Dutch Womens' Names before 1100

by Walraven van Nijmege (Brian R. Speer)

The following list of women's names recorded prior to 1100 in the Low Countries (which are today Belgium and the Netherlands) was compiled primarily from two sources: C. Tavernier-Vereecken. Gentse Naamkunde van ca. 1000 tot 1253, 1968, Belgium. and O. Leys. Vlaamse Vrouwennamen, 1958, Leuven & Brussel. Full details of these publications may be found in the bibliography. A third source provided a few additional names: K. Roelandts. Nederlandse Familienamen in Historisch Perspectief, 1951, Leuven & Brussel.

Entries have been coded according to source information, the default being that the entry is an 11th century name from Tavernier-Vereecken. When these entries are from an earlier date, the century of their use is indicated. Entries with a two-letter code come either from K. Roelandts (KR) or from O. Leys (OL). No entries from Leys are dated. The symbol (?) indicates that Tavernier-Vereecken has not indicated the gender of an entry, but that I have included it here because it appears to be a feminine form. The symbol ("?") is used when T-V indicates uncertainty about the gender of the name in the text.

The list is arranged alphabetically, though for indexing, PH is listed under F, and UU under W. Variants are generally listed under a simpler form of the name, and this will occasionally violate the alphabetizing. The list was put in this order to complement T.-V. and Leys, since they organize their names by roots.

The combination of the two large lists yielded surprisingly few identical names, though there were a number of similar variants, and the elements and general structure of names were the same. It is not clear whether this is the result of cultural differences between the northern (T.-V.) and southern (Leys) regions, or whether because of the small numbers of recorded women's names. Only seventeen names appear on both lists:

Adala, Amalberga, Danburga, Enna, Ermecin, Ermengardis, Geila, Hildegard, Hildegardis, Ida, Imma, Lietgardis, Mathildis, Reingard, Richildis, Rodgarda, Tietza

A great many of the names in this list are composed of a protheme (first part) and a deuterotheme (second part), and these appear to have been used in almost every combination. Prothemes of course are listed together alphabetically, and so may be studied easily. The more common deuterothemes are: -berg, -burg (-burch), -gard, -hild, -lind, -rad, -swind, -trud, and -wara. These have variant spellings, and usually have an -a or -is appended to them; these are Latin feminine endings, and may reflect scribal convention rather than usage in the spoken language.

Caution should be taken with this list. A few names may imply relationship, such as those ending in -wif. A few names were also omitted, such as Elftrudis, which appears to be the name of Alfred the Great's daughter, and not a native Lowlander. Latin genitive and accusative endings from recorded forms have been normalized to nominitive endings; my thanks to Talan Gwynek for his assistance with this.

A final point: Since there really was neither a distinct Dutch language nor a Dutch culture until beginning around 1100, the title of this list is a bit of a misnomer. Also, none of the names below will look like Dutch, they are more like Frankish. Though these are all names of women, many will not sound feminine to the modern English speaker.

Names from non-Germanic Roots


Agatha                  OL
Amabilia
Auriana                 OL
Benedicta        10     KR,OL
Cilia
Flouerana               OL
Geneva
Iolitha                 OL
Mauriana                OL
Murina                  OL
Odriana                 OL
Susanna                 OL

