Gender: Feminine
Usage: Breton, Breton Legend, Theatre
Pronounced: ah-ZAY-nor(Breton)
Breton name of uncertain origin and meaning.
It is sometimes linked to Breton
enor "honor", a theory which goes back to the fact that Saint Azénore is occasionally rendered as
Honora in Latin texts. Another theory, however, links this name to
Eleanor (via
Aenor, which is occasionally considered a contracted form of
Azenor. Compare also
Aanor), while yet another theory was put forth that Azenor might in fact represent an unknown Celtic name, possibly one containing the theonym
Esus.
In Breton legend it is borne by the mother of Saint Budoc, a 6th-century princess of Brest (however, the name Eleanor was not coined until the 12th century). It was used for a character in Paul Le Flem's opera Le Rossignol de Saint-Malo (1938) and also occurred briefly in the French TV series Kaamelott (as Azénor).