| Laurel: | Date: (year.month.date) | Precedent: |
| Given Names (including Regina, Cwen, etc.) | ||
| Shauna of Carrick Point | 2004.05 | Submitted as Shajarat ad-durr al-Mãhdukht al-Zarqá, the phrase Shajarat ad-durr is the regnal name (not given name) of the first Sultana of the Bahri Mamluks, who came to power in 1246 upon their overthrow of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. This is a type of name used to denote royalty; its use in an SCA name is a claim to rank. Furthermore, this particular regnal name appears to be unique, which also makes it inappropriate for registration. [M{a-}hdukht al-Zarqa',05/04, A-Trimaris] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.10 | Malik was documented as a Russian masculine given name dated to 1506 in this spelling in Wickenden (2nd ed., s.n. Malik, http://sca.org/heraldry/paul/). Malik is also found in the alternate titles list as an Arabic equivalent for 'king'. RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank" states in part:
As Malik is documented as a Russian masculine given name found in period, it is registerable "provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank". The byname Medvedchik was documented as a Russian byname, possibly meaning 'bear keeper' dated to 1542 in Wickenden (2nd ed., s.n. Medvedchik). Therefore, the submitted name means 'Malik [the] bear keeper', which does not suggest "territorial claim" and is not an "explicit assertion of rank". As such, this name is registerable. [Malik Medvedchik, 10/2003, A-Artemisia] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.08 | This name has several problems. Sharif was documented as a given name found in Azieza Hamid's The Book of Muslim Names. However, no evidence could be found that Sharif was used as a given name in period.
Additionally, Sharif is a title. Al-Jamal states "[t]he title sharif is used by the real descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima's son Hasan..." RfS VI.1 states in part:
In any resubmission, evidence must be presented that Sharif was used as a given name in period. Lacking such evidence, it is not registerable as a given name. The forms asserted that Shereif was the submitter's legal name, but no documentation of this fact was included as required when submitting a name element under the Legal Name Allowance. Were such documentation provided, Shereif would not be registerable, even under the Legal Name Allowance. Shereif is a variant of Sharif and so is a name that was a title in period, not a personal name. As such, it falls into the same category as Earl and Duke, noted in RfS VI.1 cited above, and is not registerable. In any resubmission containing a form of Sharif, evidence must be presented that Sharif was used as a given name in period, or it may not be registered, even under the Legal Name Allowance in the form Sherief. As submitted, this name had two given names: Sharif (which was submitted as a given name rather than a title) and 'Abd al-Salam. No evidence has been found for the use of two given names in Arabic. Lacking such evidence, two given names are not registerable in an Arabic name. As the submitter does not allow major changes, we cannot drop one of the given names in order to register this name. [Sharif 'Abd al-Salam ibn Salah, 08/2003 LoAR, R-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.06 | Submitted as Candace Margreta van Zanten, the submitter provided documentation for Candace as an English given name from c. 1624. The LoI summarizes the original reason for return of the submitter's name along with the new documentation:
This example is sufficient to grant the submitter the benefit of the doubt on this name. It must be noted that Candace, like Regina, was used as a title. Therefore, it may be used as a given name "provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank" (RfS VI.1). Specifications regarding a "suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank" were included in the precedent:
In a similar manner, Candace must be the first element of the Society name, which it is in the submitted name, and Candace "may not be followed by any translation of 'of X,' where X is a place name, as that could indicate that the person was queen of that place." In the submitted name, van Zanten means 'of Zanten', and so violates the requirement that Candace not be followed by any translation of 'of [placename]'. Effectively, the submitted name translates to 'Queen Margaret of Zanten', and, so, is not registerable. We have dropped the particle van 'of' in order to remove the suggestion of territorial claim. [Viola Thornhaven, 06/2003 LoAR, A-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.02 | This name violates RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank", which states in part:
As Rayne is a variant of Regina, the restrictions regarding the use of Regina also apply to the name Rayne. Therefore, Rayne of Skye is presumptuous as it could be interpreted as 'Queen of Skye'. [Rayne of Skye, 02/2003 LoAR, R-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.10 | Dona is an Italian feminine given name dated to period and falls into the same category as Regina. It is registerable in an SCA name so long as there is no indication of presumption:
As the name as a whole means 'Lady of Grove', this submission violates section VI.1 of the Rules for Submissions. For the same reason we cannot form a holding name by the standard method of combining her given name with her SCA branch, either. Thus the device must be returned as well. [Dona de Grove, 06/00, R-Meridies] As the submitted name does not indicate landedness (or other presumption issues), this name is registerable. [Isabella Dona Boticelli, 10/2002, A-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.01 | Listed on the LoI as Quene of Mercia, this name was submitted as Quinn of Mercia and changed at kingdom because no documentation was provided and none could be found for Quinn as a given name. The spelling Quene was the closest documentable spelling that the Midrealm CoH was able to find, keeping in mind that the submitter noted that she cared most about sound and that she requested authenticity for the 9th-11th C. The College of Arms has not been able to find evidence of Quinn as a given name. Unfortunately, the form given on the LoI (Quene of Mercia) is presumptuous. RfS VI.1 says: VI.1 Names Claiming Rank.-Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous.Reaney & Wilson (s.n. Queen) derive this given name from the Old English cwen. It is from this same root that the title queen derives. Given the examples in Reaney & Wilson, this name is documented to have been used in period, and so may be used in an SCA name. However, the submitted name violates the requirement that the name have "no suggestion of territorial claim". This restriction has already been applied to Cwen: [Cwenwyn] "Given the many attestations of 'Cwen' both alone and as a protheme in Period, I believe that we should give it the same allowance that we do the name Regina: so long as it is not used in a name in such a way as to imply landedness, it will be acceptable for registration." (LoAR 2/92 p.12).Similarly, the combination of Quene with of Mercia implies landedness and is not registerable. [Quene of Mercia, 01/02, R-Middle] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.06 | As the name as a whole means 'Lady of Grove', this submission violates section VI.1 of the Rules for Submissions. For the same reason we cannot form a holding name by the standard method of combining her given name with her SCA branch, either. Thus the device must be returned as well. [Dona de Grove, 06/00, R-Meridies] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.05 | The question was raised whether the name is presumptuous, since Cäsarea is derived from Caesar , a standard translation for 'Emperor'. However, it is not a title in its own right; furthermore, Zwickau is neither an empire nor a capital city. [Cäsarea von Zwickau, 05/00, A-An Tir] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.06 | [Freyia av Bergen] According to the LoI "[Lind's Norsk-Islandsk Personnamen col.283] has a reasonable entry for Freyia." This is not correct. While it is true that Freyia is found in Lind, the references are all to the Goddess, and not to a human being. Barring documentation that the given name was used by humans in our period as a given name, this name must be returned. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR, June 1998) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.05 | The most common meaning for "phoenix" in period was to denote the most definitely non-human avian who symbolized the self-regeneration of the soul. While this might make an appropriate byname, we feel that is inappropriate for a given name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR May 1997, p. 11) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.05 | [returning Freyja the Cunning] There is no documentation for the name Freya/Freyja being used for anyone but the Goddess in our period. SCA given names must be given names used by Human beings in our period. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR May 1997, p. 9) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.01 | [Prydwen ferch Bledig] Prydwen is given in the form that Gruffudd uses for modern names; it is also clearly described as the name of Arthur's ship. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR January 1997, p. 21) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.01 | Arianrhod ferch Don, the personage named in the cited documentation, is mythological; no one has been able to present any evidence that the name has been found in use by actual human beings in period. Without such evidence, the name may not be used in an SCA name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR January 1997, p. 15) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.06 | Submitted as Dionysos [N], the documentable name is Dionysios ("consecrated to Dionysos"); the submitted form was only used as the name of the God. We have substituted the documented form here. [It seems, after all, to make more than an iota's worth of difference. J] (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR June 1995, p. 13) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) | 1992.02 | [Cwenwyn] "Given the many attestations of 'Cwen' both alone and as a protheme in Period, I believe that we should give it the same allowance that we do the name Regina: so long as it is not used in a name in such a way as to imply landedness, it will be acceptable for registration." (LoAR 2/92 p.12). |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1991.03 | "Submitted as Reina de <place>, that form of the name takes on the aspect of a title 'Queen of <place>.' We have deleted the article 'of' in order to remove the appearance of presumption and to register the name." (LoAR 3/91 p.5). |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.08 | Arianrhod was the Welsh moon goddess and, failing evidence for human use of the name in period, may not be used in the Society. (LoAR Aug 87, p. 13) (See also: LoAR 31 Mar 90, p. 6) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.08 | [Scathach Faol] O Corrain and Maguire, (p. 162), Gaelic Personal Names, cited in the letter of intent, notes two usages of the given name, both for apparently for non-humans: "In the Ulster tales, Scathach is the female warrior, clearly an Otherword personage, who taught Cuchulainn the use of weapons. In the Finn tales, Scathach, daughter of Enna, lulls Finn to sleep with magic music in a fairy mound." Evidence for the name's use by humans is required. (LoAR Aug 87, p. 13) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.03.29 | [Cwen Tegan of the Far Pines] "Cwen" is the standard Anglo-Saxon title for Queen approved for use in the Society and was actually used in Old English in the specific sense of the ruler's wife (and in at least one case in the sense of a queen regnant). Therefore, I must reaffirm the ban on the use of "cwen" as an element in Society names. (LoAR 29 Mar 87, p. 13-14) |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1984.12.16 | [Laurelyn FitzGalen of Longwood] Laurelin is the younger of the Two Trees of Valinor, and is no longer an acceptable Society name. Of the two instances on record, LAURELLYN OF ISSTARR was approved prior to the publication of The Silmarillion, and LAURELYN DARKSBANE was passed as a hardship case. [BoE, 16 Dec 84, p.14] |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.02.26 | [Rhiannon.] A Book of Welsh Names, by Trefor Rendell Davies (London: Sheppard Press, 1952), lists Rhiannon as a common Welsh given name. Therefore, even though it is the name of a goddess, it may be used so long as the name and the device sufficiently differentiate the person from the goddess. WVS [63] [LoAR 26 Feb 82], p. 6 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.02.26 | [Regina.] The College is opposed to the use of titles in names. We have received documentation that Regina specifically was a common given name in our period. Therefore, we will allow the use of Regina as a given name so long as there is no indication in the name that a claim to royalty exists. This means that Regina must be the first word of the Society name and that the Society name may not be in Latin, and that the word Regina may not be followed by any translation of "of X," where X is a place name, as that could indicate that the person was queen of that place. This use of Regina does not imply permission to use any other titles as names (e.g., you still can't have Earl or Rex). WVS [63] [LoAR 26 Feb 82], p. 7 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.10.26 | You may not use the name of a deity unless it passed into common use as a given name in period. WVS [55] [LoAR 26 Oct 81], p. 7 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.08.13 | Made-up names must now be consistent with period naming practices and must satisfy all of the other rules on names. Therefore, if a person makes up a name and it turns out that, quite by coincidence, it is also the name of a god, a place, or a surname, then the made-up name will not be acceptable. It doesn't matter how you arrived at the name: it still must pass all of the other rules. WVS [49] [CL 13 Aug 81], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.07.29 | Titles such as Rex, Regina, or Sir cannot be used, even if they are given names. WVS [48] [LoAR 29 Jul 81], p. 8 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.01.23 | "Earl" cannot be used with a place name, as it implies the title of Earl. WVS [34] [LoAR 23 Jan 81], p. 11. ["Earl" was being used in this case as a given name.] |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.01.23 | You cannot use the name of a Norse god or goddess. WVS [34] [LoAR 23 Jan 81], p. 8 |
