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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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.