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Help[Facts] Berengar(ia)
Any ideas as to the meaning of the male and female medieval names Berengar and Berengaria? The name has survived as the surname Berenger (as in Tom Berenger).
There were Berengars as king of Italy ca. 900 and as a French theologian in the 1100s(?). Berengaria was the daughter of King Sancho of Navarre (Spain) in the late 1100s and married Richard I (Coeur du Lion).
I've also seen the male version as variants Berengarius and Berengario, but nearly everything was Latinized at some point back then. Doesn't mean it has Roman origins.
Thankee...
There were Berengars as king of Italy ca. 900 and as a French theologian in the 1100s(?). Berengaria was the daughter of King Sancho of Navarre (Spain) in the late 1100s and married Richard I (Coeur du Lion).
I've also seen the male version as variants Berengarius and Berengario, but nearly everything was Latinized at some point back then. Doesn't mean it has Roman origins.
Thankee...
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Replies
Maybe it is related to the Barangians (or, Varangians) a group of Norse vikings. The Barangians at one time served as pretty ruthless guards of Eatern Roman ("Byzantine")emperors.
According to one source (http://viking.no/e/france/family-names.html), the name is derived from Var- (vigilant) and -Asgaut.
According to one source (http://viking.no/e/france/family-names.html), the name is derived from Var- (vigilant) and -Asgaut.
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Blow me down!
...according to the same source, Varange was a nickname for sailor.
...according to the same source, Varange was a nickname for sailor.
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You probably already found this website while doing a 'net search:
http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/html/additional_channels/names/girls_b.html
...where it defines "Berengaria" as meaning "spearbearer maid". How reliable that is, I dunno. I'll check a few other resources tomorrow, but I don't have anything handy that covers obsolete medieval names right now.
Cool topic posting, Daividh. Interesting challenge! :)
-- Nanaea
http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/html/additional_channels/names/girls_b.html
...where it defines "Berengaria" as meaning "spearbearer maid". How reliable that is, I dunno. I'll check a few other resources tomorrow, but I don't have anything handy that covers obsolete medieval names right now.
Cool topic posting, Daividh. Interesting challenge! :)
-- Nanaea
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I came across a website which claims beren means "bear" in early Low German. That would make Berengar a dithematic name meaning "bear spear".
Unfortunately the website is now defunct, so the link below points to Google's cache:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:BIpcy4-chSU:www1.tip.nl/~t401243/names/name4_en.htm+beren+germanic+root&hl=en
Unfortunately the website is now defunct, so the link below points to Google's cache:
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:BIpcy4-chSU:www1.tip.nl/~t401243/names/name4_en.htm+beren+germanic+root&hl=en
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Mike, this seems the most plausible meaning offered. Sounds good to me! You get a point for that one... : )
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Mike's theory checks out via this source, too
From *The Classic 1000 Baby Names* (Foulsham of London, c1993):
Berengaria (Teutonic) "Spearer of bears".
Berengar (Teutonic) "Bear, spear".
-- Nanaea
From *The Classic 1000 Baby Names* (Foulsham of London, c1993):
Berengaria (Teutonic) "Spearer of bears".
Berengar (Teutonic) "Bear, spear".
-- Nanaea
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