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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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Benedict m. Latin benedictus 'blessed'.

The name of a 6th C saint who founded the Benedictine Order, a 7th C Anglo-Saxon saint, an 8th C Italian saint, a 9th C Carolingian saint, an 11th C Hungarian saint, a 12th C French saint, twelve medieval popes, one of whom was also a saint, and four anti-popes.

The English diminutive Ben and the vernacular form Benet are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Bensoñ (WRYPT1 p. 320) and Benetdogter (WRYPT1 p. 297).

Austria
Latin
● 776 Benedictus (nom) FRA-XXXL 4
Croatia
Croatian
● 1597 Benedic Susedgrad1597 p. 30, Benedictus ibid. p. 30, Benedik ibid. p. 30, Benedyk ibid. p. 30
◑ 1597 Benko Susedgrad1597 p. 30
Czech Republic
Latin
● 1351 Benedicto (abl) chlumecky 2; 1356 Benedicti (gen) ibid. 176, p. 29
Denmark
Danish
● 1581 Benedicts KD-1 no. 362
◑ 1581 Benndtz KD-1 no. 362
England
Latin
● 1185x1186 Benedicti (gen) PR-XXXVI p. 16, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 192; 1298 Benedictus (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 2; 1340xc1450 Benedictus (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 6; 1381 Benedictum (acc) Suffolk1381 p. 79, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 76; 1431 Benedictus (nom) EEW p. 89
Dutch
● 1591 Benedictus AuFr Brant; 1593 Benedictus ibid. Brant
Middle English
● 1431 Benet EEW p. 88
Early Modern English
● 1530 Bennyt LIWill-III p. 61; 1539 Bennet StAnthonlin p. 1; 1540 Bennet ibid. p. 2; 1566 Benet COmar-vol5 p. 3; 1567 Benatt ibid. p. 84; 1575 Bennet BUmar-vol1 p. 25; 1577 Benat COmar-vol5 p. 84; 1580 Bennett COmar-vol2 p. 122; 1581 Bennett ibid. p. 122, Benntt ibid. p. 122; 1582 Bennett ibid. p. 123; 1587 Benat COmar-vol5 p. 86, Benet ibid. p. 8; 1588 Benett ibid. p. 8; 1589 Benet DEmar-vol2 p. 19, Benett COmar-vol5 p. 9; 1591 Benett ibid. p. 9; 1593 Benatt ibid. p. 128, Bennet DEmar-vol1 p. 86; 1595 Bennett COmar-vol2 p. 123; 1599 Bennet DEmar-vol2 p. 42
Estonia
Middle Low German
● 1434 Benedictus BbRT p. 356
◑ 1592 Bendt Tiik1977 p. 286, Pent ibid. p. 286, Pentz ibid. p. 285
Early Modern Swedish
◑ 1564 Bencht (nom) Hiiumaa p. 102; 1565 Bengtt (nom) ibid. p. 102; 1576 Benth (nom) ibid. p. 49; 1577 Benth (nom) ibid. p. 120; 1583 Bent (nom) ibid. p. 120; 1589 Bengt (nom) ibid. p. 126; 1595 Bengt (nom) ibid. p. 120
Finland
Early Modern Swedish
◑ 1548 Bencts (gen) Audén1980 p. 168
France
Latin
● c550 Benedicti (gen) DCEL-2 Add. I; c823 Benedictus (nom) irminon-vol2 94, Ved; 11thC Benedictus (nom) StVdM-II 710; 1047x1061 Benedictus (nom) CartNDSaintes XV; 1060 Benedicti (gen) ibid. XIX; 1067x1074 Benedictus (nom) ibid. XIII; 1135 Benedicti (gen) CartNDdOurscamp LXXVIII; 1157x1184 Benedictus (nom) ChartCaen2 2; 1179 Benedicto (abl) clairvaux-12thc 176; 1180 Benedicti (gen) RotScaNor p. 3; 1241 Benedictus (nom) NDParisII 2-CXII; 1249 Benedictus (nom) ibid. 2-CIX; 1301 Benedictus (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 260; 1378 Benedicti (gen) hanquetvol1 1815
