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
- Walloon
- ● 1581/2 Jasper RWC p. 4;
1582/3 Jaspar ibid. p. 563
- 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
- Switzerland
-
- Latin
- ● 1436 Gaspardi (gen) MHCG2 210,
Gaspardo (dat) ibid. 210,
Gaspardum (acc) ibid. 210,
Gaspardus (nom) ibid. 210
- 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 2018, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2018/1/name/Casper.