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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Casper m. Classical Hebrew רבָּזְגִּ 'treasurer'.

The traditional name of one of the three Magi. This name was connected with the three Magi as early as the 6th C, and evidence that the Magi were an important source for medieval people named some form of Casper is evidence by the high probability in some parts of Europe, particularly Germany, that a man named Casper would have at least one or more brother named Balthasar or Melchior, the other two traditional names.

England
English
1531 Jasper SaxhamSf p. 121; 1547 Jesper StAnthonlin p. 6; 1583 Jasper DEmar-vol2 p. 9; 1587 Jesper OrpingtonKe p. 8; 1598 Jasper DEmar-vol2 p. 38; 1599 Jasper ibid. p. 40
France
Latin
1378 Gaspardi (gen) hanquetvol1 1275, Jaspardo (dat) ibid. 1940
Middle French
1418 Jaspar HGParis p. 375; 1423 Jaspar favier 444
Germany
Latin
1425 Casparo (abl) mairhofer DCCXXI
Early New High German
1413 Caspar (nom) mairhofer DCXCVI; 1419 Caspar (nom) ibid. DCCXIV; 1421 Casparen (gen) ibid. DCCXVI; 1497 Caspar Nurn1497 154, Casper ibid. 1043, Kasper ibid. 2690
Italy
Latin
1393 Gasparro (abl) sajanello-2
Spain
Latin
1487 Gaspar (nom) carbonell p. 10; 1488 Gaspar (nom) ibid. p. 16, Gasparis (gen) ibid. p. 17; 1489 Gasparis (gen) ibid. p. 34; 1490 Gaspar (nom) ibid. p. 42, Gasparis (gen) ibid. p. 42
Catalan
1510 Gaspar valencia1510 3156
Spanish
1567 Gaspar SanzSerrano
Preview. DO NOT cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Casper". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2015/1/name/Casper.