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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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Casper m. Classical Hebrew גִּזְבָּר '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.

Spellings in J- and I- were perhaps influenced by similarity to Old French jaspe 'jasper'.

Belgium
Dutch
● 1597x1598 Jaspar BoonenGes p. 323, Jaspars (gen) ibid. p. 336
Croatia
Latin
● 1439x1482 Kaspar (unc) Brgles p. 8
Croatian
● 1597 Gaspar Susedgrad1597 p. 30
Denmark
Danish
● 1581 Casper KD-1 no. 362, Jesper ibid. no. 362
England
Dutch
● 1572 Jasper AuFr Boddins; 1576 Jaspar ibid. Boddens; 1585 Jaspar ibid. Fredrix; 1588 Jaspar ibid. Frederix; 1592 Jaspar ibid. Coorens; 1597 Jaspar ibid. Corens
Early Modern 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
Estonia
Middle Low German
● 1439 Kassper BbRT p. 362
◑ 1592 Kaß Tiik1977 p. 287, Kesselen ibid. p. 287, Keß ibid. p. 287
Early Modern Swedish
● 1571 Jesper Hiiumaa p. 24; 1577 Jesper (nom) ibid. p. 24
France
Latin
● 1378 Gaspardi (gen) hanquetvol1 1275, Jaspardo (dat) ibid. 1940
Middle French
● 1418 Gaspar DdB1418 p. 199, Jaspar HGParis p. 375; 1423 Jaspar favier 444; 1563 Jaspar RegPCC-1 p. 36; 1564 Jaspar ibid. p. 53; 1565 Gaspar ibid. p. 119; 1566 Jaspar ibid. p. 205; 1568 Jaspar ibid. p. 389
Germany
Latin
● 1394 Caspar (gen) SMM p. 175, Kaspar (gen) ibid. p. 176; 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
● 1366 Guasparre (nom) Livi 22; 1367 Caspari (gen) SMM p. 130; 1376 Gaspale (abl) DouGen1 p. 116; 1393 Gasparro (abl) sajanello-2; 1449 Gasparris (gen) VitAs2 X; 1464 Gaspar (nom) CUP-III-I CCXXXI; 1470 Gaspar (nom) RCCaetani6 1192; 1522x1532 Caspar (nom) DSF p. 53, 41
◑ 1376 Gaspalini (gen) DouGen1 p. 245, Gaspalino (abl) ibid. p. 246, Gasparini (gen) ibid. p. 236
Latvia
Middle Low German
● 1582x1594 Casparus Arbuzov1920 p. 47
Lithuania
Polish
● 1551x1555 Kaspra (gen) Kaunas2006 p. 85
The Netherlands
Dutch
● 1561 Jasper MagMiddelburg-1560; 1574 Casper NHG-Middelburg p. 40; 1576 Jasper ibid. p. 69; 1579 Kasper MagMiddelburg-1560; 1580 Kasper ibid.; 1586 Iaspar ibid.; 1587 Iasper ibid.; 1588 Jasper ibid.; 1589 Jasper ibid.; 1590 Jasper ibid.; 1591 Jasper ibid.; 1592 Jasper ibid.; 1593 Iasper ibid.; 1594 Iasper ibid.; 1595 Iasper ibid.
Spain
Latin
● 1487 Gaspar (nom) carbonell-I 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; 1491 Gaspar (nom) ibid. p. 54, Gasparis (gen) ibid. p. 64
Catalan
● 1510 Gaspar valencia1510 3156
Spanish
● 1567 Gaspar SanzSerrano; 1575 Gaspar Catalogo-5.2 3803; 1576 Gaspar ibid. 3931
Ukraine
Latin
● 1469 Caspar (nom) AGZ-18 36
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Casper". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Casper.