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ArchivesRe: Aubrey is really unisex? I mean REALLY???
in reply to a message by MJ
"As someone who studied Norman etymology and onomastics intensely at university, I have to say that Aubrey is legitimately unisex, actually; the feminine name is the Norman form of Albreda ('Al-' becomes 'Au-' and -'eda' becomes '-ey'--think of how we get Audrey from Aetheldreda) and has nothing to do with the masculine name which derives from Alberic."
Upon reading this farther, I see what the responder was telling you. As I had always thought, this person isn't telling you that Aubrey isn't a form of Alberic -- it is. But the FEMALE name Aubrey isn't a form of Alberic -- it is a form of Albreda. (I know this person from another forum, and would defer to her in all matters of Norman names! But I just misread her ...)
An example would be the nickname Pat. You can have a Patrick nn'd Pat, and a Martha nn'd Pat, and even though the nickname PAT is unisex, the names it derives from don't have related etymologies. I hope that clears it up!
Upon reading this farther, I see what the responder was telling you. As I had always thought, this person isn't telling you that Aubrey isn't a form of Alberic -- it is. But the FEMALE name Aubrey isn't a form of Alberic -- it is a form of Albreda. (I know this person from another forum, and would defer to her in all matters of Norman names! But I just misread her ...)
An example would be the nickname Pat. You can have a Patrick nn'd Pat, and a Martha nn'd Pat, and even though the nickname PAT is unisex, the names it derives from don't have related etymologies. I hope that clears it up!
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