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Hi, everyone! There are quite often queries here about when and why middle names came into use. At the moment I'm reading a history of the Mediterranean: The Middle Sea, by the wonderfully named John Julius Norwich. As far as I can tell, it makes pretty scholarly use of the available (secondary?) sources ...
And on p 153 we find a reference to the birth and youth of Frederick II, Stupor Mundi: " … the child – named Frederick Roger, after his two grandfathers – was crowned King of Sicily." This was four years after his birth in 1194, and provides a very early reference to Royal naming habits.
Fast forward to the Sixth Crusade, 1250, and a disastrous expedition led by St Louis of France was slightly ameliorated by the good behaviour of his wife Margaret, who managed to pay the ransom for Louis and his surviving men. While this was going on, she gave birth and "named her little son John Tristan, "the child of sorrow'".
I found these very interesting, though of course there's no indication of how many people, royal or not, followed suit. Any further info would be good, if anyone has some.
All the best
And on p 153 we find a reference to the birth and youth of Frederick II, Stupor Mundi: " … the child – named Frederick Roger, after his two grandfathers – was crowned King of Sicily." This was four years after his birth in 1194, and provides a very early reference to Royal naming habits.
Fast forward to the Sixth Crusade, 1250, and a disastrous expedition led by St Louis of France was slightly ameliorated by the good behaviour of his wife Margaret, who managed to pay the ransom for Louis and his surviving men. While this was going on, she gave birth and "named her little son John Tristan, "the child of sorrow'".
I found these very interesting, though of course there's no indication of how many people, royal or not, followed suit. Any further info would be good, if anyone has some.
All the best
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Replies
Interesting.
James VI of Scotland (I of England) was christened Charles James and I'm sure that one of my textbooks (I have it at home so I'll doublecheck) that he was the first British monarch to have two forenames. Maybe the practice of giving middle names was something his mother (Mary) had picked up whilst she was in France. He called his eldest son (who died aged 18) Henry Frederick, so another use of a middle name.
James VI of Scotland (I of England) was christened Charles James and I'm sure that one of my textbooks (I have it at home so I'll doublecheck) that he was the first British monarch to have two forenames. Maybe the practice of giving middle names was something his mother (Mary) had picked up whilst she was in France. He called his eldest son (who died aged 18) Henry Frederick, so another use of a middle name.
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I became interested in Jean-Tristan because of his second name: Tristan was unusual enough to land on my personal Obscure Royal Names list.
Jean-Tristan Capet was, as you said, born in 1250 during the Second Crusade. His parents had had a son named Jean in 1248, but the boy died the same year; Jean-Tristan may have been named for this brother. Jean-Tristan himself died of dysentery while on the Eighth Crusade, on 3 August 1270, only about age 20. He had married Yolande de Bourgogne, Comtesse de Nevers (Yolande of Burgundy, Countess of Nevers; 1247-1280) in June 1265, at ages 15 and 17 respectively, but they had no children.
All in all, I think the poor guy was named rather aptly. :-(
Jean-Tristan Capet was, as you said, born in 1250 during the Second Crusade. His parents had had a son named Jean in 1248, but the boy died the same year; Jean-Tristan may have been named for this brother. Jean-Tristan himself died of dysentery while on the Eighth Crusade, on 3 August 1270, only about age 20. He had married Yolande de Bourgogne, Comtesse de Nevers (Yolande of Burgundy, Countess of Nevers; 1247-1280) in June 1265, at ages 15 and 17 respectively, but they had no children.
All in all, I think the poor guy was named rather aptly. :-(
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