Get your name in Crusader Kings II!

[dannie]

The blades are being sharpened in readiness, Europe will whisper your name in fear and awe across the medieval world. This is your chance for true infamy as you can now get your name included as one of the dynasties in Crusader Kings II.

The contest:
Tell us the story of your family name - true or false - it's up to you! What needs to be included are the following: Your family name, its origin and the story behind it!

Submit your entry by October 31th to be in with a chance of immortality in Crusader Kings II.

Good luck!

[heppehu]

Tiefenbacher
Bavaria, Poor family of soldiers throughout history and it is said that Rudolf von Tiefenbach who was a commander in the Hapsburgian army during the 30 years is a member of the Tiefenbacher family but is not comfirmed. Rumors has it we are a product of adultery by Otto I Wittelsbach when he once stayed at a inn in the small village Tiefenbach, wich today is Tiefenbach, Passau. We are bastards and have a small claim to the throne!

[Quinns]

Alright, some of you out there might be thinking that Smith is a boring name. But you're dead wrong.

The very first Smith, my ancestor, was alive circa 400 AD and was talked about all over England because of his outrageous strength. He could uproot trees with his bare hands, kept fit by running laps around Wales and on one of his birthdays managed to eat an entire horse.

Many didn't believe the rumours about him, of course, claiming he was a myth. Hence his name became "S'Myth", short for "Is Myth", which over the years became "Smith".

...and that's why Smith is the best surname in the world.

[Hastu Neon]

Moro.

Family of the petty bourgeoisie, whose first traces are found in Apulia.

Most likely immigrants but from where? Two main possibilities: either from Africa (Moro="moor" in Italian language) or from Greece ("Morea" is the Medieval name for Peloponnese)

But now definitively settled in Italy, therefore of Italic/Latin culture and Catholic religion.

They have thrived, becoming merchants when Southern Italy is "at the centre of the stage" of the Mediterranean trading activities with the Muslim world and the Byzantine Empire. Destined to be stewards?

[Stigblue]

Name: Von Der Ahe

Origin: It originates from the napoleonic times, where my great great great great etc. grandfather was the right-hand man of Napoleon Bonaparte. this was about in 1805.
he kept being his righthand man until he had to flee due to napoleon losing many wars and defeat seemed inevitable. so my great great great etc. grandfather fled to austria where he met a noble lady with which he moved to prussia to settle down. Their noble names were combined into "Von Der Ahe". Our family moved mainly to Denmark but some also scattered around other countries. Today, "Von Der Ahe" is a Prussian noble name.
the name means something like: "At the river" i've been told.

Should my name get chosen and if you need a first name for the "Von Der Ahe" feel free to use "Stig Von Der Ahe" as "Stig" is my first name :b
and i live in Denmark too btw, so would be very very happy if you even chose me that you made someone in Denmark with perhaps Norse religion in the viking age period be called that

[Meanmanturbo]

So there needs to be some more interesting dynasties to switch out some of the Of Province Names?

[iron0037]

Can we submit more than one? I have lots of good names in my family tree in addition to my patronym.

[Darkrenown]

Well if Quinns can enter...

Ballantyne. Or possibly Bannatyne.

In his book The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands (1908), Sir Thomas Innes Learney states that the original family name was Bannatyne, and was a sept associated with both Clan Campbell and Clan Stuart of Bute.

The etymology, given in William Arthur’s An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names with an Essay on their Derivation and Import (1857), derives the name from Bal, the name of a deity, and teine, meaning fire, and relating to a place where Belenus, or Bal, was worshiped by the Celts.[1]In his book The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands (1908), Sir Thomas Innes Learney states that the original family name was Bannatyne, and was a sept associated with both Clan Campbell and Clan Stuart of Bute.

The etymology, given in William Arthur’s An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names with an Essay on their Derivation and Import (1857), derives the name from Bal, the name of a deity, and teine, meaning fire, and relating to a place where Belenus, or Bal, was worshiped by the Celts.[1]

The fires of Bal, pretty hardcore, right?

If I don't win I might just cheat and add myself...

[cccino]

I don't need a dynasty name, I've already got a whole county named after me!