| Combining: Byname or Surname with the same Clan Name (including use of "of that Ilk") | ||
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.04 | ... the Macghie of MacKay implied that the submitter is the clan chief or the clan chief's daughter, which is presumptuous. [Brenna Michaela Sine Macghie of Clan MacKay, 04/00, R-Atenveldt] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.01 | Baron Bruce covered the issue of pretention in the form of "X of Y" in Scottish names. "We will continue to prohibit the use of a Scots clan name with the seat or territory of that clan (e.g. Cameron of Lochiel), or a surname with the phrase of that Ilk (or its functional equivalent, e.g. Macintosh of Macintosh). That usage, with or without the given name, is the title of the actual chief of the clan or his immediate kin; its use in the SCA represents a direct infringement on actual nobility, and also appears to be a claim to rank, either of which is grounds for return. But by and large, the use of a Scots surname with a Scots placename is acceptable for SCA use." (LoAR March 1993, p. 8) Based on that precedent, [MacLeod of Duirinish] is registrable. [1/94, p.8] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1990.09 | "Submitted as <given name> <locative> of <locative>, such a form (X of X, or X of that Ilk) is a claim not only to chieftanship of a clan but implies overlordship of a territory, and rank and title. Such a claim is improper in the SCA." (LoAR 9/90 p.7). |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.06.18 | Household names may not be the names of actual places, as that would imply the head of the household was the ruler of that place. Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans, as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan. Household names do not have to be registered, but if they are not registered, they are not protected. In order to be registered, a household name must not conflict with any other household names in the SCA or with any SCA Society names. Two household names conflict if they differ only by minor spelling variants or sound essentially the same ... A household name conflicts with a surname or place name of a Society name only when it is identical or a spelling variant ... The reverse is true for Society names conflicting with household names ... The principle is that there should be more difference between two household names than between a household name and somebody's last name. WVS [71] [CL 18 Jun 82], pp. 2-3 |
| Combining: Clan Name + Clan Seat | ||
| François la Flamme | 2003.03 | This name was submitted as Catte MacGuffee of Clan McFee and changed at Kingdom to Catte MacGuffee, because bynames formed of Clan [clan name] have previously been ruled unregisterable due to lack of evidence of this type of byname in period.
The LoI explained that:
Colonsay is the clan seat of MacPhee. Therefore, a name using MacPhee of Colonsay is not registerable, as it combines the name of a clan with the clan seat of that clan and so violates RfS I.3.b, which states "A name or piece of armory which expresses or implies presumptuous claims to status or powers that the submitter does not possess will not be registered." This is a long-standing precedent best summarized in the LoAR of March 1993:
MacGuffie is a variant of the name MacPhee. Therefore, MacGuffie of Colonsay falls afoul of the same problem as MacPhee of Colonsay, and so is not registerable. [Catte MacGuffee, 03/2003, A-Meridies] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.09 | Submitted as Ian MacLean of Mull, Mull is the clan seat of Clan MacLean. By long-standing precedent, use of the clan seat with the clan name (such as MacLean of Mull) is presumptuous and is not registerable. We would normally drop the locative byname of Mull in order to register this name. However, the resulting Ian MacLean would conflict with Ian MacClen (registered October 1991). Therefore, we have dropped the element MacLean and are registering this name as Ian of Mull. [Ian of Mull, 09/2002 LoAR, A-Calontir] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.11 | This name is being returned for combining the name of a clan with the clan seat of that clan. This is a long-standing precedent best summarized in the LoAR of March 1993:
We will continue to prohibit the use of a Scots clan name with the seat or territory of that clan (e.g. Cameron of Lochiel), or a surname with the phrase of that Ilk (or its functional equivalent, e.g Macintosh of Macintosh). That usage, with or without the given name, is the title of the actual chief of the clan or his immediate kin; its use in the SCA represents a direct infringement on actual nobility, and also appears to be a claim to rank, either of which is grounds for return. (Alexander MacIntosh of Islay, March, 1993, pp. 7-8)[Iain Macquarrie of Ulva, 11/01, R-East] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.12 | Kinchyle appears to be the clan seat of the MacBean, so the two names cannot be combined in this manner. [Lachlan McBean of Kinchyle, 12/00, R-Atenveldt] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.06 | Submitted as Colin MacKenzie of Eilean Donan, but as Eilean Donan appears to be the clan seat of the MacKenzies the name would have implied membership in the immediate family of the clan chief. Since Colin MacKenzie has already been registered in March 1999, we had to drop the clan name instead of the locative. [Colin of Eilean Donan, 06/00, A-Caid] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.04 | Submitted as Ewan MacLaren of Balquhidder, the point was made in commentary that Balquhidder figures prominently enough in the MacLaren history to be considered a clan seat. As such, while there is no clan title of MacLaren of Balquhidder, this byname would imply that the person belongs to the immediate family of the chief. Since dropping Balquhidder would result in a conflict with the already registered name of Eoin MacLaren, we have dropped MacLaren instead. [Ewan of Balquhidder, 04/00, A-An Tir] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 1999.12 | [Catriona McKenzie of Kintail] As one of the seats of the McKenzies was Kintail, by long standing precedent, using McKenzie of Kintail is presumptuous. [Catriona McKenzie of Kintail, 12/99, R-Atenveldt] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 1999.08 | Strathardale is a clan seat of the MacKinnons, so the name must be returned as presumptuous. [Duncan MacKinnon of Strathardale, 08/99, R-East] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.07 | [Eoghan MacFhearguis] Submitted as Eoghan MacFhearguis of Dunfallandy, this combines the name of the clan with the clan seat which is presumptuous. We have removed the placename in order to register the name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR July 1998, p. 2) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.02 | [Lorn Mac Ewen] Submitted as Lorn Mac Ewen of Otter, this combines the clan name and the name of the seat of that clan. We do not permit that, as it is a format found only in association with clan chiefs. We have dropped the place name in order to register the rest of the name and the armory. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR February 1998, p. 12) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.04 | Submitted as Angus Campbell of Argyll, the combination of Campbell of Argyll is not allowed in the SCA. "The use of the name Campbell of Argyll in modern mundane usage is tantamount to a claim of kinship with the chief and it will be so taken by the bulk of members of the Society, causing offense to some." (Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane, LoAR August 1987, p. 16) "As Tir Connell was the seat of the chief sept of the O'Donnells, it may not be used with the name O'Donnell just as Argyll may not be used with Campbell." (Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane, LoAR 25 January 1987, p. 10). We could not just drop the "of Argyll", as because of V.1.a.ii.(a), "Bynames of Relationship." While it is true that Angus Campbell need not be a member of Clan Campbell, we believe that someone named Angus who wanted to indicate his membership of Clan Campbell could legitimately be called Angus Campbell. The rules are not clear whether two bynames differ when their meanings are neither precisely the same nor completely different, and so this falls into a gray area. After much thought and discussion it was our conclusion that the two names are in conflict. We have dropped the conflicting element in order to register the name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR April 1997, p. 7) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1996.09 | [Campbell of Glenlyon] Glenlyon is one of the seats of the Campbells. Current precedent states: "The Society considers the use of a clan name (Guinne, Gunn) with the seat of the clan (Kilernan) to be presumptuous; the only examples we've found of such usage are by clan chiefs and their immediate families." (Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, LoAR January 1993, p. 24) Therefore, this name is presumptuous. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR September 1996, p. 16) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1996.04 | The other matter came up in the registration of the name Óengus mac Domnaill Glinne Chomair (Atlantia), a Gaelic name that could be translated 'Angus son of Donald of Glencoe'. As it happens, there is a clan known in English as MacDonald of Glencoe, and it was suggested that the combination of patronymic and locative was for that reason a claim to chieftainship of the clan. However, Gaelic usage in such matters can be surprising: it turns out that the chief is in Gaelic simply MacIain (after the clan's progenitor). Thus, the submitted bynames are in Gaelic simply descriptive, meaning only what they seem to say. It appears that this example is not unique, so there may be a number of superficially disallowed combinations that in Gaelic are not at all presumptuous; the facts will have to be ascertained on a case-by-case basis. (CL 4/96) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.11 | There is a long-standing precedent against combining a Scottish clan name with the name of its seat, a precedent confirmed in the 3/93 registration of Alexander MacIntosh of Islay (Middle). By the same reasoning the combination Fitzgerald of Kildare must be prohibited: between 1316 and 1766 one of the major branches of the Fitzgeralds were Earls of Kildare. We have therefore dropped the locative to register the rest of the name. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR November 1995, p. 6) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.09 | [Rosalyn MacGregor] The name was submitted as Rosalyn MacGregor of Glenorchy, but Glenorchy was the original clan seat of the MacGregors (Bain, The Clans and Tartans of Scotland, p. 180), and in the 1/93 return of Sine Guinne of Kilernan Laurel reaffirmed the precedent that "the use of a clan name ... with the seat of the clan ... [is] presumptuous [because] the only examples we've found of such usage are by clan chiefs and their immediate families". She permits changes, so we have dropped the locative in order to register the rest of the name. [LoAR 09/95] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.01 | Baron Bruce covered the issue of pretention in the form of "X of Y" in Scottish names. "We will continue to prohibit the use of a Scots clan name with the seat or territory of that clan (e.g. Cameron of Lochiel), or a surname with the phrase of that Ilk (or its functional equivalent, e.g. Macintosh of Macintosh). That usage, with or without the given name, is the title of the actual chief of the clan or his immediate kin; its use in the SCA represents a direct infringement on actual nobility, and also appears to be a claim to rank, either of which is grounds for return. But by and large, the use of a Scots surname with a Scots placename is acceptable for SCA use." (LoAR March 1993, p. 8) Based on that precedent, [MacLeod of Duirinish] is registrable. [1/94, p.8] |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.08 | ...the combination of a clan name with the seat or territory of the clan is the prerogative of the chief of the clan, and is thus disallowed in the Society. (Magdalene Katherine MacDonald of Sleat, August, 1993, pg. 17) |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.01 | The Society considers the use of a clan name (Guinne, Gunn) with the seat of the clan (Kilernan) to be presumptuous; the only examples we've found of such usage are by clan chiefs and their immediate families. (Sine Guinne of Kilernan, January, 1993, pg. 24) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.08 | The use of the name Campbell of Argyll in modern mundane usage is tantamount to a claim of kinship with the chief and it will be so taken by the bulk of members of the Society, causing offense to some. (LoAR Aug 87, pp. 15-16) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.08 | The ... extremely lengthy appeal covered several points and was copiously documented with extracts from several genealogical and heraldic works.... It is a pity that so much of her documentation supported the original return....