Names from Germanic Roots

Ada            9,11
   Adda
Adala
   Adela
   Addela               OL
   Adhela               OL
   Athela               OL
Adalberta               OL
Adalind                 OL
   Adalindis            OL
Adalmut             "?"
Adalrada                OL
Adaltrutis
   Adeltrudis           OL
Adaluuidis              OL
Adalwif
Adelaidis               OL
Adwala              "?"
Aebbe           7-8
Agentrudis              OL
Agglethrudis
Albelenda               OL
Alburg
   Alburch
   Albruga
Aldguda           9     OL
Aldgudana               OL
Aldruth             "?"
Alfgarda                OL
Alfild
Alflent
Amalberga     10-11
   Amalbirga            OL
   Amulberga            OL
Amoltrud                OL
Anselda
Anstruda                OL
Ava
   Aua                  OL
Avacyn
   Auacyn               OL
   Avekin           "?"
   Auekin               OL
Avin
   Auin                 OL
   Auina                OL
Balthildis              OL
   Baltelda             OL
   Balthechildis        OL
Bava
Bavacin             "?"
Bavin               "?"
   Bauin                OL
Belegardis
Berehta                 OL
Bergard
Bergundis               OL
   Beriungis            OL
Berna
Bernewif
   Bernewief     10
Berta
   Berhta               OL
Bertaida
Berthlenda              OL
Bertildis
   Berthildis           OL
Bertliana               OL
Bertrada                OL
Bertruda                OL
Bertswinda
Bettin               ?
Blitekin
Boltiarda
Bova             10
Boviardis
Childebertana           OL
Clodauuiua              OL
Clotrada                OL
Crapahildis
Cunegundis
   Conegundis
   Conegont
   Conegunt             OL
Dadin
Dagarada                OL
Danburga         10
Doda
   Dodda
   Duda
Ebertana                OL
Edeberga                OL
Edeborg                 OL
Ega                     OL
Egecin                  OL
Egesburga               OL
Egesloga                OL
Ehgelhild               OL
E(h)geluuara            OL
Emecin                  OL
Engelgard               OL
Engelsuit               OL
Engelwara
   Engeluuara           OL
   Ingelwara
   Ingeluuara           OL
Enna
Eremburgis       10
   Herenborg
Ereprad                 OL
Erkembrog               OL
   Erkenbrog            OL
   Erchembrog           OL
   Erkenburoc           OL
Erkenrad                OL
Ermecin
Ermengarda
   Ermengardis
   Ermegardis
   Hermengarda          OL
   Irmengard            OL
Ermeswindis
Ermina                  OL
Erpsuid                 OL
Errictruda              OL
Ethelchif
Ethelgard
   Ethelgarda           OL
Euerloga                OL
Everelda
   Evereldis
Pharahildis             OL
Folclind                OL
   Folclinda            OL

Folcrada                OL
Folcuuara               OL
Folgarda                OL
Folsuindis
   Folsuuendis          OL
Fordola                 OL
Fortlifh                OL
Frauuara                OL
Fredeburgis             OL
Frederada
Fredeuuara              OL
Frethegard
Frethesuindis
   Frethesuinda
   Fridesuenda          OL
Fridewiga
Frisburgis
Frithelinda             OL
Geila
Gelduuara               OL
Gerberga                OL
Geretrudis
   Gertruda             OL
Gerlinda
   Gerlent              OL
Gersenda
   Gersuenda
   Gersuinda            OL
Geruuara                OL
Geva
   Geua                 OL
Glismodis
Gisla                   OL
Godalinda               OL
   Godelinda            OL
Godeca                  OL
Godecin                 OL
Godildis
   Godelda              OL
   Guodhelda            OL
Goduuara                OL
   Gothuuera            OL
Grimuuara               OL
Gundrada
Guodlia                 OL
Hadaken                 OL
Harwara
Hazeca                  OL
Heilewif
Heilswinda
Heleuuidis              OL
Helinda                 OL
Heltrada                OL
   Heletradana          OL
Hengelsenda             OL
Herdin
   Herden
Herenfrida              OL
Herlinda                OL
Hildberta               OL
Hildborg                OL
   Hildeburg            OL
   Heldeburga           OL
Hildeberga              OL
Hildegard
   Hildegardis
   Hildcardis           OL
Hildelana               OL
Hildemunda              OL
Hildeswindis
Hildewif
   Hildeuuif            OL
Hildrada
Hildwara
   Hildewara
   Hildeuuara           OL
Hiltrude                OL
Hostaruuara             OL
Ida
Idasgarda               OL
Ideslef
Ideswif
   Idesuuif             OL
Idisiardis              OL
Imma
Imicina                 OL
Ingela
Ingelswindis
Iodberta                OL
Irmenhild               OL
Irmenlind               OL
   Hirmenlind           OL
Isa                     OL
Isburch                 OL
Landburuga              OL
Landgarda               OL
Landrada
Lanthildis
Lantuuara               OL
Lebdrudis               OL
Leddinga
Leuekin                 OL
Leuuich                 OL
Liaueld                 OL
Lidiardis               OL
Liefhun                 OL
Lieftet             "?"
Lietgarda
   Lietgardis
   Litgardis            OL
   Litiardis
Lietuuif                OL
Lieuuara                OL
Lifgarda                OL
Liodburga               OL
   Litburh              OL
Liodgard                OL
Liodrada                OL
   Liedrada             OL
Madelrada               OL
Madhalberta             OL
Magtildis
   Magthildis           OL
   Mathildis
   Machtildis           OL
Markuuara               OL
Megenberta              OL
Megendrod               OL
Megenhelda              OL
   Meinnelda     10
Megenlind               OL
Megenlioba              OL
Megensind               OL
   Megensinda           OL
   Meinsent             OL

