Welsh Name and Armory References

NAMES

Bartrum, P.C. Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1966. The index can be used as a listing of period Welsh names. Recommended. (JA)

Davies, Dewi. Welsh Place-Names and Their Meanings. The Cambrian News: Wales, undated. This is a collection complete with a pronunciation guide, of about 2,500 Welsh place names, such as: bank of stream, a small wood, place of bees, bridge of the blessed ones, etc. Recommended. (JA)

Davies, Elwyn. A Gazetteer of Welsh Place-Names. University of Wales Press: Cardiff, 1958. A listing of Welsh place names and place name elements. Recommended. (JA)

Gruffudd, Heini, Welsh Personal Names, Y Lolfa, 1980. An inexpensive book on Welsh names, in both Welsh and English. Its main drawback is that not all names are dated, and some names listed here are names of gods, and were not used by mortals during our period. If possible, first names in here should be checked against Morgan & Morgan's Welsh Surnames. Recommended, but use with care. (JA)

Morgan, T.J., and Prys Morgan, Welsh Surnames, University of Wales Press, 1985. An excellent book full of dated references. It has over 30 pages of general information about Welsh naming practices as well as an extensive listing of Welsh Surnames, complete with dates. Since Welsh surnames are frequently formed from given names, it can also be used to document given names. Highly recommended. (JA)

Richards, Melville. Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units. University of Wales Press: Cardiff, 1969. Everything you ever wanted to know about Welsh place names, both medieval and modern. Recommended if you need a Welsh place name. (JA)

ARMORY

Jones, Evan John, Medieval Heraldry: Some Fourteenth Century Heraldic Works, New York: AMS Press, undated re-print of 1943 edition. Publication of Llyfr Arfau, a 15th century Welsh heraldic tract by John Trevor, printed in the original Welsh with Jones' translation, and translations of three other tracts upon which Trevor based his work: Tractatus de Armis by Johannes de Bado Aureo, A Treatise on Arms by John Vade, and De Insigniis et Armis by Bartolus de Saxoferato.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Morris, Lewis. Celtic Remains. J. Parker: London, 1872. This book deals with Welsh personal names, surnames and place names. Unfortunately, like a lot of Victorian scholarship, it is flawed. Not recommended. (JA)

This page maintained by Jim Trigg (known in the SCA as Blaise de Cormeilles), blaise@s-gabriel.org