men's Names" (http://www.s_gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/bahlowMasc.html). German bynames ending in forms of sohn 'son' are rare, but do occur. Brechenmacher lists a number of examples of this type of name, including (s.n. Sohn) Henrich Adrians Sohn dated to 1580, (s.n. Jakobsen) Drewes, Jacoppes son zu Lübeck dated to 1335, (s.n. Friedrich) Chuonnrat Friderichs sun zu Hottingen dated to 1313, and (s.n. Wilhelmsen) Jakob Wilhelmes sohne dated to 1526. These examples demonstrate that this construction existed in period. They also show that the expected form would have an s added to the end of the father's name, forming a patronymic such as Sigfrids son. Brechenmacher (s.n. Wolterssohn) also shows an example of the sohn 'son' element appended to the end of the patronym: Jasper Wolterszoen 1573. This example supports a construction such as Sigfridsson.

As we were unable to find evidence that any of the elements in this name were used in German in the submitter's desired time period, we were unable to make this name authentic for the submitter's requested time and culture. [Brian Sigfridsson von Niedersachsen, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2003.07 The particle vom is a contraction of von dem 'of the'. Since Adlersberg is a town name, the grammatically correct form of this byname is von Adlersberg 'of Adlersberg' rather than vom Adlersberg 'of the Adlersberg'. We have made this correction to the byname in order to register this name. [Carolin von Adlersberg, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2003.06 There was some question regarding the registerability of this name because Uther was submitted as a Welsh given name in an otherwise German name. Names combining Welsh and German have been ruled unregisterable (Anton Cwith, 08/01, A-Ansteorra).

The name Uther is found in Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur as the name of Arthur's father. As such, is is a literary name known in English. Precedent allows registration of Arthurian names:

Current precedent is to accept the names of significant characters from period Arthurian literature as there is a pattern of such names being used in England and France in period. [Bedivere de Byron, 06/99, A-Atlantia]

Therefore, this name is registerable as an English given name in an otherwise German name. Combining English and German in a name is registerable, though it is a weirdness. [Uther Schiemann der Hunt, 06/2003 LoAR, A-West]

François la Flamme 2003.06 Submitted as Gustav Zizka, the submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Hussite (German/Czech). Gustav was documented from Withycombe. As previously stated:

Withycombe's strength lies in English. In most cases, when she is referring to names that are not in English, she is referring to modern forms. As such, any undated references in Withycombe to forms of names in other languages ought to have additional support. [Anton Cwith, 08/01, A-Ansteorra]

German sources make it clear that Gustav was borrowed from Swedish; the College was unable to find evidence that it was used as a German given name before 1600. The spellings Gustaf and G�staff are found in Swedish (in Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn, vol. 9 s.n. G�tstaf). We have changed the given name to a form documented to period in order to register this name.

Zizka is documented as a Czech byname. As there was extensive contact between Sweden and Czechoslovakia, including a large number of Swedes studying at the University of Prague, the combination of Swedish and Czech is registerable, though a weirdness. However, lacking evidence that any form of Gustav was used in German or Czech, we could not make this name authentic for Hussites (German/Czech) as requested by the submitter. [Gustaf Zizka, 06/2003 LoAR, A-Trimaris]

François la Flamme 2003.06 [Household name Die Roten Dracken Kompanie] Listed on the LoI as Kompanie Röter Drachen, this name was submitted as Rote Drachen. The grammar was corrected at Kingdom and a designator added. The LoI did a good job of communicating the submitter's wishes regarding this name:

He intends this submission for a household fighting unit connected with House Drachenholz, which was registered in Oct. '96. He will allow any changes, but wishes to keep the element Drachen in the name. The meaning is intended to be "Red Dragons".

The elements for this name were documented from a modern German dictionary. The German language has changed over time and not everything in modern German is appropriate for period. Orle provided information regarding a period form of this name:

The idea is plausible as a German house name for registration uses. Kompanie: Brechenmacher page 88 s.n. Kompan gives Middle High German komp�n meaning companions or comrades. Röter: Bahlow page 468 s.n. Roth gives der rote czymmerman 1413 as the red carpenter. Drachen: Brechenmacher page 336 s.n. Drachenhand gives Drackenhand from 1367 and s.n. Drackenstein gives Middle High German dracke for dragon.

Die Roten Dracken Kompanie is the closest form I can get.

The change from Rote 'Red' to Roten 'Red' occurs because it is an adjective that modifies a plural noun ('Dragons'). We have changed this name to the form suggested by Orle to correct the grammar and use a construction plausible for period. [Erich von Drachenholz, 06/2003 LoAR, A-Caid]

François la Flamme 2003.05 Submitted as Enneleyn Wagner, the submitter requested authenticity for "Germany" and allowed minor changes. None of the period forms of this byname found by the College were spelled -gn-. Bahlow (p. 531 s.n. Wagner) dates wagener to 1372, with other forms showing the capital W at the beginning of this byname. Therefore, we have changed this byname to Wagener in order to use a period spelling and so meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Enneleyn Wagener, 05/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2003.05 Submitted as Adriana von Grimm, all period examples found of this byname have an e on the end of the byname. Metron Ariston explains:

While Bahlow in the place cited primarily notes examples where Grimm is a descriptive, he does cite two period examples with a prepositional form: Wulfard von Grimme from 1284 and Jorge von Grymme from 1491. However, both of these use a clear dative form so I would register this as Adriana von Grimme.

We have changed this byname to von Grimme to match the documented examples. [Adriana von Grimme, 05/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2003.04 Submitted as Wulfgang Moennich von Luppin, the submitter requested authenticity for German and allowed minor changes. The documentation provided supports Monnich, not Moennich. We have made this change in order to register this name. [Wolfgang Monnich von Luppin, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2003.04 [Household name Der Drachenbrüder] This household name is being returned for multiple issues.

The LoI stated that the submitter believed that Der Drachenbrüder meant 'The Fraternity/Brotherhood of the Dragon'. In this name, the only element that could be considered a designator would be the element -brüder 'fraternity/brotherhood'. As designators are transparent for conflict purposes, this name would conflict with Dragon Principal Herald (registered in December 1975 to the Middle). The designator in this heraldic title is Principal Herald. The substantive portions of these names are Drachen- and Dragon respectively, and there is insufficient difference in both look and sound between these two elements.

The LoI provided documentation for two period fraternities: Marxbruder 'Brotherhood/Fraternity of [St.] Mark' and Lux Bruder 'Brotherhood/Fraternity of [St.] Luke'. This documentation supports a construction combining a saint's name with the element -bruder or Bruder. No documentation was provided and none was found to support using 'dragon' in place of a saint's name in this construction. Lacking such evidence, this household name is not registerable. [Thorgrimr inn kyrri, 04/2003 LoAR, R-Atlantia]

François la Flamme 2003.08 Submitted as Fredrick Kober von Rostock, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th to 15th C German and allowed minor changes. Fredrick was documented as a Low German form while the remainder of the name was documented as High German. In period, a person with this name would have had their name written in Low German or in High German depending upon the language in which their name was recorded. We have registered this name in a fully High German form in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Frederich Kober von Rostock, 08/2003 LoAR, A-Meridies]
François la Flamme 2003.04 Submitted as Curwinus Treverorensis, the submitter requested authenticity for 9th to 10th C Germanic. The only documentation provided on the LoI for the byname was the statement, "The surname is an adjectival form of the Roman name of the Gallo-Germanic city of Trier."

Metron Ariston provided information about Latin forms of Trier:

The only instance I could find on the net of the adjectival form Treverorensis was in this gentle's name. The classical name of the town was Augusta Treverorum. The usual period and modern Latinization of Trier is Trevirensis or Treuirensis. This is the form used in the Latin name of the Diocese of Trier (Dioecesis Trevirensis in the listing of contacts at www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dtrie.html). It is commonly used in early manuscripts and printed books and in Sebastian of Munster's Cosmographiae Universalis of 1550 the depiction of Trier is labeled "Situs & figura antiquissimae & praecipuae Medioniatricum ciuitatis Treuirensis".

Lacking evidence that Treverorensis is a period form, we have changed this byname to Trevirensis in order to register this name. As we were unable to find forms of either of the elements in this name used in 9th to 10th C Germanic, we were unable to make this name authentic for the submitter's requested time and culture. [Curwinus Trevirensis, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]

François la Flamme 2003.04 Submitted as Strom Arenvald, the submitter requested authenticity for 13th to 15th C "German or Scandinavian" and allowed any changes. As documentation was only found for Strom in Russian, we were unable to make this name authentic for the submitter's desired culture. Metron Ariston did find a similar sounding name in German. We have included that information here as a courtesy to the submitter:

The nearest I could come to this form from Germany was Saint Sturmius, the first abbot of Fulda (see the article on Fulda in the Catholic Encyclopedia at www.newadvent.org/cathen/06313b.htm).

Regarding the submitted byname Arenvald, the only support found for this spelling was in Withycombe, as noted by Metron Ariston:

The usual source cited for Old German Arenvald is Withycombe (Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names) who under Arnold notes "Old German Arenvald, compound of Arin 'eagle', and vald 'power'."

Withycombe's strengths lie in English. In this case, her information does not agree with that in Bahlow. Hund provided the information that Bahlow and Brechenmacher have regarding this name:

According to Balhow under Arnwaldt does not mean Arnold as -waldt and -old are significantly different. However, it can be construed as a place name like Buch-wald, usw.. Brechenmacher under Arnswald(e) has Arneswold dated to 1358 and Arnswold dated to 1400, both as surnames.

