| The purpose of this article is to show what you | | | | unusual and different (which of course was a way |
| should look out for if you are searching for an | | | | to make it stand out).An incholate is typically the |
| ancestor's surname and want to know if it is | | | | geographical predicate attached to a noble family. |
| noble.The most common noble predicates are | | | | E.g. for the Prince of Wales, "Wales" is the |
| "von", "de", "di" etc. (meaning "of") before the | | | | incholate. Incholates in another sense can be used |
| surname. A predicate among your ancestors is by | | | | by Church dignitaries, e.g. "Titular Bishop of X Y ". |
| no means proof of nobility, and some families | | | | In many cases the incholate was the family's |
| have wrongly assumed predicates to make | | | | domains, but later developed into a titular |
| themselves appear to be noble. In some countries | | | | attribute. In some families the loss of the |
| the noble families do not have any predicates, but | | | | geographical domain caused them to write the |
| are noble nonetheless. A predicate is an | | | | nobiliary title between their first name and the |
| indispensable part of a surname if the surname | | | | surname - hence it was no longer "Count X Y", |
| was originally constructed with it - if it has been | | | | but "X Count Y", as the family name became the |
| assumed later (after the family was ennobled or | | | | new incholate. Any incholate found among your |
| generally recognised as noble) it is sometimes | | | | ancestors should be carefully examined.Jan-Olov |
| called a "prefix".A surname of a noble ancestor | | | | von Wowern lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and is |
| with a predicate or prefix should properly be | | | | the head of the Swedish branch of the von |
| registered on the first letter of the main name, | | | | Wowern family, |
| not on the predicate or prefix. Hence my name, | | | | dating back to its founder who was born around |
| von Wowern, is registered under "W", not under | | | | 1090 and |
| "v".Many noble surnames include words such as | | | | made a Marquis in 1141. He is active in European |
| "gold-" or "golden", "silver-", "sword" or symbols | | | | charitable |
| which are used on the family's coat of arms. | | | | and nobiliary work. Visit his page at |
| Among your ancestors you may also find names | | | | |
| constructed from animals ("Wolf", "Lion") etc. | | | | and download a FREE chapter from his book. |
| Noble surnames often, but not always, seem | | | | |