Aquitanian/Basque Names

The Aquitani/Basques

In the 1st century BC, during the Roman conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar mentions three different groups who lived in Gaul. Two of these groups were Celtic but the third group were not Celtic. They were called the Aquitani. The Aquitani lived in southwestern Gaul from the Pyrenees to the Garonne. They may also have lived south of the Pyrenees in what is now Catalan-speaking areas. The Aquitani learned how to write from the Romans. Their documents, written in Latin, include Aquitanian names. Many of these names are Basque, suggesting that the Aquitani were the ancestors of the Basque. The Basque would have then originated in Gaul and moved later into Spain, perhaps as the power of the Romans declined. (1)

Female Names

Andere - From the Basque word andere or "lady" (1)
Nescato - From the Basque word neskato or "young girl" (1)

Male Names

Cison - From the Basque word gizon or "man" (1)
Heraus - From the Basque word herauts or "boar" (1)

Sources:

(1) Prehistory and Connections with Other Languages.

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Or Names of Europa

Updated November 2001