Lacking support for the form Arenvald other than in the reference in Withycombe, we have changed this byname to the period form Arneswold in order to register this name. [Strom Arneswold, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Caid]

François la Flamme 2003.04 The submitter requested authenticity for the 14th C and allowed any changes. The submission documented the given names Anna and Lyse as German and the byname Warwick as English. No evidence was found that either German or English used double given names in the 14th C. Additionally, Lyse was documented only to the 15th C. As Anna was used in both English and German, we would have dropped the given name Lyse in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. However, doing so would bring this name into conflict with Anne of Warwick, queen to Richard III. Therefore, we have registered this name as submitted, but were unable to make it authentic for the 14th C as requested by the submitter. [Anna Lyse Warwick, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Middle]
François la Flamme 2003.04 Submitted as Ulbrecht vom Wald, the submitter requested authenticity for 7th C German. As this request was not included in the LoI, the College did not have the opportunity to provide commentary regarding authentic forms of this name for that language and time period.

No documentation was included on the LoI for the byname vom Wald except the statement "'of the forest' (this is a contraction of von dem Wald, and the one concern is that the contraction might be a post-period practice)". Multiple members of the College found documentation for this byname. For example, Sommelier commented:

Bahlow/Gentry 2nd (sn Wald(e), p.532) has Hans vorm Walde dated to 1471 and Wernher zu dem Walde dated to 1361. In the same source (sn Ulbrich(t), p. 518), Ulbrecht (Albrecht) Gryfstete is dated 1379-86 and Ulbrecht Gei�eler is dated 1482.

The information found by the College consistently shows Walde as the form of this word used in bynames. We have made this change in order to register this name. The commentary provided by the College supports Ulbrecht vom Walde as a late 14th C or 15th C German name. Lacking information about how this name might appear in 7th C German, we do not know if it is authentic for that time and culture. [Ulbrecht vom Walde, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2003.04 Submitted as Wolfräth Jäger, no evidence was found to support Wolfräth as a period variant of the documented Wolfrath. We have dropped the umlaut in order to register this name. [Wolfrath Jäger, 04/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2003.03 Submitted as Richenza von Augsberg, no documentation was presented and none was found to support Augsberg rather than the documented Augsburg. Lacking such documentation, we have changed this name to the documented Augsburg in order to register this name. [Richenza von Augsburg, 03/2003, A-West]
François la Flamme 2003.02 Listed on the LoI as Alvegard van Bomwedded, the submission form lists the form Bomwedde. The form Bomwedde is supported by the submitted documentation. We have, therefore, corrected this name to the submitted form Bomwedde. [Alvegard van Bomwedde, 02/2003 LoAR, A-West]
François la Flamme 2003.02 This name introduces a single German element Johannes in an otherwise Frisian name. In a name that consists of more than two elements, it makes sense to judge the construction of the name in terms of the language of the majority of the elements in the name. Therefore, the construction of this name must be evaluated as a Frisian name. No evidence has been presented that double given names were found in Frisian. Therefore, this name cannot be registered as submitted.

As the submitter does not allow major changes, we cannot drop the second given name Johannes to register the name. [Douwe Johannes Brongersma, 02/2003 LoAR, R-Drachenwald]

François la Flamme 2003.02 Submitted as Ivak Martsch, Martsch was submitted as an undated form found in Bahlow (s.n. Martsch(ke), Martschick). This entry dates Marzik to 1376 in Prague. However, no evidence was found that the form Martsch was used in period. Nebuly explains:

[T]he byname is an undated German form of a Czech given name (Bahlow, s.n. Martsch(ke)). The spelling and grammar of the byname are certainly wrong for Czech and probably for Russian as well. [...]

There are some close forms in Polish (Rymut, s.n. Marcin) including Marcinek 1224, Marcisz 1374, Marciesz 1375, Marc 1400, Mercisz 1411, and others. Of these forms, Marc is pronounced most like the submitted one, but the spelling may not appeal to the submitter.

As the submitter allows minor changes, we have changed the byname from the undated form Martsch to the dated form Marzik. As this change does not change the language of the byname, it falls within the changes allowed as a minor change. [Ivak Marzik, 02/2003 LoAR, A-Æthelmearc]

François la Flamme 2003.02 The submitter requested authenticity for 1500s Alsatia, Germany, and allowed minor changes. The LoI stated that Drucker "is intended to be an occupational byname meaning 'printer.' Drucker is the modern German word for printer, but we were unable to find a period form of this word."

The College found evidence of Dr�ck- / Dr�cke-, meaning 'press', used as a protheme in period German occupational bynames. Sommelier found some examples of these types of names: "Bahlow Gentry 2nd on p. 87 under Dr�ckhammer (press hammer) dates Dr�cketunne (press the barrel/ = cooper) 1377 and Dr�ckebeker (press the beaker) 1379." However, no evidence was found that Drucker was used as a byname in period. Lacking evidence that Drucker is a plausible byname in period, it is not registerable. [Magdelena Drucker, 02/2003 LoAR, R-Æthelmearc]

François la Flamme 2003.02 Submitted as Herman von Mandel, no evidence was found that a place named Mandel existed in period. Metron Ariston explains:

The examples in Bahlow do not include any exemplars of Mandel as a place name. He does show Mandelkern as a grocer name from 1312 and Mandelmann from 1336, both being derived from the usage of Mandel as the German for almond. He also cites Mandel Rubeyn from 1408 and Peter Mandl from 1399. Based on that, the likely period form would be Herman Mandel or Herman Mandl.

Lacking evidence that Mandel was a placename in period, the byname von Mandel is not registerable. As the submitter allows any changes, we have dropped the particle von in order to register this name. [Herman Mandel, 02/2003 LoAR, A-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2003.01 This name was submitted as three given names and a locative byname. No documentation has been presented and none has been found supporting the use of three given names in German. Lacking such evidence, three given names are not registerable in German. Since patronymic bynames in German were sometimes formed simply by using the father's given name, Joder can be viewed as a patronymic byname. Therefore, this name is registerable as two given names, a patronymic byname, and a locative byname. [Simon Caspar Joder von Steffisburg, 01/2003 LoAR, A-East]
François la Flamme 2003.01 Listed on the LoI as Anna von Regensburg, this name was submitted as Anya Von Regensberg and changed at Kingdom to match documented forms. Sommelier found information regarding the submitter's originally submitted given name:

The March 2000 LoAR noted "Listed on the Letter of Intent as Anna Mstislavlyaya, the forms listed Annya Mstislavlyaya and the submitter originally requested Anya. As Anya is a reasonable spelling variant of Annya, we are registering the originally requested form." Annya appears in "Yorkshire Given Names from 1379" by Talan Gwynek (http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/yorkshire.html).

Given this information, Anya is registerable as an English feminine given name. As the submitter allows any changes, we have returned the given name to the submitted form Anya. [Anya von Regensburg, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Caid]

François la Flamme 2003.01 Submitted as Katheryn von Schlegel, this submission was an appeal of changes made to this name when it was registered in the November 2001 LoAR as Katheryn Slegel.

The submitter provided documentation supporting Schlegel as her legal surname. With this documentation, she may use the Legal Name Allowance to register Schlegel in a surname position in her SCA name. However, the Legal Name Allowance only supports registration of the name element in the exact form in which it appears in the submitter's legal name. Therefore, the Legal Name Allowance allows her to register Schlegel as a byname, but it does not allow her to register von Schlegel because von Schlegel is not part of her legal name.

To register von Schlegel, documentation would need to be provided that von Schlegel was used as a byname in period or that Schlegel was the name of a town in period. Documentation was provided for two individuals whose surnames were von Schlegel. However, these people were born in 1697 and 1772 and so do not support von Schlegel as a surname before 1600 or even 1650. Documentation was also provided for modern locations in Germany named Schlegel. No evidence was found that these locations date to period. Bahlow (p. 493 s.n. Schlegel) indicates that this byname means 'hammer'. Given this information, it seems unlikely that a period location was named Schlegel. Lacking evidence of a period place with this name, the byname von Schlegel is not registerable.

We have dropped the particle von and registered her byname in the form Schlegel, as permitted under the Legal Name Allowance, in order to register this name. [Katheryn Schlegel, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2003.01 Submitted as Wolfram Jäger von Darmstadt, the submitter requested authenticity for 1300-1400 German and allowed any changes. Brechenmacher (s.n. Darmstädter) dates the form Darmesteder to 1334. As Darmesteder is the term for a person from this town, the corresponding form of this town name would be Darmested. We have changed the byname to use this form to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Wolfram Jäger von Darmested, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Meridies]
François la Flamme 2003.01 Submitted as Liuedai von Regensburg, this name combined Liuedai, which is a Latinized form of an Old English name, with the German byname von Regensburg. Lacking evidence that Anglo-Saxon England had significant contact with Germany, a name combining Old English and German is not registerable. We have changed the given name to the Middle English form Luveday (dated to 1205 in Reaney & Wilson, p. 285 s.n. Loveday), in order to register this name. [Luveday von Regensburg, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2003.01 Submitted as Thorgrim van de K�benhavn, the submitter requested authenticity for Danish and allowed any changes. The submitted byname van de K�benhavn combines van de, which appears in both Dutch and Low German, with K�benhavn, which is modern Danish. Because of this mix, this byname violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency in a name phrase. Metron Ariston provided information about period Danish forms of this name:

K�benhavn is the official modern Danish name for the city according to the official list of Danish place names published by the University of Copenhagen (K�benhavns Universitet) at levende.kms.dk/su/h-l.pdf. However, histories of the city at www.aok.dk/E/G/CPHDK/0000/03/86/ and www.danbbs.dk/~erikoest/cph_info.htm#CopenhagenCityHistory indicate the city was originally known in the medieval period as either simply Havn or later in medieval Danish as K�bmannehavn (Merchant's Harbor). The current name is an obvious derivation of the latter form.