Old French
● 1290 Benoist (obl) HistHdVParis p. 106; 1296 Benoist paris1296 p. 32; 1298 Benoest (obl) HistHdVParis p. 138; 1301 Benois (nom) MemPic-vol17 p. 233; 1303 Benoit (nom) ArchCambIII p. 152; 1313 Benoist Paris1313 p. 94
Middle French
● 1418 Benoist DdB1418 p. 203, HGParis p. 378; 1421 Benoit favier 1201; 1561 Benoist RegPCC-1 p. 5; 1564 Benest ibid. p. 75, Benoist ibid. p. 45; 1565 Benest ibid. p. 117, Benoist ibid. p. 131; 1566 Benest ibid. p. 247; 1567 Benest ibid. p. 333, Benoist ibid. p. 308; 1568 Benest ibid. p. 415; 1571 Benest ibid. p. 447
Germany
Latin
● 814 Benedictus (nom) quix-vol1 86; 946 Benedicti (gen) HambUrk-vol1 XXXIV; 1394 Benedicti (gen) SMM p. 202, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 178
Early New High German
● 1497 Benedick Nurn1497 754
Hungary
Latin
● 1317 Benedicti (gen) CDH-VIII-II XV, Benedicto (abl) ibid. XV
Ireland
Latin
● fin12thC Benedictus (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 16
Italy
Latin
● 973 Benedictus (nom) UrkStyria 26; 1164 Benedicto (abl) SDE3 I; 1236 Benedicto (abl) TirNot1 9; 1265x1339 Benetti (gen) BBC-Berg 200; 1326 Benedictus (nom) Friuli-14thC no. 428; 1348 Benedicti (gen) INP 15, Benedicto (abl) ibid. 15, Benedictus (nom) ibid. 15; 1376 Benedicto (abl) DouGen1 p. 23; 1387 Benedicti (gen) Venditti II-17; 1449 Benedicti (gen) VitAs2 V, Benedicto (abl) ibid. X; 1464 Benedictus (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI; 1478 Benedicti (gen) RCCaetani6 2720; 1522x1532 Benedictus (nom) DSF p. 52, 37; 1527 Benedicti (gen) Rome1527 p. 83, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 83
◑ 1285 Benedictoli (gen) Perugia1285 p. 154
Italian
● 1513x1521 Benedetto LeoX p. 17
Lithuania
Polish
◑ 1564x1569 Banis (nom) Kaunas2006 p. 86
Spain
Latin
● 1488 Benedicti (gen) carbonell-I p. 23; 1490 Benedicti (gen) ibid. p. 40; 1491 Benedicti (gen) ibid. p. 59, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 56, Benet (nom) ibid. p. 58; 1492 Benedicti (gen) ibid. p. 67, Benedictus (nom) ibid. p. 66
Catalan
● 1510 Benedito valencia1510 3256, Benet ibid. 3740
Sweden
Latin
● 1315 bendicts (gen) SDHK 2688; 1350 Benedicti (gen) ibid. no. 6055, Benedicto (dat) ibid. no. 6023, Benedictus (nom) ibid. no. 6002, Bændiks (gen) ibid. no. 6042; 1358 Benedicti (gen) ibid. 7427
Old Swedish
● 1383 Bendictz (gen) SRA-vol2 no. 1906, Benedictzs ibid. no. 1948, Bændix (gen) ibid. no. 1911
◑ 1383 Beinctz (gen) SRA-vol2 no. 1930, Beincz (gen) ibid. no. 1928, Beintz (gen) ibid. no. 1902, Benc (gen) ibid. no. 1932, Beynt ibid. no. 1902, Bæint ibid. no. 1926; 1407 Beinctz (gen) SDHK no. 16880; 1409 Bencht (nom) ibid. no. 17269, Bencts (gen) ibid. no. 17263, Bænct (gen) ibid. no. 17265, Bæncts (gen) ibid. no. 17226, Bænt (nom) ibid. no. 17341
Wales
Latin
● 1497 Benet (nom) ArchCambIII p. 68
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Benedict". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Benedict.