ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1375
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1375
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From: "S Friedemann" 
25 Nov 1998

Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked for help locating <Solange> or <Solonge> as either a French given
name or surname before 1600.  Here is the information we have found.

The feminine name <Solange>, also spelled <Soulange>, derives from the name
<Solemnia>, which was the name of a 9th century French martyr. [1]  The name
was recorded as <Solemia> and <Solimia> in the early 9th century [3].  It
probably evolved into the form <Solange> by the 12th or 13th century. [4]

There is also a town called <Sologne> (note the <gn> spelling) in central
France, in the district of Loire-et-Cher. [1]  This would be a fine place
name to build a locative byname from (i.e., a nickname that's based on your
location of residence.)  A name like <Adelie de Sologne> would be a fine
choice for your period [2].  If you want to use <Sologne> as a surname, you
can find lists of other given names that you might consider in these
articles on the web:

   "French Names from Two Thirteenth Century Chronicles"
     http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/arval/crusades/

   "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris"
     http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/paris.html

   "Names from Fourteenth Century Foix"
     http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/cateline/foix.html

We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not
hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further
questions.  Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan
Gwynek and Arval Benicoeur.

For the Academy,
--Arianuia poetissa filia Catmaili
     November 25, 1998

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References:

[1] Dauzat, Albert, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et
Prenoms de France_ (Paris: Libraire Larousse, 1987).

[2] Colm Dubh, "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris",
Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium 1996 (SCA: Montgomery,
Alabama; WWW: SCA, Inc., 1997) .
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/paris.html

[3] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de
l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, vol II: Noms Transmis Par le Latin
(Paris: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1972).

[4] We don't have examples of the given name in the 12th or 13th century,
but we did find some place names derived from the masculine form of the root
name, <Solemnius>.  The modern place <Soulanges> is <Solengia> in 1043,
<Soulenges, Soulanges> 1232, <Solangiae> 1233, <Solanges> 1234, <Soulenge>
c.1252.  Since this name was taken directly from the forename used
adjectivally, it should show a development pretty close to that of the
forename. [5]

[5] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de
l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siecle_, Morlet, op cit, vol III: Les nom de
personne contenus dans les noms de lieux, p.185b (Paris: Centre National de
la Recherche Scientifique, 1972).