Documentation was submitted to support the existence of [Name] as a surname and appeal was made to the familiar Camden citation as evidence that surnames were used in period. However, precedent reasserted by Master Baldwin ... (December, 1984) has reaffirmed that names used solely as surnames in period may not be used as given names: Camden notes an anomaly peculiar to late sixteenth century England and we must draw our general rules from the common usage, not the anomaly. She needs to have a given name. The submittor states that the Campbells were actually lords of Lochow or of some other seat and not of Argyll. Unfortunately, her own documentation indicates that Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochow, created Lord Campbell in 1445 and chief of the clan, assumed the designation of Argyll. The use of the name Campbell of Argyll in modern mundane usage is tantamount to a claim of kinship with the chief and it will be so taken by the bulk of members of the Society, causing offense to some. (LoAR Aug 87, pp. 15-16) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.01.25 | As Tir Connell was the seat of the chief sept of the O'Donnells, it may not be used with the name O'Donnell just as Argyll may not be used with Campbell. (LoAR 25 Jan 87, p. 10) |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.06.18 | Household names may not be the names of actual places, as that would imply the head of the household was the ruler of that place. Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans, as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan. Household names do not have to be registered, but if they are not registered, they are not protected. In order to be registered, a household name must not conflict with any other household names in the SCA or with any SCA Society names. Two household names conflict if they differ only by minor spelling variants or sound essentially the same ... A household name conflicts with a surname or place name of a Society name only when it is identical or a spelling variant ... The reverse is true for Society names conflicting with household names ... The principle is that there should be more difference between two household names than between a household name and somebody's last name. WVS [71] [CL 18 Jun 82], pp. 2-3 |
| Combining: Clan Name + location (and the location is part of a title belonging to the chief of that clan) | ||
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.06 | Since the Chief of Campbell is also the Duke of Argyll, the submitted name would imply membership in the immediate family of the chief. [Caitriona Campbell of Argyll, 06/00, R-Meridies] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.04 | Submitted as Anna Graham of Montrose. While adding of Montrose clears the earlier conflict with Hannah Graham it adds the new problem that the Graham chiefs are also the Dukes (originally Earls) of Montrose. This means that the submitted name would have been used only by a member of the immediate family of the clan chief and is thus presumptuous. [Anna Graham of Montrose, 04/00, R-Artemisia] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.11 | There is a long-standing precedent against combining a Scottish clan name with the name of its seat, a precedent confirmed in the 3/93 registration of Alexander MacIntosh of Islay (Middle). By the same reasoning the combination Fitzgerald of Kildare must be prohibited: between 1316 and 1766 one of the major branches of the Fitzgeralds were Earls of Kildare. We have therefore dropped the locative to register the rest of the name. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR November 1995, p. 6) |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.06.18 | Household names may not be the names of actual places, as that would imply the head of the household was the ruler of that place. Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans, as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan. Household names do not have to be registered, but if they are not registered, they are not protected. In order to be registered, a household name must not conflict with any other household names in the SCA or with any SCA Society names. Two household names conflict if they differ only by minor spelling variants or sound essentially the same ... A household name conflicts with a surname or place name of a Society name only when it is identical or a spelling variant ... The reverse is true for Society names conflicting with household names ... The principle is that there should be more difference between two household names than between a household name and somebody's last name. WVS [71] [CL 18 Jun 82], pp. 2-3 |
| Combining: Clan Name + location (and the location is NOT a clan seat or part of a title belonging to the chief of that clan) | ||
| François la Flamme | 2002.02 | There was some question regarding whether combining MacKenzie with de Ross was presumptuous, since the MacKenzies were one of the clans that held lands in Ross. As no MacKenzie held the title Earl of Ross, this name is clear of presumption. The title Earl of Ross was held first by Ross and later by MacDonald. [Elizabet MacKenzie de Ross, 02/02, A-Meridies] |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.03 | Lord Obelisk has noted a Laurel precedent (v. Duncan Forbes of Crathes, LoAR of Nov 90) that disallowed any use of a Scots surname with a Scots toponymic, as it "implies landedness in possession of a feudal barony." I suspect this was not intended to be a permanent change in our policy, which hitherto had disallowed the use of a Scots clan surname with the seat of the clan. Certainly, in the months following the above ruling, we registered Duncan MacFergus of Kintyre (Dec 90, p.7), John MacRobert of Grandloch (Feb 91, p.6), Fergus MacKillop of Skye (April 91, p.5), Gareth MacGunther of Gordon (April 91, p.8), etc. I believe that, in practice if not explicitly, the Nov 90 precedent has been overturned.
Moreover, there is counter-evidence suggesting that Scots surname-toponymic combinations don't necessarily imply possession of a feudal barony. Frank Adams (Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands) gives an instance (p.402) of a small homestead, about five acres, being sufficient to warrant the addition of the toponymic. Adams notes that clan names could be modified for a number of reasons, not all of which concern nobiliary claims: he cites "those who, though unconnected by blood with the clan, had become bound to it by bonds of manrent", and "those of the clan who were ...distinguished by the name of the part of the clan territory occupied by them" (p.398). Black ( Surnames of Scotland) corroborates this in several of his entries; for instance, on p.xxiv we find two examples (Jhon Mour de Sanchar, Robert Mour de Skeldowy), taken from a guild roster of 1431: non-noble, unconnected to the chief of Clan Muir, but definitely combining a Scots surname with a Scots patronymic. We will continue to prohibit the use of a Scots clan name with the seat or territory of that clan (e.g. Cameron of Lochiel), or a surname with the phrase of that Ilk (or its functional equivalent, e.g Macintosh of Macintosh). That usage, with or without the given name, is the title of the actual chief of the clan or his immediate kin; its use in the SCA represents a direct infringement on actual nobility, and also appears to be a claim to rank, either of which is grounds for return. But by and large, the use of a Scots surname with a Scots placename is acceptable for SCA use. (Alexander MacIntosh of Islay, March, 1993, pp. 7-8) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1990.11 | "The use of a clan name with an actual place in Scotland implies landedness in the possession of a feudal barony. See Scots Heraldry by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, pp. 203-205, for a fuller discussion of 'Territorial Designations'." (LoAR 11/90 p.17). |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1990.11 | [Clan Stewart of <place>] "There is in the name 'Stewart of <place>' an implication of title, but not of landedness (since <place> does not exist as a place). See Scots Heraldry by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, pp. 203-205, for a fuller discussion of 'Territorial Designations'." [The clan name was registered] (LoAR 11/90 p.6). |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1990.10 | "Submitted as <given name> Sinclair of Wick, we have dropped the locative to avoid the appearance of presumption that the submitter is the clan chief of the Sinclairs, Earls of Caithness, whose stronghold is Girnigoe Castle, just north of Wick in Caithness." (LoAR 10/90 p.2). |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1988.07 | [Cairbre mac Shimidh of Glen Shiel] When Master Wilhelm returned the name Cairbre MacShimidh in February, 1984, on the grounds that the use of the patronymic was presumptuous since it appeared to be reserved to the head of the Frasers of Lovat (being derived from the eponymous founder of the line Simon Fraser). This seems to be based on the evidence of Black (Surnames of Scotland, p. 529530) who states that the chief of Clan Fraser is so called. The same statement is made by Moncreiffe (The Highland Clans, p. 81) and several other reliable sources. There is no doubt as well that Black is correct in saying that he given name Simon was not very popular in Scotland outside the Fraser family. However, the addition of the geographical modifier which is not at all associated with Fraser territory in addition to the use of the given name which does not appear in any Fraser genealogy which we could find would seem to carry the name clear. The Frasers call their chief (in Gaelic) "the MacSimon" in the same way that the MacGregors call their chief "the MacGregor". This does not necessarily rule out the use of the name MacGregor by anyone else. Note, however, that the change in capitalization noted on the letter of intent has no effect at all on whether the patronymic is permissible or not: "MacShimidh" and "mac Shimidh" are totally equivalent in both modern and period Gaelic orthography. [Name registered] (LoAR Jul 88, p. 10) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1986.12.28 | [(Name) of Gilnockie] Gilnockie is one of the strongholds of the Armstrongs. This is the sort of allusion to one's mundane heritage that is perfectly licit and should be encouraged (the gentle's mundane family name is Armstrong). (LoAR 28 Dec 86, p. 5) |
| Surnames/Bynames of Noble Houses or Dynasties (including Royal, Ducal, etc. Houses) | ||
| François la Flamme | 2003.07 | The submitter requested authenticity for Italian and allowed any changes. [...]