[Lord Tywin]

Håkansson
The origin is that there was a 9th century Viking chieftain named Håkan The Devourer who was renowned for his terrible temper and martial skill, he once killed an entire town because someone looked at him funnily and when an army came to stop him he just got more upset and proceeded to kill all of them and their horses as well. He dies just leaving one son but since of his notoriety there were thousands who claimed to be his son.

However the main branch that I belong to kept calling ourselves Håkansson to honour Håkan the Devourer throughout the ages and has usually been in the background in the more famous events in Swedish history.

[Lordmars]

Cheney - Norman French
Ralph de Caineto came to England with William the Conqueror, name came from either de Caineto and possibly through du Chene (of the oak) the spellings change through generations and branches of the family to finally settle on the spelling we are familiar with.
The Cheney family served as sheriffs and other offices. They had a tradition of service as royal retainers, so it was only to be expected that the eldest son of this generation would continue in royal service. Through patronage and marriage the Cheney family grew in prominence and their subsequent positions within the great houses gained influence and connections.

[rohndra]

Quesada
Andalusia
A line of Christian nobles who have sworn loyalty to their Moorish rulers and have lead many Moorish armies in the defense against their Christian neighbors to the north. Also holding a fiefdom of several villages east of Cordoba including a village aptly named Quesada.

[Einh]

Sadly my surname is way too "farmish" to make it sound noble. But I hope that the chief of the county of Ångermanland in Sweden at the 1066 start will be named Tord (of Ångermanland) as in CK1, since my name is Tord and i come from Ångermanland

[Slaxl]

Windsor:

My great great great grandfather thought that our original surname of "Wettin" was a bit too Germanic and people might not like it during WW1, so to fit in he changed it to Windsor. He had a small holiday home out of the bustle of London life in Windsor that he liked, which is why he took that name.

[iron0037]

Campbell
Though better known today as a purveyors of soups, the Campbells were originally more into kilts and bagpipes. Campbell is a Scottish clan whose origins trace back to the High Middle Ages. The name likely derives from caimbeul, a Gaelic phrase that translates as "crooked mouth." Evidently our founder had a physical deformity (or a tendency for deception). The most famous of the early Campbells is the knight Colin the Great, a possible cousin of Robert the Bruce and staunch advocate for Robert's accession. In later centuries, the Campbells would rise to power in their own right, gaining lordship over Argyll and elsewhere.

The motto of the Campbells is "ne obliviscaris," or "forget not." So Paradox, let's not forget the Campbells .

[Fredrik II]

My great great grandfather was one of three Anders Andersson in his village so he decided to change it to Wester (old spelling for "West" in Swedish) since he had a farm to the west of the village. True story.

[RedRalphWiggum]

Windsor:

My great great great grandfather thought that our original surname of "Wettin" was a bit too Germanic and people might not like it during WW1, so to fit in he changed it to Windsor. He had a small holiday home out of the bustle of London life in Windsor that he liked, which is why he took that name.

Seems to be common practise among Brits with German ancestry!

[Lord Strange]

Clarke is an old Gaelic name, from "Mac a' Chlerich/Cleireach", meaning the son of the Clergyman/Clark. Indeed, the very first Clarke was the illegitimate son of St Patrick would you believe it! From there it crossed over to England via some Normans, who brought it into what had been Wessex, where the bloodline was intermingled with that of King Arthur!

From there the Clarkes spread out across the world, and despite some fools dropping the "E", which signified that they had come from "Eire", they holy and royal bloodline of the Clarkes spread across every culture and every land. There are now many Clarkes doing what they can for the world, in secret and hidden ways, yearning for the day of greatness when their toils for mankind can be at last revealed! Though many have forgotten their lineage, some still remain who pass on the secret, and ensure that mankind is watched over and guided.

I have said too much already.
We are there to defend, to protect, to serve.

[Afom]

Mäkinen. It traces back to Atlantean colony around 6000bc which was located in southern Finland!

[BRK]

Great initiative. We don't have such a thing as a family name, sons and daughters just take their father's first name as their surname, but the commonly used identifier that many use as their surname is Ayyar or Iyer. Can trace the family tree back definitively to the early 14th century or so, beyond that it's a little hazy though we're direct descendants of the Angirasa - Ajamida - Kanva lineage from early history, maybe 3000 BC or thereabouts.

Naturally I don't qualify but I intend to name all my well-bred children (in the game) after characters from HHGttG anyway.

Good luck to all.