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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Ferdinand m. Old High German fridu, Old Saxon frithu 'peace' + Proto-Germanic *nanþ- 'brave, daring'.

The name of an 11th C emperor of Spain and king of Castile and León, the birth name of a 12th C Italian saint, a 12th C king of León, a 13th C king of Castile and León, a 13th-14th C king of Castile and León, a 14th C king of Portugal, a 15th C king of Aragon, two 15th C kings of Naples, a 15th-16th C king of Aragon, Castile, and León, and a 16th C Holy Roman emperor and king of Germany, Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia.

The name reached Spain via the Visigoths, and spread throughout the rest of Europe in the 16th C as a result of the Habsburgs, who are the cause of its use in the Low Countries.

Belgium
Dutch
1597x1598 Ferdinandus BoonenGes p. 326
Early New High German
1572 Ferdinanden (dat) MHCG2 342
England
Dutch
1574 Ferdinandus AuFr Dotignij; 1575 Ferdinandus ibid. Dotignij; 1579 Ferdinandus ibid. Dottegnie; 1581 Fernandus ibid. Dottenij
Early Modern English
1581? Fardinando COmar-vol5 p. 127; 1583 Fernando bruton1 p. 45; 1592 Ferdinando DEmar-vol2 p. 25
France
Latin
1069 Ferrandus (nom) StVdM-II 717; 1378 Fernandus (nom) hanquetvol1 2279
Middle French
1392 Ferrant MemBret-II col. 601; 1421 Ferrant favier 1144; 1504 Fernande MHCG2 279
1392 Ferrandin MemBret-II col. 603
Hungary
Latin
1317 Ferdinandus (nom) CDH-VIII-II III
Italy
Latin
1376 Feradi (gen) DouGen1 p. 216, Ferandi (gen) ibid. p. 221; 1470 Ferdinando (abl) RCCaetani6 1192; 1477 Ferdinandi (gen) CatTir1 108; 1478 Ferdinando (abl) RCCaetani6 2720; 1522x1532 Ferdinandus (nom) DSF p. 52, 35; 1527 Ferdinandi (gen) Rome1527 p. 84; 1542 Ferdinandi (gen) PNC 7; 1543 Fernandez (gen) ibid. 9
1522x1532 Ferrandina (nom) DSF p. 58, 29
Italian
1429–1430 Ferando DiaryLMA p. 231, Ferrando ibid. p. 243; 1513x1521 Ferrante LeoX p. 29
The Netherlands
Dutch
1573 Ferdinando MagMiddelburg-1560, Fernando ibid.; 1574 Ferdinando ibid.; 1575 Ferdinande ibid., Ferdinandus ibid.; 1576 Fernando ibid.; 1577 Ferdinando ibid.; 1578 Ferdinando ibid., Ferdinandus ibid.; 1579 Ferdinandus ibid.; 1582 Ferdinando ibid.; 1583 Fernando ibid.; 1584 Ferdinando ibid.; 1586 Fernando ibid.; 1587 Ferdinando ibid.; 1588 Fernando ibid.; 1589 Ferdinando ibid.; 1590 Ferdinando ibid.; 1591 Ferdinando ibid.; 1593 Ferdinando ibid.; 1594 Ferdinando ibid.; 1595 Ferdinando ibid.; 1596 Ferdinando ibid.; 1597 Ferdinando ibid.; 1598 Ferdinando ibid.; 1599 Ferdinando ibid.
Portugal
Latin
1152 Ferdinandus (nom) PHGCRP-I no. 3; 1162 Ferdinandus (nom) ibid. no. 7; 1189 Fernandi (gen) ibid. no. 9, Fernando (abl) ibid. no. 9, Fernandus (nom) ibid. no. 9; 1190 Fernandi (gen) ibid. no. 8; 1209 Fernandi (gen) ibid. no. 10, Fernandis (gen) ibid. no. 10, Fernando (dat) ibid. no. 10, Fernandus (nom) ibid. no. 10; 1211 Ferdinandis (gen) ibid. no. 6, Fernandi (gen) ibid. no. 6, Fernandus (nom) ibid. no. 6; 1217 Fernamdus (nom) ibid. no. 21, Fernandes (gen) ibid. no. 21, Fernandi (gen) ibid. no. 21, Fernandus (nom) ibid. no. 21
Portuguese-Galician
1225 Fernandes (gen) PHGCRP-I no. 15
Spain
Latin
1068 Fredinandus (nom) CDSS I; 1074 Ferrandez (gen) ibid. II, Ferrandus (nom) ibid. II; 1124 Fernand (nom) ibid. III, Fernandez (gen) ibid. III, Fernando (dat) ibid. IV, Ferrand (abl) ibid. V, Ferrando (nom) ibid. IV, Ferrant (gen) ibid. V; 1145 Fernandez (gen) AnnOPraem-2 col. ccccxxvi, Fernando (abl) ibid. col. ccccxxvi; 1276 fernandi (gen) CDGH XLVI, fernando (dat) ibid. XLVI; 1490 Ferrandi (gen) carbonell-I p. 44; 1492 Ferrandi (gen) ibid. p. 65
Catalan
1488 Ferrando carbonell-I p. 19; 1510 Errando valencia1510 4531, Ferrando ibid. 3123
Old Spanish
1068 Fredinandiz (gen) CDSS I, Fredinando (nom) ibid. I; 1225 Ferrand PHGCRP-I no. 15, Ferrandes (gen) ibid. no. 15
Spanish
1326 Fernan deMoxo; 1330 Fernan ibid., Ferran ibid.; 1331 Fernan ibid.; 1334 Fernan ibid.; 1336 Fernan ibid.; 1376 Fernando (nom) SanzSerrano; 1496 Fernando olite1496 p. 182; 1524 Hernamdo PHGCRP-III no. 134, Hernando ibid. no. 134; 1540 Fernán SanzSerrano; 1567 Fernando ibid., Hernando ibid.; 1575 Hernan Catalogo-5.2 3816, Hernando ibid. 3810; 1576 Hernan ibid. 3955, Hernando ibid. 3875
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Ferdinand". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2019, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2019/1/name/Ferdinand.