From this information, af Havn and af K�bmannehavn are period Danish forms of this byname. As the latter is closer to the submitted form, we have changed the byname to this form in order to register this name and to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Thorgrim af K�bmannehavn, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Outlands]

François la Flamme 2003.01 The submitter requested authenticity for Polish. The documentation submitted indicates that Wilhelm "is dated to 1423 in the Slownik Staropolskich Nazw Osobowych [VI: 96]". (This source is often abbreviated as SSNO.) Aryanhwy merch Catmael inquired of several people regarding aspects of this name and SSNO in general. Among the commentary she passed on was information from Talan Gwynek, who explained that "some of the documents cited in SSNO are actually in German and use Germanized forms even of some native Polish names". Given this information, the example of Wilhelm that appears in SSNO may be from a German record of a Polish person. As we were unable to confirm that Wilhelm was actually used as a Polish form of William, we were unable to confirm that this name is authentic for Polish as requested by the submitter. [Wilhelm Michalik, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Middle]
François la Flamme 2003.01 This name is being returned for two issues.

No documentation was presented and none was found that Freiderich is a plausible period variant of the documented given name Friederich. Nebuly explains:

There is no given name Freidrich in German. According to Bahlow, Freidrich derives from the surname Freudenreich (q.v.). The documentation cites page 147 of Bahlow, but that page only documents Friedrich, which is a different name.

Lacking evidence that Freidrich is a plausible period variant of the given name Friedrich, it is not registerable as a given name.

The particle aus has previously been reason for return:

It does not appear that aus was used as a locative preposition in period names; the apparent examples in Brechenmacher, Etmologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Familiennamen, were long ago shown to be descriptions, not part of the cited names. [Monika aus Ritters Kreuzung, LoAR August 1997, R-Meridies]

The examples referred to in Brechenmacher are modern editorial descriptions. Lacking evidence that aus was used in personal names in period (rather than the documented von), it is not registerable. Bahlow (p. 57 s.n. Bremer) dates von Bremen to 1605.

A plausible German name combining all of these elements would be Friedrich Hirsch von Bremen. As the submitter allowed no changes, we were unable to address issues with this name. [Freidrich der Hirsch aus Bremen, 01/2003 LoAR, R-Calontir]

François la Flamme 2002.12 The only documentation provided for the byname von Heisenberg on the LoI was:

The only reference Bahlow gives to Heisenberg is as the surname of the 20th C physicist, with a reference to Old Norse (p. 223). Given the construction, it seems logical as a coined place name ("Heise/n Mountain"), so that von could be included in the name.

This statement does not provide evidence that Heisenberg is a plausible formal name for a German placename in period because it (1) does not show that a place named Heisenberg existed in period, and (2) does not show placenames that did exist in period and demonstrate that a place named Heisenberg follows the same construction pattern and so would be a plausible period placename. Lacking evidence that Heisenberg follows a pattern of a German placename in period, the byname von Heisenberg is not registerable.

If the submitter is interested in a similar sounding placename, he may wish to know that Brechenmacher (s.n. Eisenberg) dates Ysenburg to 1331. [Gregor von Heisenberg, 12/2002, R-Atenveldt]

François la Flamme 2002.11 Submitted as Kunetil der Bogenschutze, Bogenschutze was documented as a word meaning 'archer' from a modern English-German/German-English dictionary. Evidence that a word exists in modern German is not documentation for use of that word as a period byname. Brechenmacher (p. 172 s.n. Bogenschütz) dates Dietz Bogenschütz to 1435 and Jakob Bogenschütz to 1499. We have changed the byname to the documented form Bogenschütz, in order to register this name. Lacking evidence that der would have been used with Bogenschütz, we have omitted it from this name. [Kunetil Bogenschütz, 11/2002, A-Æthelmearc]
François la Flamme 2002.11 Submitted as Arkell von Cophus, examples of this byname in period either have no preposition or forms including the definite article dem 'the'. The reason is that a kaufhaus is a generic noun referring to a place where goods are bought and sold. Proper nouns such as the names of towns can take the preposition von when used to form locative bynames. As kaufhaus is not a proper noun but a generic locative reference, von dem 'of the' (or the contraction vom) is appropriate. The submitter specifically allowed the change from von to vom. We have made this change in order to register this name. [Arkell vom Cophus, 11/2002, A-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2002.11 [Haus vom Cophus] Submitted as Haus von Cophus, we have changed the preposition from von to vom, as the submitter specifically allows. A discussion of von versus vom in the byname von Cophus is given in the name registration for Arkell vom Cophus above. As an inherited surname may include the preposition vom, this house name is registerable using the construction Haus + inherited surname. [Arkell vom Cophus, 11/2002, A-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2002.11 Submitted as Heinrich Brummbar, the submitter requested authenticity for Deutsch (German) - Swabia 1300-1450 and allowed minor changes. The College was unable to find evidence that the form Brummbar is a period form. However, Bahlow (p. 66 s.n. Brummer) and Brechenmacher (p. 231 s.n. Brummelb�r) both date the longer form Brummelbar to 1366. We have changed the byname to this form to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Heinrich Brummelbar, 11/2002, A-An Tir]
François la Flamme 2002.11 The submitter requested authenticity for 1550-1590s Germany. The College was unable to find examples of forms of Katherine in German in the 16th C. This is likely mainly due to lack of accessibility of records for that time period. Earlier forms were found in Brechenmacher (s.n. Kathr(e)iner), which dates Katharina Kathrinerin to 1420, and in Talan Gwynek's article "Medieval German Given Names From Silesia" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/), s.n. Katherine, which dates Katherin to 1337 and Katheryn to 1383. Red Hawk also found that "Socin, pg. 91, shows several variations of <Katherina> [1245, 1256, 1283, 1288, 1290; <Katrina> 1286; <Katerina> 1287, 1290, 1291, 1294, 1300; <Chaterina> 1299; <Katerine> 1276, 1278, 1296, 1297; and <Keterina> 1294". Given these examples, Katrin is plausible as a period German diminutive of Katherine. As variation between an initial C and K was documented for German given names in period, Catrin is also plausible. [Catrin von Berlin, 11/2002, A-Outlands]
François la Flamme 2002.10 Listed on the LoI as Franz Belgraunde die Maus, this name was submitted as Franz Belgraunde Das Mause and changed at Kingdom to correct the grammar.

[...]

Maus was documented as a header form in Brechenmacher. However, all period forms of the name Maus, as well as those that include -maus or Maus- as an element, found by the College use the spelling Mus (-mus, Mus-). Therefore, as Maus does not seem to be a period form, we have changed the byname to use the element Mus in order to register this name. [Franz Belgrand die Mus, 10/2002, A-Æthelmearc]

François la Flamme 2002.10 [Household name F�hnlein Lintwurm]Submitted as F�hnlein Lindwurm, the submitter requested authenticity for German language/culture and allowed minor changes.

Documentation has been presented supporting F�hnlein as a period term for a particular type of German military unit. Given this information, it is acceptable as a household designator.

Currently, we know little about the actual naming of German military units in period. In the case of this submission, Lindwurm was documented as a house name that became a surname. Bahlow (s.n. Lindwurm) lists Lindwurm as a house name and dates Clesel zuo dem Lintworme to 1368 and Nickel Lintwurm to 1429. We are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt and assuming that a German military company could have been referred to by its commander's surname (as was done in other countries). As the dated spellings that were found use t rather than d, we have changed the spelling Lindwurm to Lintwurm to partially meet the submitter's request for authenticity. Lacking more detailed information regarding the naming of German military companies in period, we are unable to confirm that this name is completely authentic for German as requested by the submitter. [Ludwig Grün, 10/2002, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2002.10 This name is being returned for lack of documentation of Engelhaus, which was submitted as a constructed byname. Nebuly explains the problem with the documentation:
The documentation for the byname Engelhaus is confusing. The LoI cites a number of -haus names from Brechenmacher, but does not provide the meanings of any of them. The Engel- names are also misinterpreted. The element engel- is an Old Germanic protheme, found as the first half of many early names, such as Engelbald, Engelbert, Engelfrid, etc. In each case, the standard protheme engel- is combined with a standard deutero- theme, such as -bald, -bert, or -frid to form a given name. It should be noted that -haus is not a standard deuterotheme.

A second line of reasoning has been intermingled in the LoI and confused with this first line described above. The LoI claims that Engelmann would mean "Man of Angels", but that is not what Bahlow says (q.v.). The name is actually a short form of various Engel- names, and would therefore mean "the guy named Engel-something." A third line of reasoning inserted in the LoI is based on Engelsohn meaning "Son of Angels", but again that is an erroneous translation. The byname is a patronym meaning "son of a guy named Engel-something."

To summarize, there is insufficient support in the LoI for the hypothetical byname Engelhaus. All the cited examples upon which the byname is erroneously based are patronyms, which Engelhaus could not be.

Lacking evidence that Engelhaus is a plausible period byname, it is not registerable. [Gunther Engelhaus, 10/2002, R-East]

François la Flamme 2002.09 This name is being returned for lack of a given name by the precedent:

While Aurich is found in Bahlow's Deutsches Nameslexikon, it is as a place name, not a given name, leaving the submitter with no given name. Since a given name is required, we are returning it for lack of a given name. [Aurich Greim, 06/99].

