Adelaide, Adele, Ada, Alix, Adelais, Adelheid, Alice, and Alicia

This project is for keeping track of all the women out there whose names are derivatives of the Germanic Adalheidis, from the roots "adal" (noble) and "heid" (kind, sort, type). Its many forms, which may have been used simultaneously for the same woman, include Aalis, Ada, Ade, Adaelaeide, Adalaidis, Aelis, Aelips, Adalheid, Adelheld, Adalheidis, Adelisa, Adeliza, Adel, Adela, Adélaïde, Adéla, Adéle, Adélaide, Abdelahide, Adelais, Adelaid, Adelaida, Adelaide, Adelajda, Adele, Adelheid, Adelheida, Adeline, Adelina, Adina, Adelheide, Adeline, Adella, Adelle, Alheidis, Aleidis, Aleida, Alheida, Alica, Alice, Alicia, Aliisa, Alis, Alisa, Alise, Alisia, Allis, Allys, Alys, Alysa, Alyse, Alysia, Elke, Heide, Heidi, Ida.

This project is on History Link

This project is dedicated to keeping separate the women who were cursed with bearing one of the many forms of this multi-cultural, often-mixed-up name. These ladies deserve an identity. Let's separate, identify, and personify them!

While these names are often used interchangeably in the early middle ages, I just found another stunning reminder that we need to be careful with these seemingly interchangeable medieval names! A case I just came across--three sisters who were daughters of Hildouin de Montdidier IV:

1. Ada de Montdidier-Roucy, married Geoffroy, seigneur de Guise (1070 † 1141), and Gaultier d'Ath, puis à Thierry, seigneur d'Avesnes
2. Adélaïde de Montdidier-Roucy (v.1035 † v.1068), married Arnoul I, († 1106), comte de Chiny.
3. Aélis de Montdidier-Roucy, married Conon Falcon de La Sarraz, sire de Grandson.

They've pretty much been merged together so I'm working on separating them.

Not too creative with naming in the 11th century, were they? ;^)

(Pam Wilson)