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My Scottish naming book says about the same, it was popular in the later Middle Ages, it metions a couple royals who bore the name, and says that it can also be rendered Giles or Julia! Interesting...Giles is said here to be either male or female, it's from the Greek word aigidion that means 'young goat' and the Greek forms are Egidia (feminine) and Eegidius (masculine). The name Giles has something to do with St. Giles (patron saint of beggars and cripples) who wore a goat skin and was called Giles in France propably because of the Celtic word gillie which means servant and wearing goat skins were a sign of humility and servitude.

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I'd say that Egidia is pronounced like eh-GEE-dee-ah and Eegidius like EE-GEE-dee-us, but I'm not sure! :)

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This message was edited 1/19/2006, 1:12 PM