If the submitter is interesed in the sound of Aurich, he may wish to consider the name "Erich, a German masculine given name dated to the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries in multiple examples on p. 123 of Bahlow (s.n. Erich)", suggested by Bright Leaf. [Aurich Rivenhall, 09/2002 LoAR, R-Caid]

François la Flamme 2002.09 There was some question whether a locative byname that referenced the name of a river was plausible in German. Edda Gentry's translation of Bahlow lists several entries with dated examples of bynames referencing river names. Some of these include:

Bahlow (p. 390 s.n. Odermann) gives this name as referencing the Oder River and dates Tile Oderman to 1351, Peter von der Oder to 1399, and P. Oderer to 1352.

Bahlow (p. 379 s.n. Necker(mann)) gives this name as referencing the Neckar River and dates Heincze vom Necker to 1387 and Dyme am Neckar to 1343.

Bahlow (p. 625 s.n. Wuppermann) gives this name as referencing the Wupper River, which was orginally called the Wipper River, and dates Nolde by der Wupper to 1466 and Tile von der Wipper to 1434.

Given these examples, the submitted form of this name is both registerable and authentic for German, as requested by the submitter. [Falko von der Weser, 09/2002 LoAR, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2002.09 Basecg was only documented from Savage's The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, which is a modern translation. Metron Ariston found information regarding this name:

The given name usually appears in the Chronicles as Bagsecg o[r] Bachsecg and the only exemplar I could find was the Norse prince killed at the Battle of Ashdown in 871.

So Bagsecg and Bachsecg are Old English forms of the name of a Norse prince who died in 871. This submission combines this given name with the byname von Basel, which is Middle High German. Lacking evidence that mixing Old English and Middle High German is plausible in a single name, this combination is not registerable. As the submitter indicated that sound was most important, he may be interested in the option found by Hund:

Balhow under B�secke has the Beseke (=Basilius) von der gartow from 1342 another 14th century citation of which is Baseke, Brechenmacher also has "von Basel" as submitted from 1360, thus a fully documented German 14th century name would be Baseke von Basel.

As the submitter only allowed minor changes, we were unable to change this name to the German form suggested by Hund in order to register this name. [Basecg von Basel, 09/2002 LoAR, R-An Tir]

François la Flamme 2002.09 Submitted as Stefan de Sanglier, the submitter intended the name to mean 'Stefan the Boar' and requested authenticity for 12th to 14th C, but specified no culture. The particle de, meaning 'of', would not be used in a descriptive byname. We have changed it to le, meaning 'the', in order to register this name and to give the submitter his desired meaning.

This name combines a German given name with a French byname. In period, this name would have been rendered all in German or all in French depending upon the language of the document in which the name was recorded. Colm Dubh's article "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris" (http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/paris.html) lists Estienne le chaucier. Estienne le Sanglier would be a completely French form of this name. Lacking a German form of the byname, we are unable to suggest a completely German form of this name. As the submitter only allows minor changes, we have not changed the language of the given name to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Stefan le Sanglier, 09/2002 LoAR, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2002.09 Submitted as Gericke von Keger, no evidence was found that Keger was the formal name of a location (as opposed to a generic term referring to a bog or moor). Lacking evidence that Keger was the formal name of a location, it is not registerable with the particle von. We have changed the byname to follow the form found in Brechinmacher (s.n. Keger), which dates Ruod. der Keger to 1293, in order to register this name. [Gericke der Keger, 09/2002 LoAR, A-East]
François la Flamme 2002.09 Submitted as Ludwig von Eisburg, Eisburg was submitted as a constructed placename. The LoI noted that if Eisburg was not registerable, he would accept changing the placename to Eisenburg. The LoI referenced a number of German towns whose names begin with Eisen- or Eis- and stated that "the former means 'iron' and the latter 'ice'". Bright Leaf found information regarding placenames using Eisen- and Eis-:

None of the names beginning with Eis- in either Bahlow or Brechenmacher seem to have anything to do with ice. Rather, they are mostly shortened forms of names beginning with Eisen- (iron). For example, Bahlow, DN, p. 115, notes that, while Eisbein is the modern form, it derives from Eisenbein, a descriptive byname probably used for someone who had leg armor made of iron. None of the dated examples of compound names using iron found in Bahlow or Brechenmacher, even those dated from the 17th century, show the -en dropped. The names in Bahlow that do provide dated examples without the -en (Yystrud, 1494, p. 117, s.n. Eistraut, and Isegrim, 1150, p. 116, s.n. Eisengrein) are those that derive from given names (Isentrut and Isengrin, in these cases). Given this information, I would prefer to see the byname registered as von Eisenburg, as the submitter allows. This name is dated to 1497 in the form Eysenburg on p. 393 of Brechenmacher (s.n. Eisenburg(er)).

Given no examples of German placenames in period beginning with Eis- rather than Eisen-, combined with the information found by Bright Leaf, Eis- seems to be a post-period rendering of Eisen-. Lacking evidence that a placename would have used Eis- rather than Eisen- in period, a placename using Eis- is not registerable. We have change the placename to Eisenburg, as the submitter specifically allows, in order to register this name. [Ludwig von Eisenburg, 09/2002 LoAR, A-East]

François la Flamme 2002.08 There was some question regarding whether the byname Hausknecht was presumptuous, especially given this precedent:

Meister (master) is a reserved title in the SCA, and may not be registered --- either alone, or in combination. (David Falkemeister, March, 1993, pg. 19)

The List of Alternate Titles does not list knecht. The German equivalent of Knight is given as Ritter. Bahlow (p. 303 s.n. Knecht) says "journeyman (of a trade), helper". Therefore, Hausknecht, 'house helper', is not presumptuous. [Friderich Hausknecht, 08/2002, A-East]

François la Flamme 2002.08 Listed on the LoI as Ru von Falkenberg, the form listed the spelling Russ von Falkenberg. The LoI stated that "This submitter originally wanted the Dutch form of 'van Falkenburg', and if the COA can find documentation for this form he would like to go back to that." The LoI also noted that the submitter made "no request for authenticity, except for hoping that a Dutch form of his name can be found." (The submission forms clarified that the request for a Dutch form was limited to the byname.)

The LoI documented Ru� as a header form on p. 686 of Seibicke, Historishes Deutsches Vornamenbuck. This source is not on the "No Photocopy" list provided in Appendix H of the Administrative Handbook. As no photocopies were provided for this documentation, we were unable to determine if this source supported Ru� as a German given name in period. The College was able to find support for forms of Ru� as a byname, but could find no support for it as a given name. Lacking support for Ru� as a given name, it is not registerable as a given name.

The closest given name found in German was Ru�man, found in Balhow (p. 474 s.n. Ru�), which dates Ru�man Stralenberg to 1494. Nebuly found support for similar names in Dutch:

Since the client allows minor changes (and seems to think he wants a Dutch name), I'll point out that there are similar given names documented from the Low Countries. Aryanhwy's article on Dutch names from 1358-1361 [http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~sfriedemann/names/earlydutch14.htm] includes Rost & Raes, while her 15th century article [http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~sfriedemann/names/dutch15.htm] includes Roess, dated to 1478-81.

Since Falkenberg is not a Dutch city, I can't suggest a wholly Dutch form of the name, but the particle van is both Dutch and Low German, so its use is not a technical problem (RfS III.1.a). Also, there was a continuum of economic and social contact across the region in period - several Dutch cities belonged to the Hanseatic League. I would recommend Roess van Falkenberg as a Dutch / Low German name.

As the submitter only allows minor changes, we are unable to change the language of the given name to the Dutch form recommended by Nebuly. Another option, changing the submitted German given name Ru� to the documented German given name Ru�man, is dramatic enough that it is also a major change. [Ru� von Falkenberg, 08/2002, R-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2002.08 The submitter requested authenticity for 6th C Frankish. Lothar is listed in Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Masculine & Feminine Names from the Merovingian Line c.400-c.600 AD" (http://www.sit.wisc.edu/~sfriedemann/names/merovence.htm). This shows the given name as 5th to 7th C Frankish. Socin (p. 314) dates Bertoldus de Koln to 1280 and the byname von Koln to 1297. This shows the byname as 13th C Middle High German. The Frankish and Middle High German languages were not in use at the same time. Therefore, just as in the case of Old Norse and Scots, since the two languages in question would not have been used at the same time, these two languages are not registerable in a single name. However, Morlet, Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VI au XII Si�cle (vol. I, p. 133, col. a), dates Lotharius to a. 1122. This shows Lotharius used in 12th C France (likely in a Latin context). Given this example, Lothar is a reasonable vernacular form and this name is registerable with one weirdness for mixing French and German. Though the city of Koln existed in the submitter's desired time, we were not able to find a form of the byname appropriate for the submitter's desired time and culture, and so we were not able to make this name authentic per his request. [Lothar von Koln, 08/2002, A-An Tir]
François la Flamme 2002.07 Submitted as Stefhan von Hessen, the submitter requested authenticity for "German of the Holy Roman Empire about 1550." No documentation was provided and none was found that Stefhan is a plausible period variant of this name. To meet the submitter's request for authenticity, we have changed the given name to the form Steffan, which is dated to 1508 in Talan Gwynek's article "Medieval German Given Names From Silesia" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/). [Steffan von Hessen, 07/2002, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2002.07 Submitted as Ludwig Wursteiner, no documentation was presented and none was found that Wursteiner is a plausible period byname. The submitter allowed any changes and has noted that the sound of the name was most important to him. Hawk found a plausible construction for a hypothetical placename of Würzstein:

[A]s the client is more concerned with the sound, I can document the city of <Würzburg> in Siebmacher, and the Institut Deutsche Adelforschung at: http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung/bib36.htm, there is an entry for a <Würzburg, Bischof Julius zu: Des Hochwürdigsten ... Julii Bischoffs zu Würtzburg Erkl�rung dero bischöflichen und v�tterlichen Zuneigung gegen der Fr�nkischen Ritterschaft von Anstellung eines Seminarii vor Junge von Adel, Würzburg 1607>. Brechenmacher has entries for <Würzburger> dating to 1311 and 1365. Granted, this is a major departure from what he submitted, but if it becomes necessary, at least the logical jump from <Würzburg> (actual city) to <Würzstein> (fictitious place) [würz-, meaning 'spice'] seems a more plausible option.

