Millicent

Millicent is a name adopted by the English from the Norman-French after the Conquest of 1066. Introduced as Milisende, the Old French (Frankish) form of the Germanic Amalswinthe, the name is ultimately derived from the elements “amal” meaning “work, labor” and “swinth” meaning “strength”. We know Amalswinthe dates back to at least the early 6th century making this one of the most ancient names we have of Germanic origin. It was borne by the daughter of Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths (a German hero of legendary proportions). Under Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogothic Kingdom ruled over Italy while the Roman Empire was in its period of total collapse and vulnerable to these barbaric invaders/occupiers. Amalswinthe would take over her father’s reign as regent for her son after Theodoric’s death but by this time the Byzantium Emperor had designs on Italy himself. Not to mention racial issues persisted between the civilized Roman people and the barbaric Ostrogoths – it seemed harmony was simply out of the question and Amalswinthe was ultimately murdered. In the later Middle Ages, the Frankish people (another Germanic tribe) adopted the name as Melisende and it became quite popular. In the 12th century, after the Christian Franks captured Jerusalem in the First Crusade, a Frankish princess by the name of Melisende became Queen of Jerusalem (1131-1153). Once the Normans had taken up the name, they brought it over to England where it eventually morphed into the modern day Millicent.