Not yet chosen an SCA name? Don't know where to look for ideas? Online resources are available to help you research an in-period, documentable name.
The SCA does not require you to have a persona name, so why bother? Best reason is that you get to control your own name when you take the time to choose it yourself. You don’t have to rush your decision – try one on for size at an event, and if you don’t like it, look further for a name that you’re comfortable answering to. Are you the kind of person who is prone to multiple-culture or multiple-time period activities? Choose a name that bridges cultures or persisted over a long time period.
It’s better to have flexibility when searching for your period persona name – decide on a culture and time period, and then look at articles that cover that area in those centuries. It’s a lot harder when you come at the search with a name firmly in mind, only to find that it did not exist in the culture that you are interested in! It’s important to realize that spelling has changed over time – the in-period spelling of a name can be quite different than the modern version, so try not to be too attached to a specific spelling.
The way that a culture formed a person’s name followed some well-documented rules, and the way that those rules changed over time is also well-documented. Building a period-plausible or accurate name requires more than just picking a few historical name parts and putting them together – you also need to understand how names were put together in-period.
Different cultures had different beliefs about the combination of names with animal or color elements – Old Norse culture commonly considered being called something horse-related to be an insult, so you won’t find a name like Snorri the Horse Rider among historical documents!
The pages listed at the right of the page provide onomastic references I've collected for different regions. From time to time, I'll refresh these pages with new references I have collected using the Diigo bookmarking and annotation tool. You can find me there if you also use Diigo, I'm happy to share.
Each link is shared as-is. I do not vouch for any link not on the heraldry.sca.org site as being acceptable documentation - make sure to do your own fact-checking beyond what I've done!
Registering your name (armory too!) with the SCA College of Arms will make sure that your unique name or armory design are reserved to you for your use. College rules ensure that no other registered name or device will be close enough to be mistaken for yours. Here are some other benefits to think about:
What can a herald do for me?
I have a library of resources, books, and graphics, and multiple online heraldry communities to use as research material to help design a device. Please feel free to contact me for help with your name or device (muirenn.heraldry@gmail.com), or use the EK Ask a Herald form to be assigned a herald. We will help you through all of the stages - research and documentation of a name, design of a device, conflict checking and any necessary adjustments, and getting your forms ready to send in.
Historically accurate versus historically plausible, what is that?
A historically accurate name will contain elements that are in-period for the same time period, location, and culture, and be constructed in the same way that an in-period name would have been. These are referred to historically accurate names.
A historically plausible name will contain elements that are compatible in location and general time period, but not be as exactingly matched as an absolutely accurate name would be. Often a plausible name will mix cultures (English and Irish or Scottish) or combine elements from a few centuries apart.
Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory (SENA) Appendices A and C have excellent tables on what name elements can be combined within what range of centuries to produce a period plausible name
Common requests: I want…
a name that means ____________.
Name meanings are actually a more modern thing, popularized by the baby name books and sites. In-period, names just didn't usually have meaning that way. Bynames were often descriptive or occupational, so you could look for a byname that has some of the meaning you are searching for - but your first name is just a name.
the name I've been using in my (LARP, RPG, online gaming, etc.).
Here's the thing with fantasy and sci fi names - they are usually completely fictional. Or sometimes based on a fictional language (elvish, orcish, etc.) The chances that the fictional name you've been using can be documented are extremely slim. Sometimes heralds can find a name that sounds something like it, or comes close... But fictional things generally can't be documented. Why not take the chance to chose a truly medieval name, and develop a persona around it?
a name like I read in a historical novel or heard on a historical TV show.
Names used in fiction are very likely fictional and entirely made up. Some are loosely based on historical references (Gandalfr is an Old Norse name that we can document!) but some are entirely made up or not at all historical. The female character Siggy Haraldson in the show Vikings is a great example of this - women did not take their husband's last name in Old Norse, and we can't document Siggy as a name either. A woman in an Old Norse culture would either still be referenced as the daughter of her father after she married (Githa Ulfsdottir for example, where dottir means "daughter of" and Ulf is her father), or more rarely be referenced as the wife of her husband (Githa Gunnarskona, where kona means "wife of" and Gunnar is the husband's name.)
a name that reflects my persona story (often combining different cultures, languages, or regions).
Persona stories are a lot of fun to create. Sometimes, you base it on your own family history, so there's a lot of personal meaning. However, names in medieval times did not mix and match from different cultures to try to demonstrate a zeitgeist of an individual's life. A person would be known by a name entirely from the culture that they were living in. That doesn't mean that you can't show off some heritage in your persona name. Catalina of Aragon became Catherine of Aragon while she was in England – that locative byname gives a nod to her family origin.
General browsing with no culture or time period in mind
Browsing by culture/location
General
How long does it take?
On average, the submission process takes between 6 and 9 months, depending on when you submit your registration form(s). Pennsic always results in a very large batch of submissions for the East Kingdom, which adds extra time to items submitted between August and November. The first month after submission is spent in kingdom-level review by area heralds as a group. The next few months are spent in society-level review by society-wide heralds. The last few months are spent in Laurel-level final review. Month 0: submit paperwork
Holidays, large SCA events, and Real Life Events (tm) can and often do extend the submission process.
How does it work?
With the assistance of a herald, you can prepare documentation for your chosen name. You can also get help with your armory design to make sure that your images are registrable with the College (we have archives of images to work from, and rules to help us with new items), and are arranged in a fashion that is reasonably in-period. Your herald then helps you check your name and/or armory to make sure that it is unique enough and does not conflict with already-registered items. Finally, your herald will help you fill out the forms to get them ready for submission.
Wait, what's "conflict"?
Conflict is the term that heralds use for when a proposed name or device is too close to a name or device already registered. When a conflict is found with what you propose to submit, your herald will work with you to adjust your ideas to make your submission more unique to you. For names that can include adding a phrase or changing a spelling, and for devices it may include re-arranging the images, adding or removing images, or suggesting alternatives for color.
It's important to have some ideas in mind for what you want for a name or device, but it's also important to have some flexibility to make adjustments as necessary.
Where do I submit my forms, and how much does it cost?
Local heralds cannot accept payment, so you will be mailing your fee ($9 for new names or new armory, other fees vary) to the Eastern Kingdom Submissions Herald. The forms, mailing info, and some tips are found on the Blue Tyger Herald's website.
Okay, I've submitted. How do I find out if my item passes?
First, your device has to go through review in-Kingdom, which is an internal process. But you will receive an email in about 1-2 months to tell you that your device has either passed Kingdom review and been sent onward, or is being returned to you (with reasons explained.)
After that, keep an eye out on the Submission Status page of OSCAR, the system used for heralds to review and comment on new devices and names. You will see it as it passes through each stage (use ctrl-F to search for your own name on the page, which is rather lengthy.) And your herald can always check on your item(s) and let you know how they are proceeding.
When your item(s) are finally decided on, they will appear on a monthly Letter of Acceptances and Returns, published by Laurel and found on the SCA Heraldry website.
So what do I do now?
Please feel free to contact me for help with your name or device (muirenn.heraldry@gmail.com), or use the EK Ask a Herald form to be assigned a herald. We will help you through all of the stages - research and documentation of a name, design of a device, conflict checking and any necessary adjustments, and getting your forms ready to send in.
Choosing a name
Submitting name/armory
EK College of Heralds