Medieval etymology falsely linked the name Saracens to Sarah

Evidence

Isidore elsewhere gives a fuller entry for Saracens: “Saracens [Saraceni] are so called, either because they claim to be born from Sarah or because (as the pagans say) they are of Syrian origin, like the Syrigenes [Syriginae]. They live in a vast desert. They are also called the Ishmaelites, as Genesis teaches, because they are from Ishmael. Or [they are called] Cedar from the name of Ishmael’s son. They are also called Hagarens [Agareni] from Hagar. They are, as we said, erroneously called Saracens, because they falsely pride themselves on being descendants of Sarah” (Etymologies, 9:2:57). — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1410

Categorization

• DEFINE: Gives the medieval etymology of ‘Saracen’ — an etymological tradition reading the very name as a lie, which carries polemical weight.
• CANDY: The idea that a whole people’s name was explained as a fraudulent claim to be Sarah’s descendants is a neat dinner-conversation fact.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1410