There was some question whether the use of the name Borgia was presumptuous. Use of Borgia was ruled presumptuous in 1988:
However, Tamera Borgia was registered in May of 1996 and Giuseppe Francesco da Borgia was registered in August of 1994. At issue is whether use of the name Borgia is a claim to be a member of the noble family. Regarding this issue, Maridonna Benvenuti provided the following information:
As the location was founded in 1547, a person in the late 16th C who was from Borgia in Catanzaro could have been known as da Borgia. There are examples of partially Latinized Italian bynames using de rather than the Italian da. (For some examples of this trend, see "Italian Men's Names in Rome, 1473-1484", http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/Studium/). Therefore, de Borgia is registerable as a variant of da Borgia. [Valeria de Borgia, 07/2003 LoAR, A-Lochac] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.05 | Metron Ariston noted that Higashiyama was "the regnal name of the emperor who ruled from 1687 to 1709/10", so the question arose of whether use of Higashiyama violates RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank". Higashiyama means 'East Mountain'. While we could find no dated examples of it being used as a surname in period, Solveig Throndardottír's Name Construction in Medieval Japan (NCMJ) dates Nishiyama 'West Mountain' as a surname to 1568. Nishiyama 'West Mountain' is a place a person could have been from, and so could have derived a surname from this placename. Similarly, Higashiyama 'East Mountain' is a place a person could have been from and so could have derived a surname from this placename. In this manner, Higashiyama is similar to de Bourbon (see Adelaide de Bourbon, LoAR of September 2001, Ansteorra's acceptances) since both are bynames that would refer to a placename that any person, not just royalty, could have been from. Therefore, Higashiyama, like de Bourbon, is not presumptuous. [Higashiyama Yukiko, 05/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.01 | Listed on the LoI as Emrys ap Tudur, this name was submitted as Emrys Tudur and changed at Kingdom (with the submitter's consent) to make the byname a patronymic rather than an inherited surname. As noted in the October 2002 LoAR (Rhonwen verch Tuder, Middle acceptances):
The LoI noted that Reaney & Wilson (p. 456 s.n. Tudor) dates Tudur ap Llywelyn to 1391, which gives support for the submitted spelling as a Welsh form. Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn's article "A Simple Guide to Constructing 16th Century Welsh Names (in English Contexts)" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welsh16.html) shows examples of Welsh patronymic bynames that omit the particle (in this case, ap). Given this information, we have returned this name to the submitted form. [Emrys Tudur, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.10 | There is a precedent against registration of forms of the name Tudor:
I have strong reservations about permitting either Tudor or Tudora. I'm afraid that no matter how harmless or common these may have been in period, most SCA members will see only an association with the House of Tudor, which they will perceive to be a claim "that one is a member of a royal family or is of royal birth. [Baldwin of Erebor, 12 May 85, p.4] [The name was disallowed.] Evidence has been found that Welsh forms of Tudor (specifically Tuder and Tedder) were not limited to the royal family. For example, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn's article "Women's Names in the First Half of 16th Century Wales" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welshWomen16/) includes the names Meredith ap David ap Tuder, Llewelyn ap Tuder, Tuder ap Robert, and Margaret verch Ieuan ap Tedder. In her article, Tangwystyl gives the source of this data as "legal cases found in An Inventory of the Early Chancery Proceedings Concerning Wales, compiled by E. A. Lewis (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1937)." Given these examples, the Welsh forms Tuder and Tedder fall into the same category as Stewart (used as an example in RfS VI.1). Since use of these forms "does not link one unmistakably to the royal house" (RfS V1.1), they are registerable. The submitted form Tewdwr was documented from Davies, A History of Wales (p. 82-83), and Gruffudd (p. 89). In the case of Davies, as this is a history book, not a study on names or naming practices, the form Tewdwr in this location is almost certainly a standardized modern form. Gruffudd does not list a date for the form Tewdwr, which generally indicates a modern form. The College was unable to find any evidence that the form Tewdwr was actually used in period. Without such evidence, it is not registerable. We have changed the byname to verch Tuder, following the examples from Tangwystyl's article cited above, to partially meet the submitter's request for authenticity. Lacking evidence that the name Rhonwen was actually used as a feminine given name in Wales in period, we were unable to make this name completely authentic. [Rhonwen verch Tuder, 10/2002, A-Middle] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.05 | Sufficient documentation was presented that use of Fujiwara as a surname does not automatically imply relationship with the royal family of that name. Therefore, it falls into that category of names, like Stewart, which are names of royal families but which are not considered presumptuous because "use of that surname does not link one unmistakably to the royal house" as set down in RfS VI.1. [Fujiwara no Aoi, 05/2002, A-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.03 | This name does not conflict with Conrad von Zollern (1208-61), who was burgrave of Nuremberg from 1227 and founder of the Franconian Hohenzollern family, which eventually became the 19th to 20th C German Imperial family, because Conrad von Zollern does not have his own entry in an encyclopedia.
As Bahlow (p. 637 s.n. Zoller) dates Zoller to 1329 and Brechenmacher (p. 865, s.n. Zoller) dates Zoller to 1142, the byname Zoller (and its locative form von Zollern) is not unique to this family and so is not presumptuous. [Conrad von Zollern, 03/2002, A-Outlands] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.02 | Submitted as Lysbette Richelieu du Plessis, no documentation was presented and none was found that the name Richelieu was used except by the Duc de Richelieu. As noted by Metron Ariston, "the du Plessis family estate was Richelieu and it was from that estate that the Cardinal took his title." Lacking documentation that Richelieu was used by people other than the family of the Duc de Richelieu, it is not registerable. Additionally, since the family name of the Duc de Richelieu was du Plessis, if evidence is found that Richelieu was used by other than the duke's family, Richelieu and du Plessis would not be registerable in the same name, as the combination would imply membership in this family. [Lysbette du Plessis, 02/02, A-Outlands] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.01 | No documentation was presented and none was found that de would have been used with the byname Guelph in period. The submitter documented the English Guelph from an entry entitled "Welf Dynasty" on britannica.com. This family name has previously been ruled as presumptuous:
[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)As no evidence has been found that any form of this surname (including the submitted Guelph) was used except by members of this family, this precedent still stands. [Yolanda de Guelph, 01/02, R-An Tir] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.10 | There was a question as to whether the byname de Bourbon is presumptuous and so should not be registerable. RfS VI.1 states:
Claim to membership in a uniquely royal family is also considered presumptuous, although use of some dynastic surnames do not necessarily claim royal rank. For example, there was a Scottish dynasty named Stewart, but there were also many other Stewart families so use of that surname does not link one unmistakably to the royal house. Hohenstaufen, on the other hand, seems to have only been used by the line of Holy Roman Emperors, so its use makes a clear dynastic claim.So the question is whether de Bourbon was a byname only used by the French royal family of that name. Dauzat and Rostaing (p. 103 s.n. Boulbon) identifies three locations that include the element Bourbon and dates the forms Borbona to 846 and Burbone to the 8th C. Locative bynames of the form de [placename] are a common standard construction in French. So a byname de Bourbon is a logical reference to one of these locations and would not be considered presumptuous. [Adelaide de Bourbon, 09/01, A-Ansteorra] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.08 | There was some question as to whether the byname Grimaldi was used exclusively by the royal family of Monaco. Maridonna Benvenuti found examples of the byname Grimaldi used by people who do not seem to be of the royal family in Gerhard Rohlfs' Dizionario dei Cognomi e Soprannomi. Given these examples, the byname Grimaldi is registerable. [Jacquetta Grimaldi, 08/01, A-Trimaris] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 1999.08 | ... z domu Piast means "the House of Piast" which was the founding royal dynasty of Poland, ruling from 965-1370. Barring evidence that the general populace used the name, we consider it presumptuous ...[Judwiga Czarna Pika ze Smocza Jamy, 08/99, A-Caid] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.02 | [Beatrice Sforza] The surname Sforza is one of those names such as Hohenstaufen which are so closely associated with a single sovereign royal family as to be presumptuous in their use. Indeed, in times past it was one of those that were used as an exemplar for that category of restricted names. (The name of the dynasty was derived from the nickname of its founder and in period was associated closely with the immediate family of the sovereign Dukes of Milan.) The use of the Sforza surname is tantamount to a claim to being from the immediate family of the sovereign Dukes of Milan and is not allowed under RFS VI.1 (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR February 1998, p. 15) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.05 | [Valeria Àngeli] Submitted as Valeria Àngeli Sforza, on the July 1997 LoAR the name Sforza was ruled to be presumptuous. While an argument was made on the LoI to overturn the precedent, no examples were presented of period use of the name outside of the royal line. Absent such evidence, the precedent cannot be overturned. We have dropped Sforza in order to register the name. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR May 1998, p. 14) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1998.01 | [Yasha Ivanovich Romanoff] Since both Ivan V and Ivan VI of Russia were Romanovs, Yasha Ivanovich Romanoff is a claim to being either one's son and forbidden by our rules. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR January 1998, p. 16) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.07 | The surname Sforza is one of those names such as Hohenstaufen which are so closely associated with a single sovereign royal family as to be presumptuous in their use. Indeed, in times past it was one of those that were used as an exemplar for that category of restricted names. (The name of the dynasty was derived from the nickname of its founder and in period was associated closely with the immediate family of the sovereign Dukes of Milan.) The use of the Sforza surname is tantamount to a claim to being from the immediate family of the sovereign Dukes of Milan and is not allowed under RFS VI.1. (Elizabetta Sforza, 7/97 p. 15) |