A person from the hypothetical Würzstein would have a byname of Würzsteiner. We have changed the byname to this form in order to register this name. [Ludwig Würzsteiner, 07/2002, A-Meridies]

François la Flamme 2002.07 This name change was submitted with the explanation:

Due to a typo on the July 2001 Outlands LoI, his name was registered as "Reimar". It was "Reinmar" on the forms and was always intended to be "Reinmar", but since the CoA was not informed of this on the LoI or a letter of correction, and the typo was registerable using the same documentation, this becomes a change of registered name submission rather than a correction.

Unfortunately, neither the original nor the current submission provided support for the form Reinmar. Cornelian found support for the form Reinmar:

http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/sammlung2/cpg/cpg848.xml?docname=cpg848&pageid=PAGE0191 shows a page from the Manessee Codex, circa 1340, which is clearly titled in the manuscript Herr Reinmar von Alte. This is a facsimile page from the original medieval manuscript, and as such is as close to a primary document as we're going to get on this one. http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/sammlung2/cpg/cpg848.xml?docname=cpg848&pageid=PAGE0371 is captioned on the manuscript Reinmarr vo`Brennenb~rg, and http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/sammlung2/cpg/cpg848.xml?docname=cpg848&pageid=PAGE0619 is manuscript captioned Her Reinmar der Viddeler).

Given these examples, the submitted form is registerable. [Reinmar Heyden, 07/2002, A-Outlands]

François la Flamme 2002.07 Submitted as Sapphira der Vrech, we have changed the descriptive byname to a feminine form to match the gender of the given name. [Sapphira die Vreche, 07/2002, A-Trimaris]
François la Flamme 2002.06 [Haus Hombaden] Submitted as House Hombaden, the submitter requested authenticity for German. Therefore, we have changed the designator from House to the German form Haus. [Brion Gennadyevich Gorodin, 06/2002, A-Trimaris]
François la Flamme 2002.06 Submitted as Melchior der Graowulf, the byname was changed to the form der Grauwulf at kingdom. The LoI noted that the meaning 'Melchior the Gray Wolf' was most important to the submitter. Additionally, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th to 15th C German/Flemish and allowed minor changes. The submitted documentation supports a descriptive byname der Wolf, meaning 'the Wolf', and a locative byname zum grauen Wolf, meaning 'at the Gray Wolf'. This second byname refers to a house name in German, which is similar to examples of a sign name in English. While descriptive bynames based on animals exist in German, no documentation was provided and none was found of a descriptive byname in German that is formed of a color combined with an animal. Lacking such evidence, a name constructed in this manner is not registerable.

Bahlow (p. 620 s.n. Wolf(f)) dates Ortlof der Wolf to 1300 and Elbel Wolf to 1365. This entry also lists (undated) Wei�enwolf 'Whitewolf' and zum grauen Wolf 'at the Gray Wolf' as house names. Brechemacher (p. 829 s.n. Wolf) dates Haus zum Wolf and Zum grauen Wolf to 1460. Therefore, registerable forms of this name include Melchior der Wolf, which uses a descriptive byname meaning 'the Wolf', and Melchior zum grauen Wolf. Given the undated example of Wei�enwolf, combined with the dated examples of zum grauen Wolf, a locative form such as Grauenwolf is also plausible. We would have changed the name to one of these forms in order to register the submitter's name, but changing the byname to any of these forms is a major change, which the submitter does not allow. In the first case, the byname is still a descriptive, but it lacks the element meaning 'gray'. Since dropping that element significantly alters the meaning, look, and sound of the byname, it is a major change. In the second and third examples, the byname retains the element meaning 'gray', but instead of describing Melchior as 'the Gray Wolf', it means that Melchior lives at or is from a place whose name means 'the gray wolf'. Since changing the byname from a descriptive byname to a locative byname significantly affects the meaning, it is a major change. [Melchior der Grauwulf, 06/2002, R-Atlantia]

François la Flamme 2002.06 The byname macSeyfang is in violation of RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency in a single name phrase. It combines mac, which can be viewed as Gaelic, Anglicized Irish, or Scots, with Seyfang, which is a German byname. Removing mac from the byname would not make this name registerable since the earliest date provided for Seyfang was 1864. Lacking evidence that Seyfang is a period name, it is not registerable. [Brian macSeyfang, 06/2002, R-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2002.05 The submitter requested authenticity for a 1500-1600 German Jewish woman and allowed minor changes. The spelling Hannah was documented as an English feminine given name. Evidence was found that forms of this name were also used in Germany. The Hebraicized form Chana is found in Germany in Julie Stampnitzky's article "Names from Hebrew Chronicles of the 10th to 13th Centuries" (http://www.yucs.org/~jules/names/fem/chana.html). The vernacular form Hanna is found in the matronymic byname Hannen dated to 1343 in Bahlow (p. 209 s.n. Hannen). As changing the language of a name phrase is a major change, which the submitter does not allow, we were unable to change the given name to a German form to meet the submitter's request. [Hannah Rosenberg, 05/2002, A-Æthelmearc]
François la Flamme 2002.04 Listed on the LoI as Sigfrid McLure, the name was originally submitted as Siegfried McClure and changed at kingdom because a combination of Gaelic and German is not registerable. While kingdom is correct that mixing Gaelic and German in a name is not registerable, mixing Scots and German is registerable, though it is a weirdness. As McClure is a Scots form, not a Gaelic form, it is registerable with a German given name. Siegfried is dated to "Up to 1300" in Talan Gwynek's article "Late Period German Masculine Given Names: Names from 14th Century Plauen" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/germmasc/plauen14.html) Both Robert McLure and Robert McClure are dated to 1526 in Black (p. 472 s.n. MacClure). Therefore, there is less than 300 years between the dates for the given name and byname, so there is not an additional weirdness for temporal disparity and this name is registerable. [Siegfried McClure, 04/2002, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2002.04 Submitted as Helga Idadóttir, the byname combined the German Ida with the Old Norse -dóttir. This violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase. Lacking evidence that the name Ida was used in Old Norse, the constructed Idadóttir is not registerable.

The LoI stated "the submitter will accept a German form similar to Helga Idas dohtir if she must." Bahlow (p. 272 s.n. It(t)ensohn) gives this as a matronymic meaning 'son of Frau Itta (Ida)' and dates Arnold Ittensun to 1300 and Hertel Idenson to 1375. The parallel 'daughter' forms would be Ittendohtir and Idendohtir. Given the example of Henneke Katerinen son dated to 1336 in Bahlow (p. 288 s.n. Katharina), Itten dohtir and Iden dohtir are reasonable forms as well. As Iden dohtir is the closest of these forms to the alternate form Idas dohtir listed on the LoI, we have changed the byname to this form in order to register her name. [Helga Iden dohtir, 04/2002, A-Caid]

François la Flamme 2002.03 Submitted as Nastas'ia Rosenzweig, this name mixes Russian and German, which was ruled registerable, though a weirdness, in the August 2001 LoAR (s.n. Tatiana Heinemann). RfS III.1 states that "Each name as a whole should be compatible with the culture of a single time and place". Therefore, we have modified the given name to a transliteration that is consistent with German orthography. [Nastasiia Rosenzweig, 03/2002, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2002.02 Submitted as Annchen von dem Schwarzwald, the submitter requested authenticity for 16th C German and allowed any changes. No documentation was presented and none was found that Annchen is a period variant of Anne. Therefore, we have changed the spelling to Annen, which is supported by matronymic bynames in Bahlow (p. 16 s.nn. Annen). Brechenmacher (p. 582 s.n. Schwarzwald) dates Cuonr. Swartzwalt uß der Summerowe to 1443. While this example does not date to the 16th C, it is the closest dated example we were able to find. We have changed the byname to this form to partially meet the submitter's request for authenticity. [Annen Swartzwalt, 02/02, A-Meridies]
François la Flamme 2002.02 The submitter requested authenticity for Irish-German and allowed any changes. Lacking documentation that these two cultures had significant contact, combining Irish and German elements in a single name is not registerable. Deirdre was documented from Withycombe (p. 81 s.n. Deirdre). However, this entry says that "its use as a christian name is quite recent, dating from the 'Celtic Revival' (Yeat's Deirdre 1907, Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows 1910)." However, the spelling Deirdre has long been SCA compatible. As it is a Gaelic given name, it is not registerable in combination with German elements per the precedent:
[Hagen Seanaeiche] the combination of German forename and Gaelic byname needs justification, at the very least. None of the commenters noted any German/Gaelic interaction in period (see, e.g., RfS III.1., "As a rule of thumb, languages should be used together only if there was substantial contact between the cultures that spoke those languages." (Hagen Seanaeiche, Caid-R, LoAR 12/94)
Black (p. 204 s.n. Deirdre) dates Deredere to 1166. Given that the source Black cites for this reference, Deirdre is a Latinized form of a Gaelic given name. Barring documentation of significant contact between Scottish Gaelic and German cultures, a name mixing Gaelic (including Latinized Gaelic) and German in a name is not registerable. [Deirdre Mueller von Thurn, 02/02, R-Calontir]
François la Flamme 2002.02 Listed on the LoI as Gerhard Geling von Hagen, the form listed the spelling as Gerhard Gelling von Hagen. We have made this correction. The particle von is used with proper nouns such as town names. Hagen is a toponymic (specifically a field name), so von would not be used on its own. Bahlow (p. 203 s.n. Hagen) dates Joh. van dem Hagen to 1253, showing dem is the article used before Hagen. Therefore, we have changed the spelling of the byname to von dem Hagen in order to register the name. [Gerhard Gelling von dem Hagen, 02/02, A-Calontir]
François la Flamme 2002.02 This name was submitted as Wülfer von Drachenhand. The submitter asked, if von was not registerable in this name, whether der would be registerable. Drachenhand is documented only as a descriptive byname, so von ('of') is not appropriate. It was suggested that Drachenhand might be plausible as a sign name. However, no examples of German sign names were found that would give support for Drachenhand as a sign name. Lacking such evidence, Drachenhand is not registerable as a sign name.

