One early mention of the Cagots is from 1288, when they appear to have been called or . Other terms seen in use prior to the 16th century include , , and , which in medieval texts became inseparable from the term , and so in Béarn became synonymous with the word leper. Thus, another theory is that the Cagots were early converts to Christianity, and that the hatred of their pagan neighbors continued after they also converted, merely for different reasons.
