Precedents of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme

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NAMES -- Surnames

The byname was submitted as di Rucellai, implying either a patronymic or a toponymic. Rucellai being documented only as a surname, the preposition was inappropriate, and was deleted. (Gabriella Marguerite Simonetti Rucellai, June, 1992, pg. 1)

Much of the commentary opposed the byname Windhorse as overly fantastical ("horse that runs on the wind"). Were that the only interpretation of the epithet, I'd agree it would be unacceptable. Ekwall's Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names, however, also cites wind as a variant of OE winn, "meadow, pasture" (as in such names as Windley and Windridge), and "meadow horse" is a much less objectionable byname. (Angharad Gwendraeth o Fynydd Blaena, July, 1992, pg. 1)

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[the Seaborne] While [Seaborne] was unlikely as an epithet, deleting the article made it an acceptable surname. Reaney ( DBS2, p.310) derives several similar surnames from the OE Saebeorn, and Bardsley cites the surname Seiborne to 1581. (Fiona Morwenna Seaborne, August, 1992, pg. 4)

The name was submitted as Mikhail Vojakin Kazimir, with documentation from Unbegaun. Unfortunately, that documentation does not support this form. Vojakin is not Russian for "warrior", but a surname derived from the word for "warrior" (voyaka, or as Unbegaun spells it, vojaka). If it's to be used as a surname, it should not be in the middle of the name. Likewise, Kazimir is a given name, not a surname, and should not be used in the surname's place. We have made the minimal necessary changes to correct the form of the name [to Mikhail Vojaka Kazimirov]; Mikhail Kazimirovich Vojakin would also be acceptable. (Mikhail Vojaka Kazimirov, August, 1992, pg. 12)

The submitter's documentation gives the surname as Ó Ceallaigh, not O'Cellaigh; the construction O'[name], with an apostrophe, is used with anglicized forms [name retured as submittor permitted no changes]. (Rolan O'Cellaigh the Gentle, August, 1992, pg. 25)

The custom of a Spanish woman changing her name upon marriage only took root within the last hundred years, which is out of period. (Maria Adelina Garcia de Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 19)

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