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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.

England
Early Modern English
● 1583 Fernando bruton-vol1 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
◑ 1392 Ferrandin MemBret-II col. 603
Italy
Latin
● 1376 Feradi (gen) DouGen1 p. 216, Ferandi (gen) ibid. p. 221; 1522x1532 Ferdinandus (nom) DSF p. 52, 35; 1527 Ferdinandi (gen) Rome1527 p. 84
◑ 1522x1532 Ferrandina (nom) DSF p. 58, 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.
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
● 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 p. 44; 1492 Ferrandi (gen) ibid. p. 65
Catalan
● 1488 Ferrando carbonell p. 19; 1510 Errando valencia1510 4531, Ferrando ibid. 3123
Old Spanish
● 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; 1540 Fernán SanzSerrano; 1567 Fernando ibid., Hernando ibid.
Cite as: S.L. Uckelman. "Ferdinand". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Ferdinand.