Lydia
July 28, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “a woman from Lydia”, which was an ancient country on the west coast of Asia Minor, once ruled by the famously wealthy Croesus. Perhaps not the most deeply meaningful name origin, but whatevs.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lidia, Liddy, Lidya, Lydda, Lydie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lydia Bennet, the foolish and frivolous youngest of the five Bennets in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– Lydia Creighton (b. 1834), one of “the twin girls, long since married and moved to Ohio” who are among Jethro’s far-distant older siblings, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Lydia Hancock, the aunt for whom Mr. Hancock goes to Mr. Lapham to have a silver sugar bowl made, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Lydia Becker (1827-1890), English activist, publisher, and scientist.
– Lydia Yudifovna Berdyaev (1871-1945), Russian poet.
– Lydia T. Black (1925-2007), American anthropologist and author.
– Lydia Cabrera (1899-1991), Cuban anthropologist and poet.
– Lydia Cacho (b. 1963) Mexican activist, author, and journalist.
– Lydia Campbell (1818-1905), Anglo-Canadian diarist.
– Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880), American activist, journalist, and novelist.
– Lydia Chukovskaya (1907-1996), Russian/Finnish author and poet.
– Lydia Davis (b. 1947), American essayist, novelist, short story writer, and translator.
– Lydia Gregory (b. 1954), pen name of American children’s book author and novelist Diane Carey, who also publishes as “D.L. Carey”.
– Lydia Grigorieva (b. 1945), Ukrainian poet.
– Lydia Hitchcock (1946-2011), pen name of English romance author Penelope Halsall, who also published as “Annie Groves”, “Caroline Courtney”, “Melinda Wright”, and “Penny Jordan”.
– Lydia Jannsen (1843-1886), Estonian poet who published under the pen name “Lydia Koidula”.
– Lydia Kwa (b. 1959), Canadian novelist, poet, psychologist, and short story writer.
– Lydia Mackenzie Falconer Miller (1812-1876), English children’s book author who also published under the pen name “Harriet Myrtle”.
– Lydia Millet (b. 1968), American novelist.
– Lydia Sargent (b. 1942), American activist, actor, author, playwright, and writer.
– Lydia Sigourney (1791-1865), American poet who published as “Mrs. Sigourney”.
– Lydia Tomkiw (1959-2007), American poet, singer, and songwriter.
– Lydia Wahlström (1869-1954), Swedish activist, author, and historian.
– Lydia Wevers (b. 1950), New Zealander critic, editor, historian, and writer.
– Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal (1866-1907), Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 
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[…] author who published under the pen names “Annie Groves”, “Caroline Courtney”, “Lydia Hitchcock”, “Melinda Wright”, and “Penny Jordan”. – Penelope Lively (b. 1933), […]
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[…] author Penelope Halsall, who also published under the pen names “Caroline Courtney”, “Lydia Hitchcock”, “Melinda Wright”, and “Penny Jordan”. – Annie Fellows Johnston […]
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[…] romance author Penelope Halsall, who also published under the pen names “Annie Groves”, “Lydia Hitchcock”, “Melinda Wright”, and “Penny […]
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[…] who also published under the pen names “Annie Groves”, “Caroline Courtney”, “Lydia Hitchcock”, and “Melinda […]
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