| 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) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd year, 1st tenure) | 1992.03 | "While there was some concern that the byname 'de Lorraine' could be considered presumptuous, the citation in Reaney of 'de Lorreyne' (dated 1333) lends support to the belief that the locative was not restricted solely to members of the Ducal House of Lorraine." (LoAR 3/92 p.3). |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1991.06 | [of Windsor] "As the locative is that of a place in England from which a number of people could be, and only comparatively recently adopted as a dynastic name, it is not seen as presumptuous to the ruling family of England." (LoAR 6/91 p.13). |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1989.06.18 | [Hohenstaufen] The analogy [with Stuart and d'Este] is not close" both of the cited names which have been permitted have been documented in clearly non-dynastic contexts. This cannot be said of the Hohenstaufen name which is closely associated with the German kingship and Holy Roman Empire. To register the [submitted] name we have dropped this dynastic surname. (LoAR 18 Jun 89, p. 5) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1988.08 | [de Borgia] The use of the surname Borgia [is] "presumptuous". (LoAR Aug 88, p. 16) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1988.07 | [Cairbre mac Shimidh of Glen Shiel] When Master Wilhelm returned the name Cairbre MacShimidh in February, 1984, on the grounds that the use of the patronymic was presumptuous since it appeared to be reserved to the head of the Frasers of Lovat (being derived from the eponymous founder of the line Simon Fraser). This seems to be based on the evidence of Black (Surnames of Scotland, p. 529530) who states that the chief of Clan Fraser is so called. The same statement is made by Moncreiffe (The Highland Clans, p. 81) and several other reliable sources. There is no doubt as well that Black is correct in saying that he given name Simon was not very popular in Scotland outside the Fraser family. However, the addition of the geographical modifier which is not at all associated with Fraser territory in addition to the use of the given name which does not appear in any Fraser genealogy which we could find would seem to carry the name clear. The Frasers call their chief (in Gaelic) "the MacSimon" in the same way that the MacGregors call their chief "the MacGregor". This does not necessarily rule out the use of the name MacGregor by anyone else. Note, however, that the change in capitalization noted on the letter of intent has no effect at all on whether the patronymic is permissible or not: "MacShimidh" and "mac Shimidh" are totally equivalent in both modern and period Gaelic orthography. [Name registered] (LoAR Jul 88, p. 10) |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1986.05.18 | It has been previously determined that, as far as the College of Arms is concerned, the names of the clans with an hereditary claim to the shogunate of Japan are equivalent to the surnames of royal families in Europe, and so may not be registered. I agree with this decision, and am upholding it. Tokugawa may not be used. [BoE, 18 May 86, p.20] |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1985.06.09 | ["Shire of Welfengau."] I am not convinced that it is a good idea to permit the use of a recognizable dynastic name in the name of an SCA branch. It may set a precedent we will have difficulty living with (Tudorville? Hapsburghalle?); and this would seem to legitimize an SCA name such as HEINRICH VON WELFENGAU, which others may consider a claim to membership in a royal or dynastic house. On the other hand, the branch in question is located in Guelph, Ontario, and this ought to count for something. [BoE,9 June 85, p.9] [The submission was approved.] |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1985.05.12 | I have strong reservations about permitting either Tudor or Tudora. I'm afraid that no matter how harmless or common these may have been in period, most SCA members will see only an association with the House of Tudor, which they will perceive to be a claim "that one is a member of a royal family or is of royal birth." [BoE, 12 May 85, p.4] [The name was disallowed.] |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.01.18 | The Amati were one of the principal artisan families of Cremona, second in fame only to the Stradivarii. While you can be of the family, you are not the head of the family, and so cannot use House Amati. WVS [61] [LoAR 17-18 Jan 82], p. 6 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.07.30 | The prohibition against the use of royal surnames applies to the surnames of all royal houses that ruled an independent territorial entity. Thus empires, kingdoms, and independent principalities (such as Monaco) are covered, but not duchies within kingdoms or principalities within empires. The shogunate families are specifically added to the protected list because they were the de facto rulers of Japan. Certain of these protected names, such as Stuart, are allowed for use on the grounds that they are also the name of very large clans, so to use the name does not constitute a statement of royal descent. WVS [47] [CL 30 Jul 81], p. 4 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.02.23 | While O'Neill was the surname of many Irish kings, like Stuart it is also an extremely large clan name, and it has already been registered to N.'s mother. WVS [36] [LoAR 23 Feb 81], p. 2 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.01.27 | I have learned that the surname for the imperial clan in Japan is Yamato. I therefore restrict its use as a surname in the SCA, along with that of Taira, a clan which briefly achieved the shogunate. WVS [33] [CL 27 Jan 81], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.01.27 | The rule is that the surname of a royal family or clan, membership in which means one has a claim to the throne, however tenuous, is not to be used in the SCA. An example is Yngling, the royal house of Norway. WVS [33] [CL 27 Jan 81], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.12.29 | The Tokugawa Shogunate was a special case where the warrant and the title of Shogun became hereditary. Only the Tokugawa shoguns could be considered kings. The clan name of Tokugawa, therefore, qualifies as a royal house name and may not be used. While the Minamotos and Fujiwaras do not really qualify as royal houses, they are close enough to it that, as a special case, they are also restricted. The surname of Minowara used in the novel Shogun by James Clavell is a step removed from reality and does not have the reference in the real world given to the three shogunate families. Therefore it is not restricted. WVS [32] [LoAR 29 Dec 80], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.11.28 | Stuart is a very large clan in Scotland, and we have already allowed some people to use the name, so Stuart is a specific exception to the rule against using the surnames of royal families and clans. WVS [30] [LoAR 28 Nov 80], p. 4 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.09.16 | From now on, surnames of royal households may not be used, but those of noble households without claim to thrones may be used. Thus although N. is the Ducal House of M., it is not a Royal House, having no claim to the throne. In using a name of a noble house one must be careful to avoid using any of the given names used by known members of that house. One still cannot be a Hapsburg or a Tudor, but Dever[eu]x is acceptable so long as you aren't also a Robert. These houses are generally large, and contain a number of non-noble members. Royal Houses contain only noble members in that everyone has some claim to the throne. WVS [25] [LoAR 16 Sep 80], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.02.13 | [N. Farnese.] Farnese is the Ducal House of Parma. You will need to pick a different surname which is not a royal or high noble house. WVS [11] [LoAR 13 Feb 80], p. 6 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.06.18 | Household names may not be the names of actual places, as that would imply the head of the household was the ruler of that place. Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans, as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan. Household names do not have to be registered, but if they are not registered, they are not protected. In order to be registered, a household name must not conflict with any other household names in the SCA or with any SCA Society names. Two household names conflict if they differ only by minor spelling variants or sound essentially the same ... A household name conflicts with a surname or place name of a Society name only when it is identical or a spelling variant ... The reverse is true for Society names conflicting with household names ... The principle is that there should be more difference between two household names than between a household name and somebody's last name. WVS [71] [CL 18 Jun 82], pp. 2-3 |
| Combining: Specific Bynames | ||
| François la Flamme | 2002.02 | Submitted as Lysbette Richelieu du Plessis, no documentation was presented and none was found that the name Richelieu was used except by the Duc de Richelieu. As noted by Metron Ariston, "the du Plessis family estate was Richelieu and it was from that estate that the Cardinal took his title." Lacking documentation that Richelieu was used by people other than the family of the Duc de Richelieu, it is not registerable. Additionally, since the family name of the Duc de Richelieu was du Plessis, if evidence is found that Richelieu was used by other than the duke's family, Richelieu and du Plessis would not be registerable in the same name, as the combination would imply membership in this family. [Lysbette du Plessis, 02/02, A-Outlands] |
| Combining: Occupational Bynames + Locative Bynames | ||
| François la Flamme | 2003.09 | Submitted as Charles Le Cervoisier d'Alsace, the combination of bynames Le Cervoisier d'Alsace 'the brewer of Alsace' falls afoul of RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank", which states in part:
As the submitter allows any changes, we have reversed the order of the bynames to address this issue. We have also lowercased le in the byname le Cervoisier in order to match documented forms. [Charles d'Alsace le Cervoisier, 09/2003, A-Ansteorra] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1996.08 | [registering {given name} the Semstress of Dunkeld] (Elspeth the Semstress of Dunkeld) RfS.VI.1 states that "In some cases, use of an otherwise inoffensive occupational surname in a territorial context may make it appear to be a title or rank." However, the operative word here is may. We do not feel that Seamstress/Semstress is a title/rank. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR August 1996, p. 8) |
| 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). |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1990.06.17 | [(Name) Baird of Gwynedd] [This] is precisely analogous to one of the examples used for presumption in the rules: "John the Bard of Armagh". This being the case, we have dropped the locative to register the name. (LoAR 17 Jun 90, p. 1) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1988.07 | This was submitted as [Name] the [Occupation] of [Place], a formation which smacked too much of a title to the College. The simplest situation seemed to be to switch the epithets: this would be extremely common in medieval Latin where an occupational epithet frequently follows a personal name and epithet of origin and seems appropriate for a lingua franca translation of a scholar's name. (LoAR 25 Jan 87, p. 6) (See also: LoAR 29 Mar 87, p. 1; LoAR Jul 88, p. 10) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1986.10.26 | The occupational byname "Ermite" has been dropped since it was the consensus of opinion in the College that this fell under the ban on conjoining titles or honourifics with a place name. He may be Tancred the Hermit or Tancred of Carcassonne, but not Tancred the Hermit of Carcassonne (while in "real life" hermit might not have been a title or honour, in the world of the period romances upon which so much of our ethos is bases it frequently was used as a title as much as vicar or priest was [used] in period legal documents) (LoAR 26 Oct 86, pp. 2-3) |
| Surnames/Bynames/etc. Implying a Title or Rank | ||
| Shauna of Carrick Point | 2004.05 | Submitted as Shajarat ad-durr al-Mãhdukht al-Zarqá, the phrase Shajarat ad-durr is the regnal name (not given name) of the first Sultana of the Bahri Mamluks, who came to power in 1246 upon their overthrow of the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt. This is a type of name used to denote royalty; its use in an SCA name is a claim to rank. Furthermore, this particular regnal name appears to be unique, which also makes it inappropriate for registration. [M{a-}hdukht al-Zarqa',05/04, A-Trimaris] |
| François la Flamme | 2004.01 | While Wang was documented as a Chinese surname in period, it also appears on the "List of Alternate Titles" as the Chinese equivalent for Prince. As such, it is reserved for use in the SCA and is not registerable as a byname or surname. While given names, such as Regina, that are documented as being used in period are registerable so long as there is "no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank", the same is not true for bynames that explicitly imply rank, including those listed on the "List of Alternate Titles". Therefore, this name must be returned for violation of RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank". [Wang Ao, 01/2004, R-Northshield] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.11 | The registerability of Brother as a given name was the topic of much discussion during the commentary process.