Megenuuara              OL
Meinburg
   Menborch      10
Meinswindis
Methdin                 OL
Nidlebis                OL
Nordrada
Oda
Odburga
Odela
Odgiva
   Otgiva
Odguda            9  ?  OL
Odgudana                OL
Odlenda                 OL
Olburgis                OL
Olga                    OL
Osgarda                 OL
Osgiua                  OL
Otgiua                  OL
Otberta                 OL
Oydela                  OL
Radburgis
   Radborg              OL
   Radburg              OL
Radeken                 OL
Radgert                 OL
Radlia                  OL
Radsuinda               OL
Ramburga                OL
Regana                  OL
Regenburuga             OL
   Renburgis            OL
Regenelda               OL
   Rainilda             OL
   Rainildis            OL
Regenlind               OL
Regenset                OL
Reginsuint              OL
   Reinsuent            OL
Regneuuig               OL
Reinewif
   Rennewief
Reingard
   Reingardis
   Reingart
   Reingaud      10  ?  KR
   Reingod       10  ?  KR
Riberta                 OL
Richildis
   Richelda             OL
   Rikildis
Riclindis
Ricsuinda               OL
Rinilda
   Rinelt
Rodburga
   Rotburga
Rodgarda         10
   Rodgardae            OL
   Hruodgarda           OL
Rofsind                 OL
Rothin
Rotlenda
Hruotberta              OL
Sigarda
   Syardis
Sigberta                OL
   Sigeberta            OL
Sigeburgis
   Sigiburgis           OL
   Siborch
   Siburg
   Seburg               OL
   Seburga
Sigethrod               OL
Snelburch               OL
Stenburch
Stilleuuara             OL
Strilleburg             OL
Suitburgis
Thancuuara              OL
Thedela
   Thidela
Thieda                  OL
Thietgarda              OL
Thietwara
   Theaduuara           OL
   Thiutuuara           OL
Thietuuich              OL
Thiodsind               OL
   Teudsindis           OL
   Thiodsuinda          OL
Thrasborg               OL
Thrudberga              OL
   Trhutborgana         OL
Ticekin              ?
Tietlenda               OL
Tietza
Trudlinde               OL
Trutilda
Uda                     OL
Uoldolberta             OL
Vrowecin
   Frouuin              OL
   Frouuina             OL
Vualdberta              OL
Vualdedruda             OL
   Vualdetruda          OL
   UUaldethruda         OL
Vuifken                 OL
   Vuiuechin            OL
Vuinetberta             OL
UUaldburg               OL
Wavin
UUeremund               OL
UUerenburoc             OL
UUiburgis               OL
   Wiburgis
Wihted
Wilberga
Wilgeva
Willelda
Willesuindis
UUindborog              OL
UUinebarga              OL
UUireda                 OL
Wivecin              ?
Wivin
Wlb(er)gis              OL
Wlfildis                OL
UUlgarda                OL
Wlgert

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