Since Drachenhand is documented as an descriptive byname without a particle, it is reasonable to assume it could be used as a descriptive byname with a particle. In German, the particle needs to match the gender of the word it modifies (Drachenhand in this case), rather than the gender of the person. The feminine particle die would be used with Drachenhand rather than the masculine particle der. So this name is registerable as Wülfer Drachenhand or Wülfer die Drachenhand. Since neither of the particles the submitter inquired about are registerable with this name, we are registering the name with no particle. [Wülfer Drachenhand, 02/02, A-Æthelmearc]
François la Flamme 2002.01 ... no documentation could be found that Ulrica was a feminine given name in period. [Ulrich von Retelsdorf, 01/02, A-Caid]
François la Flamme 2002.01 Submitted as Vlasta von der weissen Sonne, the submitter requested authenticity for German language/culture. Documentation was provided for weissen Sonne as a sign name in German meaning 'white sun'. The documentation indicates that while von der weissen Sonne is plausible, the most likely form of this byname is zu der weissen Sonne. [Vlasta von der weissen Sonne, 01/02, A-West]
François la Flamme 2002.01 There is a precedent concerning aus:

It does not appear that aus was used as a locative preposition in period names; the apparent examples in Brechenmacher, Etmologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Familiennamen, were long ago shown to be descriptions, not part of the cited names. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1997, p. 23)

As no evidence was found at this time to contradict this precedent, aus is still not registerable in a locative byname. We have changed the particle to von in order to register this name. [Theresa von Elp, 01/02, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2002.01 Mixing Spanish and German is registerable, though it is a weirdness. [Theresa von Elp, 01/02, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2001.12 The byname vom Weserbogen is a hypothetical byname intended to mean 'from the bend in the Weser river'. No evidence was presented and none was found that -bogen meaning 'bend in river' was used as an element in a compound German place name. The byname von Bogen is dated to 1880 [Ed.: should be 1080] in Kammermaier, Andreas, "Das Kloster Ober Altaich von 1080 bis 1803 und heute" (WWW: Oberalteich online, 1998-2001, http://www.oberalteich.de/geschichte/klosterkirche/index.html). [Falk vom Weserbogen, 12/01, R-Meridies]
François la Flamme 2001.12 There is one weirdness for mixing the French Amalia with the German Künne. [Amalia Künne, 12/01, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2001.11 Submitted as Benedicta Draak, the submitter allowed minor changes. Draak was submitted as a header form in Bahlow. In most cases, header forms are plausible for period and so are registerable. However, precedent (most notably regarding modern forms in Ó Corráin & Maguire) has ruled that header forms which are modern may not be registerable. (This has been handled on a case by case basis.) Period forms of the byname include Dracke dated to 1357, Drache dated to 1365, and Trache dated to 1360 (Bahlow s.n. Draa(c)k; Brechinmacher s.n. Drache). As all of these forms include a "c" and have a terminal "e", the submitted Draak does not seem plausible. We have changed the byname to the closest dated spelling. [Benedicta Dracke, 11/01, A-Artemisia]
François la Flamme 2001.11 Submitted as Annelena Pferdehirt, the submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Burgundy and allowed any changes. The only documented form of this given name that was found was Enneleyn dated to 1358 in Talan Gwynek's article "Medieval German Given Names From Silesia" at http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/. Gage found evidence in the same article for the En- to An- change in the initial letter of the name. So, Anneleyn is a plausible 14th C German form. Lacking any documentaton for the submitted Annelena, we are changing the given name to the theorized form Anneleyn. As both elements of this name are documented as German, it is not authentic for 15th C Burgundy. [Anneleyn Pferdehirt, 11/01, A-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2001.11 Mixing the Italian Francesca with the German Gerdrudis and German Kesselheim is a weirdness. [Francesca Gerdrudis Kesselheim, 11/01, A-Atenveldt]
François la Flamme 2001.11 Mixing English and German in a single name is a weirdness. [Lillian von Wolfsberg, 11/01, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2001.10 Submitted as Joseph Fishermann, no documentation was found that the spelling Fishermann is a period variant of Fisherman. The submitter stated that if the submitted spelling was not registerable, then he desired the German spelling Fischmann. Therefore, we have made this change. As the name Joseph appears in German as well as English, there is no weirdness, as there is no lingual mix. [Joseph Fischmann, 10/01, A-Artemisia]
François la Flamme 2001.10 This name is being returned for lack of documentation of von den Hügelvolk. The byname Hügelmann is dated to the 14th C in Brechenmacher. The submitter allowed minor changes, but the change from von den Hügelvolk to Hügelmann was more than a minor change. Therefore, we must return this name. [Lothar von den Hügelvolk, 10/01, R-Æthelmearc]
François la Flamme 2001.10 No documentation was provided and none could be found that Totengräber is a period German byname. While the occupation of 'gravedigger' is certainly period, the forms of this byname found in Bahlow (p. 184 s.n. Graber) are Gräber (1417) and Greber (1385). Brechenmacher (s.n. Graber) lists Graber (1365). None of these forms include Toten- as a protheme. The change from Totengräber to a form of Gräber would be a major change. As the submitter only allows minor changes, we must return this name. [Erasmus Totengräber, 10/01, R-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2001.10 Listed on the LoI as Steffan von Kiel, the given name was originally submitted with the spelling Stefan. It was changed at kingdom to a form dated to 1284, since the submitter requested authenticity for 15th C German language/culture and they had no dated evidence for the spelling Stefan. The College found Stefan von Swenkenfeld dated to 1345 in Bahlow (p. 539 s.n. Steffen). Therefore, we have changed the given name back to the originally submitted form. [Stefan von Kiel, 10/01, A-Atlantia]
François la Flamme 2001.09/TD> Submitted as Marie Suzanne von Westphalia, the byname combines a German particle with the English form of a place name (the German spelling is Westphalen). As RfS III.1.a requires all elements of a name phrase (the byname von Westphalia in this case) to be in a single language, this byname needed to be changed to either the all German form von Westphalen or the all English form of Westphalia. [Marie Suzanne of Westphalia, 09/01, A-Calontir]
François la Flamme 2001.09 Submitted as Katherina Elyscia de'Mosher, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th-15th C 'France/German' ... A person living in an area influenced by both French and German culture would have had their name recorded all in French or all in German depending upon the language that the document was written in. ... some sort of significant changes would be necessary to make this name authentic, as the submitted name elements do not all appear in French or German. Therefore, we have made the minimum amount of change to register the name. [Katherina Elycia Mosher, 09/01, A-Caid]
François la Flamme 2001.09 Submitted as Anne Lyse Maria von Marburg, this name construction includes three given names which has previously been cause for return:
Submitted as Rosalinda Francisca Gertrude Kesselheim, the submitter justified the name as a mixture of Spanish and German. In neither language are three given names justified, therefore we dropped the first middle name. [Rosalinda Gertrude Kesselheim, 12/99, A-Ansteorra]
The only documentation included in the submission for the use of three given names in German is the mention of "Duchess Dorothea Sabine Maria of Sulzbach" (d. 1639) on p. 287 of Carl Köhler, A History of Costume. [discussion omitted]

Therefore, barring documentation other than this dubious instance in Köhler of the use of three given names in German, we are upholding the precedent against such registrations. Also, as stated by Gage, "A single grey-period example from the high nobility does not justify a naming pattern". A pattern of anything cannot be derived from a single example. It takes multiple examples--the more examples found, the more likely it is that the theorized pattern is accurate.