Reaney & Wilson (p. 68 s.n. Brothers) dates the names Broder, Brodor, and Brodre to 1066. As they are listed as single element names found in the Domesday Book, they are almost certainly used as given names. This entry also dates Willelmus filius Brother to 1202 and says that this name derives from:
While the use of this name in reference to kinsman and a guild member is as a descriptive byname, the existance of given name forms, including those cited from the Domesday Book, support the plausibility of Brother as a given name form. Additionally, E. H. Lind, Norsk-Islädska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namm från Medeltiden, column 171, lists an entry for the given name Bróðir and lists examples of forms of this name found in the 14th and 15th C, providing additional support for forms of this name used as given names. Based on this information, Brother is plausible as a given name form in period. As such, it is registerable when it does not appear to be a form of address. When used as a form of address, Brother is still not registerable (as is true for all forms of address), though the submitter may use it:
In this case, Brother does not appear to be a form of address because it is followed by Liston, which can only be a locative byname or an inherited surname. Therefore, Brother must be the given name in this submission. [Brother Liston Brounyng, 11/2003, A-Ansteorra] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.11 | Baatar is a variant spelling of Bahadur which is found in the alternate titles list as a Mongolian equivalent for 'knight'. Therefore, use of Baatar as part of a name violates RfS VI.1 (Names Claiming Rank). [Chinua Baatar, 11/2003, R-An Tir] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.10 | Listed on the LoI as Charles of Amesbury, this name was submitted as Friar Charles de Amesbury, Wiltshire. The name was changed at Kingdom to match available documentation.
Friar falls into the same category as Brother. Both are titles or forms of address which carry no implicit assertion of rank. Brother as a form of address was recently discussed:
Similarly, this submitter is welcome to use Friar as his preferred form of address. [Charles de Amesbury, 10/2003, A-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.10 | Bataar is a variant spelling of Bahadur, which is found in the alternate titles list as a Mongolian equivalent for "knight". Documentation was provided showing that Baatar is used modernly as a given name. Lacking evidence that Baatar was used as a given name in period, it is not registerable. RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank", states in part:
Lacking evidence that Baatar was used as a given name in period, it falls into the same category as Earl and is not registerable. [Sogtungui Bataar, 10/2003, R-Æthelmearc] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.06 | [Household name Khara Luus Ordu] This submission is being returned for use of Ordu 'Horde' as a designator in a household name, which has been ruled presumptuous:
As no evidence was found to demonstrate that the use of Ordu is not presumptuous, this precedent is still valid. [Cicilia of Falkeburn, 06/2003 LoAR, R-Trimaris] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.06 | Hidalgo is the submitter's legal surname.
There was some question whether the combination Hidalgo de Valencia violated RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank". Siren provided information regarding this issue:
Given this information, use of the byname combination Hidalgo de Valencia is not an explicit claim of rank any more than the use of Hidalgo would on its own. The second part of this issue is whether Hidalgo is an inappropriate claim of rank. From the information provided by Siren, the use of Hidalgo claims the rank of gentry. The following precedent is relevant to this issue:
This precedent implies that a simple claim of the status of gentry, no higher, is acceptable for registration. Therefore, the submitted name is registerable as it claims a status no higher than gentry. [Madelena Hidalgo de Valencia, 06/2003 LoAR, A-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.04 | Household name Mönggülig Ordu] Additionally, no support was found that a word meaning 'Horde' would not be presumptuous as a designator for a household name. The modern normalized terms Mongol Horde and Golden Horde both refer to period groups of people that were the size of a nation. Lacking evidence that a word meaning 'Horde' would be used to refer to a smaller group of people, it is inappropriate for use as a household name. We would not register Duchy of [placename] as a household name because it is an explicit claim of rank by the owner of the household name and, so, violates RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank". Similarly, without documentation supporting use of a word meaning 'Horde' for groups smaller than a nation, use of a word meaning 'Horde' as the designator in a household name is an explicit claim of rank in the same way as Duchy, violating RfS VI.1. [Gülüg-jab Tangghudai, 04/2003 LoAR, R-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.04 | This name was submitted as Angharad o'r Rhosyn ferch Rhain and changed at Kingdom to use y, as it is typically used with objects while o'r is usually used with generic locations. This name was intended to mean 'Angharad of the Rose, daughter of Rhain'.
The question was raised regarding whether a byname meaning 'of the Rose' was presumptuous, and so was not registerable. Indeed, previous precedent has ruled:
However, the point was raised that we have recently registered the bynames de la Rosa and de la Rose. Therefore, a clarification is in order. RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank" states in part:
Bynames meaning 'lord', 'master', 'knight', etc., have been ruled to be presumptuous in multiple languages. The reason is that use of these bynames is an "explicit assertion of rank", which is prohibited in RfS VI.1 cited above. However, unlike Master, Knight, etc., and their associated alternate forms found in the List of Alternate Titles (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html), 'of the Rose' is not used as a title in the S.C.A., though it can be interpreted as claiming membership in the Order of the Rose. The key is whether such a byname is an "explicit assertion of rank". Reaney & Wilson (p. 383 s.n. Rose) date Robert de la Rose to 1242 and Adam atte Rose to 1305. Bermúdez Plata, Don Cristóbal, Catálogo de Pasajeros a Indias Durante los Siglos XVI, XVII, y XVIII (vol II, p. 131, #2206) dates Francisco de la Rosa to 1535. David Herlihy, R. Burr Litchfield, Anthony Molho, and Roberto Barducci, ed., "FLORENTINE RENAISSANCE RESOURCES: Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532" (http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/) lists the byname DELLAROSA. As this article normalizes bynames, this listing most likely represents the period form della Rosa. From these sources, we have documented period use of the bynames de la Rose and atte Rose in English, de la Rosa in Spanish, and della Rosa in Italian. Use of these bynames was not an "explicit assertion of rank" in period. Nor, given the number of times they have been registered without comment, both from the College of Arms during commentary and in the LoARs, use of these documented period bynames is not generally seen to be an "explicit assertion of rank" within the S.C.A. Therefore, like the given name Regina, these bynames are registerable so long as there is no suggestion of rank implied by this element in conjuction with another element in the name, or in the name as a whole. In the case of the submitted byname in this name, the element Rhosyn was documented from a modern English-Welsh dictionary. No evidence was found that it would have been used part of a descriptive byname in Welsh in period, though Metron Ariston found evidence of a period placename of Glyn Rhosyn (http://www.wku.edu/~rob.harbison/david.html). Lacking evidence that a byname meaning 'of the Rose' existed in period Welsh, the byname y Rhosyn must be seen to be a claim to membership in the Order of the Rose and so is not registerable. As the submitter allows no major changes, we were unable to drop the problematic byname in order to register this name. [Angharad y Rhosyn ferch Rhain, 04/2003 LoAR, R-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.01 | Listed on the LoI as Nicholas of Waverly Abbey, this name was originally submitted as Brother Nicholas of Waverly Abbey. The element Brother was dropped at Kingdom. The submitter requested authenticity for 12th to 13th C and allowed any changes. Registerability of Brother as a form of address was addressed recently:
Similarly, this submitter is welcome to use Brother as his preferred form of address. [Nicholas de Wauerley, 01/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.11 | Submitted as Brother Timothy, this name was changed at Kingdom to Timothy Brother with the submitter's permission because it was believed that:
The problem with this name is not a presumption issue since Brother Thomas is no more presumptuous than a name such as Thomas the Monk would be. In the case of this name, the element Brother in Brother Timothy is a form of address, not a name element. We do not register forms of address regardless of whether they would be presumptuous, such as Lord or Mistress, or whether they would not be presumptuous, such as Brother or Goodwife. The submitter is welcome to use Brother, as in Brother Timothy, as his preferred form of address, but this use of Brother is not registerable. Therefore, we have registered this name in the altered form forwarded by Kingdom. [Timothy Brother, 11/2002, A-Artemisia] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.10 | There was some question about the plausibility of the byname de la Rosa. Clarion found an example of it in period:
[V]olume II of the Catalogo [Bermúdez Plata, Don Cristóbal, Catálogo de Pasajeros a Indias Durante los Siglos XVI, XVII, y XVIII (Sevilla: Imprenta de la Gavidia, 1946).] lists a Francisco de la Rosa in 1535 (pg. 131, #2206), so the name is fine. The byname is probably a form of generic descriptive more than a generic locative, although I can only guess at this time. [Martin de la Rosa, 10/2002, A-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.09 | [Order name The Order of the Archers of Agincourt] This order name is being returned for presumption. al-Jamal explains:
