The Set of First Names of German and Flemish Girls in the 19th Century Based on the Evangelic Baptism Registers from Brunswick and the Catholic Baptism Registers from Leuven (1838–1898) Cover Image

Vornamenschatz der deutschen und flämischen Mädchen im 19. Jahrhundert anhand der evangelischen Taufregister von Braunschweig und der katholischen Taufregister von Leuven (1838–1898)
The Set of First Names of German and Flemish Girls in the 19th Century Based on the Evangelic Baptism Registers from Brunswick and the Catholic Baptism Registers from Leuven (1838–1898)

Author(s): Ewa Majewska
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Ústav pro jazyk český
Keywords: German Protestants; Flemish Catholics; religion; names giving; baptism registers

Summary/Abstract: The topic of this paper are female first names in the 19th century. They have been given by Flemish Catholics and German Protestants to their daughters. The girls had been baptized in St. Geertrui Church in Leuven (Flanders) and St. Catherine Church in Brunswick (Germany) in the period 1838–1898. The data were taken from the baptism registers of these churches. The quantity of names, their frequency, origin and forms have been examined. The names had been classified to several groups according to their sort. The set of first names and its changes in Germany and Flanders have been compared. There are differences between the number of names, the interest for some names and the type of names in German protestant and Flemish catholic communities. Although Reformation and the Counter-Reformation had left some restrictions for the giving of names for the Catholic and Protestants, the confessors seemed in the 19th century not to pay much attention to these orders and have been motivated probably by other reasons as well.

  • Issue Year: LV/2016
  • Issue No: 55
  • Page Range: 187-197
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: German