Since the submitter allows any changes, we have changed Anne Lyse to Annalies in order to register the name. The compound name Annalies was ruled registerable in 10/99:
Colm Dubh found a citation of Annalies in 1634 (Wilfred Seibicke, Historisches Deutsches Vornamenbuch), which is in our "gray area" of documentation. Therefore we will allow the compound given name. We will, however, only allow it in the listed spelling (barring documentation that another spelling is a valid period variant). [Annalies Grossmund, 10/99, A-Calontir]
We felt this would be a smaller change than dropping Maria and registering Anne Lyse von Marburg. [Annalies Maria von Marburg, 09/01, A-Caid]
François la Flamme 2001.08 The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C German-Welsh. No documentation has been provided of substantial contact between German and Welsh cultures. Therefore, a name combining German and Welsh elements is not registerable. [Anton Cwith, 08/01, A-Ansteorra]
François la Flamme 2001.08 ... the epithet byname Drackenhand is dated to 1367 in Brechenmacher (s.n. Drachenhand). The logic that a parallel epithet Drachenklaue could have existed allowed the registration of Katerina Drachenklaue in November 1997. [Aleksandra Drachenklaue, 08/01, A-Ansteorra]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2001.07 Submitted as Elsa Lenore von der Movius, the name has two problems. Lenore appears to be an 18th century German literary invention; we have dropped it. The only documentation for von der Movius with the article and preposition is from a genealogy published in English; the College has had no opportunity to verify the quality of this source and the name is not attested with an article or preposition anywhere else. We have therefore dropped these. [Elsa Movius, 07/01, A-Outlands]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2001.07 Submitted as Anna Katerina von Baden, she requested an authentic 12th century German name and stated that if it was necessary to drop one of the given names, she would prefer to drop Anna. As double given names were not used in that area and time period we have done so. [Katerina von Baden, 07/01, A-Atlantia]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2001.07 The name was documented as having a Polish given name with an Italian byname, but no evidence was provided that Poland and Italy were in sufficient cultural contact that the combination is registerable. However, the given name seems not to be limited to Poland: for instance, it was borne by the daughter of Henry the Fat, Duke of Saxony, who later married Lothar II, Holy Roman Emperor. The contact between Germany and Italy was sufficient to allow registration. [Richenza d'Assisi, 07/01, A-Lochac]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2001.05 Submitted as Gottfried aus Mainz, no documentation was provided for the non-standard locative particle. We have therefore changed it to the common one. [Gottfried von Mainz, 05/01, A-Atlantia]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2001.03 Submitted as Irmele von Grünsberg, the first byname had been dropped in Kingdom because she had requested an authentic 15th century German name. While double bynames were not common in that area and time period they were used. [Irmele Schäfferin von Grünsberg, 03/01, A-Caid]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.08 Submitted as Adalwolfa von der Helle, the question was raised whether there was a pattern of feminizing Germanic masculine names. A quick browse through Morlet's Les noms de personne sur le territoire de l'ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe siècle, vol. I - les noms issus du germanique continental et les créations gallo-germaniques does reveal enough pairs of the type AdalsadaAdalsadus to suggest such a pattern. However, Morlet only provides us this kind of evidence for Latinized Germanic names, so we can't get to the Germanic form. We have therefore changed the given name to a Latinized spelling. [Adalulfa von der Helle, 08/00, A-Ansteorra]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.07 Submitted as Caecilie the Blessed, she requested an authentic German name. We have therefore changed the byname to a German one with the same meaning. �The question was raised in commentary whether the byname is presumptuous, as Blessed is the level just below Saint in the Catholic process of canonization. However, it has also been used as a byname both in England and in Germany at least since late 13th century. If the general public didn't find a problem with this in period, we are disinclined to see a problem now. [Caecilie Selig, 07/00, R-Meridies]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.07 This name has several problems. First, no dated evidence was submitted for the given name. Second, neither was evidence given for the unusual byname Haifisch, meaning 'shark.' Third, the second byname der Laut does not mean 'the Loud' but 'the Tone'; this doesn't fit with our knowledge about period bynames. Finally, no evidence was submitted for using two descriptive bynames in German. [Arnak Haifisch der Laut, 07/00, R-Atenveldt]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.06 No evidence was supplied as to why 'the Accursed' would be a reasonable byname. [Gregor der Verdammt, 06/00, R-Trimaris]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.06 [Hilderun zu dem Alpenwald] Submitted as Hilderun aus dem Alpenwald, she requested an authentic German name. We have therefore changed the preposition aus, widely used in the Society but rarely if ever used in period, to the documented and widely used zu. [Aline le Fey, 06/00, A-Caid]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.06 As the submitter requested an authentic German name, the given name was changed in Kingdom to Kassandra. However, considering the variation in period spelling, the originally submitted Cassandra is equally acceptable, so we have changed the name back. The name may not be entirely authentic, though, since we did not find evidence that Cassandra with any spelling was used in Germany. [Cassandra vom Rhein, 06/00, A-Ansteorra]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.06 Submitted as Alric Rolf von Merzig, the submitter requested an authentic 12th�13th century German name. Double given names were not used at that time, so we had to drop one � [Alric von Merzig, 06/00, A-Caid]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.04 There was no evidence given, nor could any be found, showing that Rheinpfalz was the name for the region in period. There was evidence given that both Rhein and Pfaltz existed in period, but not the combination. [Rosalind von Rheinpfalz, 04/00, R-Middle]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.04 Submitted under the name Elisabeth Johanna von der Flossenburg, von der appears to have been used with common names and von with proper names; it is rather similar to the English distinction between of and of the. As Flossenburg is a proper name, we have to agree with the earlier return. [Elisabeth Johanna von Flossenburg, 04/00, A-Æthelmearc]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 2000.02 No evidence was given, and none was found, to indicate that Blitzkopf, "lightning-head," was a reasonable byname. The German surnames ending in -head all use modifiers that describe heads, such as "broad head," "hard head," "pretty head," "curly head," and "black head." [Jochen Blitzkopf, 02/00, R-Æthelmearc]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 1999.12 Submitted as Rosalinda Francisca Gertrude Kesselheim, the submitter justified the name as a mixture of Spanish and German. In neither language are three given names justified, therefore we dropped the first middle name. This name still has a "weirdness", as Rosalinda has fallen out of use in Germany by the time double given names were in use. [Rosalinda Gertrude Kesselheim, 12/99, A-Ansteorra]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 1999.12 [Hans Holzarbeiter] No one was able to find any actual examples of Holzarbeiter as an occupational surname, but as it follows a standard pattern of occupational names we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt. [Hans Holzarbeiter, 12/99, A-Atlantia]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 1999.10 We were unable to find any evidence for Schöll as anything but an element used in parts of other names, although Bahlow, A Dictionary of German Names, does list the name Scholle in 1207. Furthermore, we were unable to find any evidence that the German form of Franconia could have been Frankonia instead of Franken. [Cunradt Schöll von Frankonia, 10/99, R-Atlantia]
Elsbeth Anne Roth 1999.07 [Maximilliam] ... we know of no examples of Maximillian with a double-l. Therefore the given name was changed to a documented German form. [Maximilian Utz von Wulfen, 07/99, A-Atenveldt]
Jaelle of Armida 1999.04 [Günther Klör von Gurk] The only documentation for Gurk was as the name of a river, and no documentation was presented for using von with a river name. [The submission was returned.] (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR April 1999, p. 17)
Jaelle of Armida 1999.04 [Uther vom Schwartzwald] Submitted as Uther von Schwartzwald, the Schwartzwald takes von dem which becomes vom, not von. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR April 1999, p. 11)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.11 [Elisabeth Johanna von der Flossenburg] Flossennburg is a castle .... At the foot of the castle is a town by the name of Flossenburg. The submitter wanted the der in the name to show that she was from the castle, and not the town. However, to the best of our knowledge, medieval German did not distinguish in that manner, so barring documentation to that effect, the der must go. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR November 1998, p. 15)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.08 [Jozef der Gelehrter] Based on Morlet's Noms des personnes, II, p. 66, the more likely period form for the given name would be Josep. The modern German term for a learned man or scholar is Gelehrte as well as Schüler. However, based on the evidence of Socin's (Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch, p. 492, the occupational surname for a scholar would be Schüler. Therefore Josep Schüler is the period form of the name. However, we feel that that is more than a "minor change" so we are returning it to the submitter. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1998)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.08 [Ludwig Grün] Submitted as Ludwig der Grün, based on the submitted documentation the der does not belong in the name. Therefore, we have removed it. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1998)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.07 [Helmut zu Jülich. Household name for Haus Jülich.] This was an appeal of a kingdom return for conflict with the princely Haus Jülich. The submitter has provided documentation showing that Jülich is a town in Germany first mentioned in 356 C.E. While Jülich is also a town, that is not relevant in terms of conflict. Existence of other uses of Jülich does not clear conflict. The existence of York does not mean that we would register House York. Therefore this must be returned. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR July 1998, p. 12)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.07 [Valamer Schwarzem Fuchs] Submitted as Valamer zum schwarz Fuchs, the preposition "zu" takes the dative case for the noun and any adjectives in its propositional phrase. Additionally, the adjective, definite article, and preposition are concatenated together, to schwarzem. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR, July 1998)
Jaelle of Armida 1998.06 [Anna Elsbeth von Zuberbuehler] Submitted as Anna-Elsbeth von Zuberbuehler, we have eliminated the out of period hyphen. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR, June 1998)
Jaelle of Armida 1997.11 According to the letter of intent, Rosensoldat means Soldier of the Rose, in German. However, no documentation was presented, and none could be found for bynames formed in this fashion. Barring such documentation the name will have to be returned. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR November 1997, p. 12)
Jaelle of Armida 1997.08 It does not appear that aus was used as a locative preposition in period names; the apparent examples in Brechenmacher, Etmologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Familiennamen, were long ago shown to be descriptions, not part of the cited names. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1997, p. 23)
Jaelle of Armida 1997.08 While there is indeed a Barony of Knight's Crossing in Drachenwald, its existence is insufficient to justify her byname; that requires showing that Ritters Kreuzung is plausible as a period German place-name. We've not found any example of a German place-name containing the element Kreuzung. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1997, p. 23)