Further, recent precedent states:
As Agincourt has its own entry in the online edition of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/), it is protected. Therefore, just as Order of the Companions of Thermopylae was found to be presumptuous in 1988, the current submission falls afoul of the same construction issues (since it unmistakably implies identity with a protected location) and so it is also presumptuous. [Citadel of the Southern Pass, Barony of, 09/2002 LoAR, A-Outlands] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.08 | There was some question regarding whether the byname Hausknecht was presumptuous, especially given this precedent:
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 | 2002.07 | Mu'alim, which the submitter intended to mean 'teacher', is listed as an Arabic form of Master, in the form Mu'allim, in "The List of Alternate Titles as approved by the College of Arms" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html). al-Jamal explains:
Therefore, Mu'Alim (like Master) is a restricted title and may not be registered as part of an SCA name. [Mu'Alim Rami Kathoum ibn Abdul Majeed, 07/2002, R-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.07 | Mu'allimah, which the submitter intended to mean 'teacher', is listed in the form Mu'allima (an alternate transliteration) as an Arabic form of Mistress in "The List of Alternate Titles as approved by the College of Arms" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html). al-Jamal explains:
Therefore, Mu'allimah (like Mistress) is a restricted title and may not be registered as part of an SCA name. [Mu'Alimah Ramia Jameela Ghafoor, 07/2002, R-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.07 | Farisa, which the submitter intended to mean 'horsewoman', is the feminine form of Faris, which is listed as an Arabic form of Knight in "The List of Alternate Titles as approved by the College of Arms" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html). Therefore, Farisa (like Knight) is a restricted title and may not be registered as part of an SCA name. [Farisa Ramia Hameedah bint Kathoum, 07/2002, R-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.05 | Given that no is included in furigana glosses in classical texts, though not in the original texts (and so it is not appropriate for those submitters desiring authenticity), no can be viewed as a modern transliteration standard. As such, it is registerable, so long as it is not used in a construction that could be viewed as presumptous. Solveig explains:
This name is a woman's name of the type described above by Solveig. As it is not presumptuous, it is registerable. [Fujiwara no Aoi, 05/2002, A-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.11 | This name is being returned for using a form of Thain as a byname, which has previously been prohibited:
[Lucius Thayne] A thane (or thegn) was a free retainer in pre-Conquest England, and in Scotland up to the 15th Century; the term denotes a member of territorial nobility corresponding to the Norman baron or knight. The title was one step below the eorl, and might be either earned or inherited. In the SCA, the term is used as the Old English equivalent of "baron", and is therefore reserved. Old English usage puts the title after the name: Ælfred cyning, Leofric eorl, Lyfing arcebisceop. The submitted name is thus exactly in the form that would have been used by a period thane. That fact, along with the Society use of the title, and its hereditary nature in period, outweighs the documented use of Thane, Thaine as a surname later in period. It must therefore be returned as presumptuous. (OED, under the entries for earl, king and thane; '93 E.Brit., vol.11, p.672; Reaney DBS II, pp.112, 345). (Lucius Thayne, July, 1993, pg. 15)[Chromán Thein, 11/01, R-Trimaris] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.10 | This name is being returned for use of the laqab al-Din, which has been previously prohibited:
[returning Jaida Badr al-Din] We must return this name for violation of RfS VI.1 (Names Claiming Rank): laqabs of the form <noun> al-Din '<noun> of the Faith' were bestowed upon princes, statesmen, generals and high officers of state by the Caliph as titles and so constitute implicit claims to rank and station. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR February 1996, p. 10)As the submitter did not allow major changes, we were unable to drop the problematic element. [Amani bint Jamal ibn Diya' al Din al-Sadig, 10/01, R-Outlands] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2001.05 | As the submitter states, Chavalerio is an occupational byname meaning Knight. It is, therefore, presumptuous according to section VI.1 of the Rules for Submissions. [Rizardo Chavalerio, 05/01, R-Artemisia] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.01 | There are two problems with the name. First, we would like to see some evidence of interaction between 3rd through 6th century India and Europe. Second, it was the feelings of the College that Brahman denotes a high enough caste that the use of the name is presumptuous. We would need to see evidence that Brahman implied status no higher than gentry in Europe. [Madhu Brahman, 01/00, R-An Tir] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2000.01 | ... it was the feelings of the College that Brahman denotes a high enough caste that the use of the name is presumptuous. We would need to see evidence that Brahman implied status no higher than gentry in Europe. [Madhu Brahman, 01/00, R-An Tir] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.06 | [returning Zoltán the Magnificent] This is being returned for violating VI.1 - Names Claiming Rank: Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous. This combines a name meaning sultan with an epithet which was most often applied to individuals of extremely high status. Here, two individuals come almost immediately to mind: Lorenzo de' Medici, called Lorenzo the Magnificent, and the Turkish sultan Suleyman, called by his own people "the Lawgiver", but almost universally elsewhere, Suleiman the Magnificent. While documentation showing Zoltán to be a period name was provided, in combination with "the Magnificent" (effectively, Sultan the Magnificent) takes it beyond the bounds of acceptability. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR June 1997, p. 15) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.06 | [returning Equitatus Ansteorrae] [Ansteorra, Kingdom of] Unfortunately, in Latin, Equitatus is not merely an equestrian order, but the equestrian order. This is frequently translated into English simply as "the knights". Since this guild is not restricted to members of the chivalry only, it must be returned for presumption. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR June 1997, p. 10) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1996.10 | [Order of the Bretwalda] Bretwalda does not mean "warlord", The meaning of the term is `ruler of the Britons' or `ruler of Britain', so it is a fairly exact Old English parallel to the Roman dux Brittaniarum and Bede's Brettonum dux. The term was applied to various kings who held (or were supposed to have held) authority over other, lesser kings. (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR October 1996, p. 10) |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1996.08 | [registering the order name Katkenneen kynän ritarikunta] A question was raised about the order name, as to whether it might be presumptuous since the root is ritari which means knight. However, Ritarikunta is no more nor less than the Finnish word for an order of this type; that it is translated to English as order of knighthood is because there is no single word 'order' in Finnish. It is true that the word is a compound noun consisting of ritari 'knight' and kunta 'a collective; municipality'. Similarly, tiedekunta 'faculty' consists of tiede 'science' and kunta, and lautakunta 'council' of lauta 'plank' and kunta. It is one of the characteristics of the Finnish language that the meaning of a compound noun is not necessarily, or even generally, simply the sum of the meanings of its parts. Based on this, we find the order name acceptable for SCA usage. (Aarnimetsä, Barony of, 8/96 p. 2) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1996.05 | [Claudia Lisabetta Senatori da Firenze] Some commenters wondered whether the combination Senatori da Firenze was presumptuous, taking it to be 'senator of Florence'. However, senatori is the plural of senatore 'senator', and a reasonably exact translation of the phrase senatori da Firenze appears to be 'senators from Florence', which is clearly not a byname claiming rank. The name admits only one interpretation: Senatori is the hereditary surname of a lady from Florence. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR May 1996, p. 15) |
| 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) | 1996.02 | [returning Jaida Badr al-Din] We must return this name for violation of RfS VI.1 (Names Claiming Rank): laqabs of the form <noun> al-Din '<noun> of the Faith' were bestowed upon princes, statesmen, generals and high officers of state by the Caliph as titles and so constitute implicit claims to rank and station. Laurel further notes that he has not seen a laqab for a woman formed from the element al-Din. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR February 1996, p. 10) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.12 | [Dur al Jabal abu Neefa min al-Machfi Jabal Bey al-Ferrangi] [...] (6) Bey al- Ferengi is a claim to honors that the submitter does not have, in violation of RfS I.3.b (Presumptuous Claims): he may be a Baron in the SCA, but he is not a `Baron of the Franks'; and even if he were, we would not allow him to register the title, for titles in the SCA apply only to honors granted within the SCA. (7) Bey is on the Alternate Titles List as a Turkish equivalent for baron; its use as part of a name violates RfS VI.1 (Names Claiming Rank).
