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
1550 Ferdinand MPSA p. 67; 1552 Ferdinand ibid. p. 68; 1566 Ferdinand ibid. p. 75; 1568 Ferdinand ibid. p. 76; 1569 Ferdinand ibid. p. 76; 1570 Ferdinand ibid. p. 77; 1589 Ferdinand ibid. p. 85; 1590 Ferdinand ibid. p. 86; 1591 Ferdinand ibid. p. 86; 1592 Ferdinand ibid. p. 87; 1593 Ferdinand ibid. p. 87; 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; 1585 Ferdinandus ibid. Sampsons
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 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Ferdinand.