Jaelle of Armida 1997.06 [returning the surname von Welf] [Sigmund von Welf] This is being returned for violating RfS VI.1 - Presumptuous Names. Welf is the Middle High German form of the name more familiar to English-speakers as Guelph. This is, as noted in the OED and many historical sources, the name associated with the princely family who were the primary opponents of the Hohenstaufens for control of the Holy Roman Empire and the ancestors of inter alia the current British royal family. Therefore this name violates RFS VI.1 on presumptuous names just as much as Hohenstaufen which is specifically mentioned as an exemplar in the current edition of the RFS. The use of Welf as a surname is presumptuous with any name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR June 1997, p. 14)
Jaelle of Armida 1997.02 [Ilse Brenner] Submitted as Ilse von Brenner, Brenner is an occupational surname, literally `burner'; according to Brechenmacher it usually signified one who cleared land by burning it off, though it may at times be for a charcoal-burner. The name is analogous to Ibbot of Brewer and would make sense only if Brenner were a place-name. We have dropped the von in order to register the name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR February 1997, p. 6)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.10 Submitted as Duncan von Greifenklau, we have dropped the von since Greifenklau is not a place, but rather a family name derived from armory. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR October 1996, p. 4)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.10 Submitted as Gauzelen Upwode von Bamberg, which had a late first millenium CG forename combined with a 16th century English surname and a German locative byname. Fortunately, commenters were able to document something similar to what was submitted as an entirely English name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR October 1996, p. 6)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.09 Submitted as Bonifatius Eburhard der Menschenfresser, we dropped the last element, which means cannibal in modern German. Since no evidence was shown that der Meschenfresser was a period usage, we have dropped it in order to register the name. We have some doubts about cannibal as a byname, but since the element was dropped for other reasons, we did not address that issue. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR September 1996, p. 7)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.08 [registering Uto von den Sümpfen] While the name "of the swamps" seems unlikely, there are areas where more than one swamp abounds, so it is possible. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1996, p. 4)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.07 [registering Madeleine Moinet dit Boismenu] While this name violates the long-standing prohibition against names of the form X called Y, in the early records it is quite common to find people recorded as X cognomento Y or, later, X dictus Y, X genannt Y, etc. These are official documentary forms no different in principle from X filius Y; like filius Y, dictus Y serves to specify which X is in question. In Latin, German, and French it is a legitimate documentary form. Therefore, since names of this sort are documented we are hereby overturning this ban for those languages. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR July 1996, p. 7)
Jaelle of Armida 1996.07 In the registration of Madeleine Moinet dit Boismenu, we have overturned the long standing prohibition of the form X called Y, for Latin, German and French, because it is a legitimate documentary form. (Jaelle of Armida, Cover Letter with the July 1996 LoAR, p. 2)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1996.05 There is ample evidence of period German use of double given names. (Anne Liese Wolkenhaar, 5/96 p. 5)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1996.04 Unfortunately, der Grave is 'the Count', so we must return this name for violation of RfS VI.1 (Names Claiming Rank). (Talan Gwynek, LoAR April 1996, p. 16)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1995.12 Harpy asked whether the -dt ending is period; it is, though almost all of the available examples are from the 16th century. For the record, here are a few of them: Nickel Herfardt 1484, Barthol. Gernhardt 1525, Oswald Gottwaldt 1541, and Andr. Gotthardt 1548, all from vol. I of Brechenmacher. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR December 1995, p. 7)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1995.11 No evidence was presented that Germany shared the late-period English vogue for resurrecting obscure Biblical names. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR November 1995, p. 7)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1995.10 The name was submitted as Ophelia aus Bavaria, but Bavaria is the English name of the region, so we have substituted the English preposition to put the locative phrase into a single language. The corresponding German version of the name is Ophelia von Bayern, and a more idiomatic German form is simply Ophelia Bayerin `Ophelia [the] Bavarian woman'. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR October 1995, p. 12)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1995.02 [Rhine] that spelling of the river's name is English, entirely out of place in an otherwise German name. We have substituted the German spelling here. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR February 1995, p. 7)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1994.12 All of the citations found have only one "l" in Maximilian. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR December 1994, p. 7)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1994.12 The combination of German forename and Gaelic byname needs justification, at the very least. None of the commenters noted any German/Gaelic interaction in period (see, e.g., RfS III.1., "As a rule of thumb, languages should be used together only if there was substantial contact between the cultures that spoke those languages." (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR December 1994, p. 10)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1994.11 Submitted as ... Maximillian ..., Maximilian appears always, even the submitter's documentation, to be spelled with a single "l". (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR November 1994, p. 7)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) 1994.08 [returning the locative vom Dunkelschloss] The usual generics for castle, etc. were -burg, -berg, and -stein, and somewhat less often -fels, -eck, and -feste. The few examples of schloss, none of which are clearly period, use the word as a prefix: Schloss X. Given the extreme rarity of dunkel as a placename element at all, the combination seems to make Dunkelschloss far too improbable to register. Dunkelstein, Dunkelburg, Dunkelberg, and Dunkelfels would probably all be registerable: the first element is still somewhat unlikely, but the overall construction is fine, and so the use of dunkel would be only "one weirdness". (Any of these would make as good a name for a town as for a castle, so the article dem could be dispensed with, e.g., Conrad von Dunkelfels.) If he really wants to get Schloss in there somewhere, Palimpsest recommended Conrad von Schloss Dunkelfels (or one of the other variants); this matches the actual use of Schloss in the few examples that he could find. (Again the article dem is unnecessary.) (Conrad vom Dunkelschloss, 8/94 p. 18)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) 1994.06 [Registering Gottfried von der Schwyz.] Submitted as Gottfried von Schwyz, the locative is feminine and seems always to appear with the article ... . [6/94, p.7]
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) 1994.05 [Registering Katrine Avelina Fitzalan.] This would have been better with the given as Katerin or Katerine, as Katrine is a German form unlikely to appear in an otherwise English name. [5/94, p.11]
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) 1994.02 [Returning von Lantwüeste.] Unfortunately, none of the documentation in this appeal was strictly to the point. Compound names do not always follow the same rules as phrases. Bach notes that the first element in compounds such as this is always a place name, which Land or Lant is not. [3/94, p.16]
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme 1993.09 Lady Harpy has provided documentation from Socin of the use of zu in its older form ze in locatives with the names of towns and villages: ze Froberg, ze Bernowe (p. 272) and ze Tattenriet (p. 277). (Anna zu Euskirchen, September, 1993, pg. 9)
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme 1992.10 [Kresten] The byname was ...said to be a variant form of the German surname Kriesten, Kristen. However, without documentation, this is too great a change of pronunciation to accept as a mere spelling variant. [name registered as Kresten] (Anastasius Kriesten, October, 1992, pg. 16)
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme 1992.10 [Susanna Elizabeth Marie Wiegner von Kassel] With five name elements in three languages, we require some documentation that this is acceptable period style. Presumably (because of the locative) the primary language is German, so any resubmission should address period German naming style: are there period examples of German names with five elements? Without such examples, I must rule as I did for English names (LoAR of July 92) and Italian names (Sept 92), and disallow German names of five or more elements. (Susanna Elizabeth Marie Wiegner von Kassel, October, 1992, pg. 32)
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme 1992.07 Evidently, the Irish were often found on the Continent during the first millenium A.D., as clerks, missionaries, and scholars. Alcuin brought Irish scribes to the university at Aachen, sponsored by Charlemagne; and St. Gall, the founder of the model monastery in Switzerland, was himself Irish, a disciple of St. Columba. An Irish/German name is thus not beyond the bounds of reason. (Dallán Ó Fearchaidhe vom Kirschwald, July, 1992, pg. 9)
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1992.02 "The 'Barony of Dragon' does not make sense in German or English. At the very least it needs an article. As the clients allowed no changes, we are having to return this." (LoAR 2/92 p.19).
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1991.12 "Löwenstein and Löwenthal do not appear to be sufficient precedent for allowing Löwenstahl. 'Lion-rock' and 'Lion-valley' are clearly toponymics; 'Lion-steel' is not." (LoAR 12/91 p.19).
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1991.11 "Documentation provided by Lords Habicht and Badger indicate that the use of 'aus' is as acceptable as the more common 'von'." (LoAR 11/91 p.13).
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1991.10 [Andreas der Eisfalke] "The period name Eisvogel (1418) lends credence to the byname here."[the names translate to ice-falcon and ice-bird] (LoAR 10/91 p.5).
Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) 1991.07 "Submitted as <name> Braumeister von <place>, we have modified the name to drop the problematical Braumeister. 'Occupation' of 'Placename' name construction has for some years been held to be returnable." (LoAR 7/91 p.16).
Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) 1990.11 [Eisenweber] "Submitted as <given name> Eisen Weber, normal German construction would combine the epithet into a single word, which we have done here." [Eisen = iron, Weber = weaver] (LoAR 11/90 p.4).
Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane 1988.04.23 [von Nordlichten] You cannot be "from the Northern Lights", as this would imply more than human status. (LoAR 23 Apr 88, p. 20)
Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane 1987.10.31 You cannot use a German article with an Old Norse noun. (LoAR 31 Oct 87, p. 11)
Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane 1987.04.26 There is [an] intriguing little volume by one Roland Mulch which rejoices in the typical German scholarly name of Arnsburger Personnennamen: Untersuchungen zum Namenmaterial aus Arnsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert. Among the joys this includes are a name list of given names that appear ar Arnsburg, by date ... and citations of both given names and family names in context. Among the gentles that appear are Clas Gorre (1478), Clas Gumpracht (1424), Claus Gonter (1491) and Claus Heytges (1529). As these citations are drawn from official documents, they would seem to serve as hard evidence that Klaus was an independent name in period (the use of the initial "c" instead of "k" is a regular feature of the local orthography). (LoAR 26 Apr 87, p. 6)
Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane 1986.12.28 Family names derived from animals were extremely common in period Germany. (LoAR 28 Dec 86, p. 11)
Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane 1986.12.28 The preposition "von" is not used in German with an occupational name. (LoAR 28 Dec 86, p. 9)