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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.

England
English
1583 Fernando bruton-vol1 p. 45; 1592 Ferdinando DEmar-vol2 p. 25
France
Latin
1378 Fernandus (nom) hanquetvol1 2279
Middle French
1392 Ferrant MemBret-II col. 601; 1421 Ferrant favier 1144
1392 Ferrandin MemBret-II col. 603
Italy
Latin
1527 Ferdinandi (gen) Rome1527 p. 84
The Netherlands
Dutch
1573 Ferdinando MagMiddelburg-1560, Fernando ibid.; 1574 Ferdinando ibid.; 1575 Ferdinande ibid., Ferdinandus ibid.; 1576 Fernando ibid.; 1577 Ferdinando ibid.
Spain
Latin
1490 Ferrandi (gen) carbonell p. 44
Catalan
1488 Ferrando carbonell p. 19; 1510 Errando valencia1510 4531, Ferrando ibid. 3123
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; 1540 Fernán SanzSerrano; 1567 Fernando ibid., Hernando ibid.
Preview. DO NOT cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Ferdinand". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2015/1/name/Ferdinand.