Naming Patterns in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem

Book excerpt: Anthroponymy, or the study of personal names, is used here to investigate the extent to which Frankish settlers in the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem assimilated the practices and traditions of their hosts. Data from legal and commercial documents has been used to create a database of 6,200 individual names from the years 1099 to 1291 which the author analyses for any trends and patterns that may relate to social change. Comparing evidence with contemporary Catholic Europe, Shagrir finds that the Franks neither adopted local ways nor maintained their own traditions, but changes in naming reflected a unique set of characteristics influenced by eastern contacts, cults and customs and a greater awareness of religious fervour.