# Is "Frankenstein" a real German name, or did Shelley make it up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [July 8, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774 "2023-07-08T15:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/21 "2023-07-09T01:28:53Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Why are we talking like this? I thought you wanted to ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/22 "2023-07-09T04:28:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > And the proper pronunciation is “frahnk-en-schteen”. > > _Whiiinnny_ somewhere in the distance. Wrong! That was for Frau Blucher. (_Whiiinnny_ somewhere in the distance.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/23 "2023-07-09T11:49:31Z")
Thank you. As I was writing that something was tickling in my brain saying “that’s close, but not right”, but I was ~~unwilling~~ too lazy to try hunting down what the right thing was. But it did still work as an allusion to one of the finer pieces of cinema ever made. So I should get partial credit. Whaddaya say, Teach? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/24 "2023-07-09T13:02:10Z")
We can share credit. Funny that I got the line you wrote immediately. Great minds think alike! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/25 "2023-07-09T18:19:17Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > [House of Franckenstein - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Franckenstein) Anybody know what the charge on the coat of arms is called? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/26 "2023-07-09T18:32:48Z")
If you scroll down the page a bit, the caption of one of the pictures says that it is a battle-axe. It doesn’t look much like an axe to me, but there were a lot of medieval weapons whose names get translated into English strangely. Also, heraldic artists were often called upon to draw something that the artist had never seen in person. So you end up with a lot of stylized representations of things that bear little resemblance to the actual things. It might be an axe-head, without a handle. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/27 "2023-07-09T18:39:20Z")
Fascinating! thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/28 "2023-07-09T18:58:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Anybody know what the charge on the coat of arms is called? For the blazon, Or, a battleax oblique, gules I’m guessing the haft of the battleaxe is omitted for some reason. It doesn’t look much like a useable axe to me. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/29 "2023-07-09T19:02:03Z")
There are actually several Castle Frankensteins in Germany, not just the one near Darmstadt noted in @ThelmaLou’s answer. Another semi-famous one is near the town of Kaiserslautern. I lived in both cities at various times, and so was within biking distance of both castles. (And in fact, I did bike to the Castle Frankenstein near Darmstadt on two occasions. A lot of events are held there, including Renaissance Faires and of course horror-themed events around Hallowe’en.) As far as I know, Shelley never claimed any one Castle Frankenstein as inspiration for her book. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/30 "2023-07-09T19:04:22Z")
Thank you. It doesn’t look much like a battle axe to me either. I thought it might be a tool used for cutting or trimming leather, but I don’t know what they’re called by those in the trade. Or maybe a Bat’leth? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/31 "2023-07-09T19:13:20Z")
I was thinking maybe an ulu. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/32 "2023-07-09T19:15:48Z")
I thought so, too but when I was flipping through various references for knives or tools, the closest I came was [half-moon knife](https://mistholme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/knife_halfmoon.jpg) which wasn’t much like what we’re seeing. Then I actually went to **Cervaise** ’s link and whaddaya know. The more complicated arms below the top one had an incredibly long modern\* blazon, a small part of which was, _Divided and split two times coated with a golden heartshield, therein an oblique red battle axe on Gold (Franckenstein)._ \*Defined as 1533. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Arms_of_the_house_of_Frankenstein_%283%29.svg/206px-Arms_of_the_house_of_Frankenstein_%283%29.svg.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Arms_of_the_house_of_Frankenstein_%283%29.svg/206px-Arms_of_the_house_of_Frankenstein_%283%29.svg.png) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/33 "2023-07-09T19:21:00Z")
Yes! That’s what I was thinking of. An ulu. I had no idea there was an Inuit connection, though. You learn something new every day! Yes, this one too. A halfmoon knife. > [https://mistholme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/knife\_halfmoon.jpg](https://mistholme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/knife_halfmoon.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/34 "2023-07-09T20:07:24Z")
A mezzaluna. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/35 "2023-07-09T21:02:49Z")
I think it’s an axe-head. The crescent-shaped part is the blade. the cutting edge is on the outer edge of the crescent. The hollow rectangle is the hole where the handle is to be inserted. It’s sort of like the way anchors are drawn. You have to twist things around a bit, to depict a 3-dimensional shape on a 2-dimensional surface. ---
**Author:** ![boson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boson/32/11407_2.png) [@boson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boson)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/36 "2023-07-09T21:12:18Z")
Frankenstein was the last name of my first grade teacher a few decades ago. Lincoln School. She was sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/37 "2023-07-09T21:22:28Z")
Well, at least, parts of her were. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/38 "2023-07-09T21:50:53Z")
I would say it is something between a [dagger-axe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagger-axe) and a [halberd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberd) without the dagger part. As you can see in the pictures of the wikipedia articles linked there was an enormous variation in shapes. There is a wikilist of medieval weapons that goes on for page after page, only a specialist could tell them apart by name. Concerning the OP, Frankenstein sounds like a perfectly normal German name, it puts together a place (Franconia) and a thing (a stone). As opposed to Frank’N’Further, for instance. That is obviously made up. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/39 "2023-07-10T00:43:20Z")
There is a “Frankenstein” in a regular meeting I have with Germany. I don’t know his or her role as she or she never speaks, and I only know the name because, well, it’s “Frankenstein.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774/40 "2023-07-10T01:00:37Z")
LOL, for those saying it looks like an ulu, that was the first thing to pop into my head too. 😆 (I used to own one and used it for chopping small veggies like carrots.) For those unfamiliar with the knife, here’s an example. [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51y46AIoo9S.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51y46AIoo9S.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-frankenstein-a-real-german-name-or-did-shelley-make-it-up/986774.md?page=3)