It might be time to start stabilizing our presentation on this one.
Poitiers was the capital of Poitou. Here, we are using the two names interchangeably but without explaining.
For example, the project says Comtes de Poitiers. His name is Ranulf de Poitiers, but the About Me calls him Count of Poitou. The occupation field uses both Poitiers and Poitou.
English Wikipedia calls him Ranulf II of Aquitaine and says he was Count of Poitou, but links to an article on the Counts of Poitiers. It says his son Ranulf III "succeeded him in Poitiers".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranulf_II_of_Aquitaine
German Wikipedia calls him Ramnulf II (Poitou) and says he was Count of Poitou (Graf von Poitou). It links to an article on the Counts of Poitou.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramnulf_II.
French Wikipedia calls him Ramnulf II of Poitiers, says he was Count of Poitiers (comte de Poitiers), and links to an article on the Counts of Poitiers.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramnulf_II_de_Poitiers
So, which is it?
French Wikipedia explains, "Au Moyen Âge, le latin étant la langue officielle, les comtes portaient l’appellation de « Comes Pictavorum », équivalant en français à celle de « comte des Poitevins ». De même que pour les premiers rois de France qui étaient en réalité « Reges Francorum » — c’est-à-dire, « rois des Francs » —, ceux qui possèdent les terres du Poitou sont, avec l’usage, appelés couramment « comtes de Poitiers » voire « comtes de Poitou ». Les terminologies latines équivalentes sont respectivement « Comes Pictavium » et « Comes Pictonum »." (Note 2)
Google's English translation, slightly edited for clarity: In the Middle Ages, Latin was the official language, the count bore the name " Comes Pictavorum" in French equivalent of "Count of Poitou." Similarly to the first kings of France were in fact "Reges Francorum" - that is to say, "kings of the Franks" - those who own land Poitou are with use, commonly called "Comes Pictavium (Counts of Poitiers)" or "Counts of Poitou (Comes Pictonum)."
In other words, the official Latin title was not Count of [the region of] Poitiers or Count of [the region of] Poitou. It was variously Count of [the people of] Potiers, or Count of [the people of] Poitou.
MedLands, our favorite Geni "cheat sheet" tells us that the Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes calls him "Ramnulfus…comes Pictaviensis". So, Ramnulf, Count of [the region of] Poitiers. But, the "Chronicle of Saint-Maxence records the death in 890 of 'Ramnulfus comes Pictavinus'". So, Ramnulf, Count of [the region of] Poitou.
http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/AQUITAINE.htm#RainulfIIPoitoudied890
At this period, we should not expect to find a consistent usage. Probably either Poitiers or Poitou would be correct for our purposes. We should adopt a consistent usage for this and surrounding profiles.