In short, the name is incorrectly constructed, inadequately documented, and presumptuous (as presumption is defined in the Rules for Submissions); since he permits no changes, each of these problems would by itself be sufficient grounds for return. Any future submission along these lines should be accompanied by adequate documentation for all of the elements and for the grammatical constructions used and should not incorporate titles of rank. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR December 1995, p. 18) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.12 | [registering the epithet the Serene] [Tamar the Serene] The byname is very improbable and verges on the pretentious. The first citation in the OED in the sense `calm, untroubled' is from about 1635; in period citations the word is used as an honorific epithet for a reigning prince or other member of a royal house. Given `Grey Area' citations showing the modern usage, however, we must give it the benefit of the doubt. A period byname with approximately the same meaning is the Mild. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR December 1995, p. 2) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.09 | [registering the byname Monomakh] The byname does not seem to be presumptuous. Deriving from Greek monomakhéô `to fight in single combat', monomákhos `fighting in single combat' appears to be a reasonable byname for a fighter. It was used by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachus and by his grandson, the Kievan prince Vladimir II Monomakh, but it does not seem to have been hereditary or even used by anyone else in either line. Vladimir says in his Testament that he was given the baptismal name Vasili by his grandfather Yaroslav `but was commonly known by [his] Russian name Vladimir, and surnamed Monomakh by [his] beloved father and mother'; we suspect that this was to honor his other grandfather, Constantine. (Hrothger Monomakh, 9/95 p. 18) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.01 | [returning the byname of the Rose] [Barbara of the Rose] The byname [of the Rose] implies membership in the Order of the Rose as much as 'of the Laurel', 'of the Chivalry', or 'of the Pelican' imply membership in those orders. (Da'ud ibn Auda, 1/95 p. 13) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1994.09 | Irish usage doesn't seem to allow either double given names or unmarked patronymics. In some cases we have been able to get around the problem by interpreting the second element as a nickname, but it is not possible to do so here: as a nickname Rígán could only be `sub-king, chief', which would fall afoul of RfS VI.1. ("Names Claiming Rank - Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous"). There was also a ríga(i)n `queen or noble lady', which would go better with Mór but which is equally problematical. However, Rígán definitely was a personal name, so there seems to be no bar to her being Mór ingen Rígáin, `Mór daughter of Rígán'. However, the addition of patronymic particle and resultant change to the genitive seemed to us to be larger changes than she allowed on the submission form. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR September 1994, p. 16) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda | 1994.08 | al-Din appears always to be used as part of a title in period (in the submitter's documentation, Kamal al-Din, Sharaf al-Din, and Jalal al-Din). [al-Din is usually translated as "of the Religion" or "of the Faith".] (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR August 1994, p. 18) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.04c | The discussion of the names of Lucia Visconti and Arianna Maria di Marchesi, reviewed in the April Laurel meeting, sparked quite a bit of commentary, particularly as regards the strictures of Rules for Submission VI.1. ... While both surnames Marchesi and Visconti are derived, in a more or less roundabout fashion, from the Italian equivalents of Marquess and Viscount, they were also clearly documented as surnames used by non-nobles. As a consequence, the applicable part of RfS VI.1. would be "Names documented to have been used in period may be used, even if they were derived from titles, provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank. For example, 'Regina the Laundress' is acceptable but 'Regina of Germany' is not." In the cases here, both names have been documented to have been used in period, and neither is used in such a way as to suggest either a territorial claim or an assertion of rank. That being so, both names have been registered. [4/94c, p.2] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.03 | [Registering Giacomo da Firenze.] Submitted as Giacomo Cavalliere da Firenze, caval[l]iere is the approved alternate title for "knight" in Italian. (Indeed, the submitter's own documentation notes it as meaning "knight".) As such, it should not be used in such a way that it may be mistaken as a title. Unfortunately, "knight of Florence" is just such an example. We have dropped the problematic element in order to register the name. [3/94, p.10] |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.07 | [Lucius Thayne] A thane (or thegn) was a free retainer in pre-Conquest England, and in Scotland up to the 15th Century; the term denotes a member of territorial nobility corresponding to the Norman baron or knight. The title was one step below the eorl, and might be either earned or inherited. In the SCA, the term is used as the Old English equivalent of "baron", and is therefore reserved. Old English usage puts the title after the name: Ælfred cyning, Leofric eorl, Lyfing arcebisceop. The submitted name is thus exactly in the form that would have been used by a period thane. That fact, along with the Society use of the title, and its hereditary nature in period, outweighs the documented use of Thane, Thaine as a surname later in period. It must therefore be returned as presumptuous. (OED, under the entries for earl, king and thane; '93 E.Brit., vol.11, p.672; Reaney DBS II, pp.112, 345). (Lucius Thayne, July, 1993, pg. 15) |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.03 | The correct German for "master of falcons" would be Falkenmeister. However, meister (master) is a reserved title in the SCA, and may not be registered -- either alone, or in combination. The submitter might consider resubmitting as Velkner, a period spelling of Falkner "falconer". [David Falkemeister, March 1993, An Tir-R]. |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (1st year of 1st tenure) | 1991.03 | "Although Levesque means 'bishop', which is a restricted title in the SCA, it is also a documentable period surname. It is Laurel's opinion that Levesque should be registrable under the same general restrictions as Regina; that is, so long as it is not used in such a way as to appear like a title." (LoAR 3/91 p.5). |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1988.02.21 | While there is a tendency in modern sources to apply the term Scylding to the Danes in general, when distinguishing them from the other "Viking" peoples, the term more properly applies to the early Danish royal house ... and it is in this sense that it would be most commonly interpreted by a member of our Society. (LoAR 21 Feb 88, p. 11) [Name returned] |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.07.26 | The submittor stated that "Dryw" was a Welsh given name meaning "sight". Not only could this not be documented, but the word is the "Welsh" title for a druid as well as a Welsh term for wren (the two meanings are related). If the gentle wishes, he can use the documented period English form "Drew" from Old German "Drogo". (LoAR 26 Jul 87, p. 11) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1987.01.25 | The translation for [the byname] Banu ("Lady") implies that it might be a title, which would not be permissible in a registered name; documentation must be provided that this is not the case. (LoAR 25 Jan 87, p. 26) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1986.09.27 | [(Name) (Name)-no-Okami] By the submittor's own documentation, the name Okami is a family name rather than a given name. While many family names, particularly those involving totemic beasts also appear as elements in given names, not all such names exist as given names in themselves. In fact, this appears to be the exception rather than the rule.... Additionally, as several commenters pointed out, the final two syllables in practical pronunciation, would be almost indistinguishable from "no-kami" which is the approved Japanese equivalent for "Lord" in the Society. This being so, the collocation should be rigorously avoided. Also, the passages provided by the submittor from Japanese Names and How to Read Them indicate that the "no" element would not be written in a name construction of family name plus clan name plus personal name. (LoAR 27 Sep 86, p. 12) |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1985.07.14 | ["N. of Sicily-Castile".] It appears that this particular form of hyphenated surname is a designation used by modern historians to distinguish the different branches of a given royal house. According to Brigantia, "period practise would have been to link the two places with 'and' or 'et' or 'y' depending on the language. As a matter of fact ... this particular usage ... is nearly tantamount to claiming to be a member of the ruling family, if not the actual ruler, of the two places." [BoE, 14 Jul 85, p. 13] |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.06.18 | Household names may not be the names of actual places, as that would imply the head of the household was the ruler of that place. Household names may not be the surnames of actual families or clans, as that would imply that the head of the household was the head of that family or clan. Household names do not have to be registered, but if they are not registered, they are not protected. In order to be registered, a household name must not conflict with any other household names in the SCA or with any SCA Society names. Two household names conflict if they differ only by minor spelling variants or sound essentially the same ... A household name conflicts with a surname or place name of a Society name only when it is identical or a spelling variant ... The reverse is true for Society names conflicting with household names ... The principle is that there should be more difference between two household names than between a household name and somebody's last name. WVS [71] [CL 18 Jun 82], pp. 2-3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1982.02.26 | I have deleted Thaine because Thaine is a title, not a name. WVS [63] [LoAR 26 Feb 82], p. 4 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.10.26 | The word khan was omitted, as it is a title and may not be used in a name. WVS [55] [LoAR 26 Oct 81], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.05.15 | He cannot be De Cruce de Rosas, as he is not a member of the Rosicrucians. WVS [17] [LoAR 15 May 80], p. 4 |
| Karina of the Far West | 1977.11.11 | You may not use the nickname Dracul, as it is the name of an ancient award. (KFW, 11 Nov 77 [16], p. 9) |
| Karina of the Far West | 1977.08.11 | Pendragon is not a surname but a title, Chief of the Dragon (i.e., Wales). Even without the Red Dragon it would be unacceptable. (KFW, 11 Aug 77 [14], p. 7) |
| Karina of the Far West | 1976.10.29 | Take another surname. Chagan is a variant of Old Turkish khagan "king, sovereign." Khagan or Kha Khan, the Mongol variant, was rejected as a title by Temujin (Genghis-Khan), though his heirs used it. (KFW, 29 Oct 76 [9], p. 6) |
| Karina of the Far West | 1976.08.19 | [N. of Pretense.] It [his name] sounds like pretense to a throne. Let him find another way of saying he has theatrical interests. Spelling it -ce or -se is regional variation, not influencing meaning. (KFW, 19 Apr 76 13], p. 6) |
| Karina of the Far West | 1976.01.30 | "Khan" is a royal title and you may not use it. (KFW, 30 Jun 79 [25], p. 12) |
| Karina of the Far West | 1976.01.30 | Please document the use of "Koenig," meaning "king," as a surname for non-royalty during our period. (KFW, 30 Jun 79 [25], p. 69) |
| Harold Breakstone | 1971.03.07 | ['Abbas 'al-Rachid.] The device is acceptable, but the name is not; it means "Father of the Orthodox" and is one of the titles of the Caliph of Baghdad. (HB, 7 Mar 71 [14], p. 4) |
| Harold Breakstone | 1971.02.07 | N. of Pretense's arms ... are acceptable; his name is not. It sounds like pretender to the throne. (HB, 7 Feb 71 [12], p. 9) |
| Surnames/Bynames Implying Royal or Titled Descent | ||
| François la Flamme | 2003.02 | The byname Thegnson is presumptuous. As noted by Black Pillar:
This name is being returned for using a form of Thain as a byname, which has previously been prohibited: [Ulfgar Thegnson, 02/2003 LoAR, R-Atenveldt] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.01 | The byname bint al-Farees was submitted as meaning 'daughter of the horseman' with Farees being a hypothetical variant of Faris 'horseman'. However, Faris is listed as an Arabic form of 'knight' in "The List of Alternate Titles as Approved by the College of Arms" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/titles.html). Therefore, this byname also means 'daughter of the knight' and violates RfS VI.1: "Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous." [Aliyah bint al-Farees, 01/2003 LoAR, R-Caid] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 2001.03 | Submitted as Morwenna ferch y Pennaeth Ceinewydd, the name means Morwenna daughter of the chieftain of Ceinewydd. This, unfortunately, violates Rfs VI.1: Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous. We have therefore dropped the patronymic. [Morwenna Ceinewydd, 03/01, A-An Tir] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.06 | [Ieuan ab y Ddraig goch] The format of the name (it means "Ieuan, son of someone called `the Red Dragon'") is not as peculiar in Welsh as it might seem. It is possible to find examples of patronyms using the father's nickname rather than given name (often using the definite article) (the best example for this name as a whole, in fact, is that of the 13th century poet Gruffudd ab yr Ynad Coch "Gruffudd son of the Red Judge"). In spite of the appearance at first blush to pretention (the Red Dragon is one of the two premier national symbols of Wales), it isn't really correct to say that the byname is "presumptuous" in a technical sense because there is no evidence for it being used historically as a personal byname, and thus there can be no assumed importance attached to it. (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR June 1995, p. 4) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1994.08 | [registering the patronym Jarlsson] There was some discussion whether the byname was a pretentious claim ("son of the Jarl" ("Earl" or "Count")). Given the citation of the name Nils Jarlsson (dated 1355), and our clear rules on titles documented as names or name elements so long as there is "no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank" (RfS VI.1.), the use here is undoubtedly registrable. (Thorfinn Jarlsson, 8/94 p. 9) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.06 | [Registering Mark FitzRoy.] RfS VI.1. states that "Names documented to have been used in period may be used, even if they were derived from titles, provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank." FitzRoy meets that criteria. RfS VI.3. states that "Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or l |