Emmeline
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the Germanic name “Amelina”, meaning “work”. Sometimes used as a variation of “Emily“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Amalina, Em, Emelina, Emeline, Emma, Emmaline, Emmalyn, Emmie, Emmy, Lena, Lina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Emmeline Moreland, John Moreland’s wife, who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of Granny Moreland’s antiques, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
WRITERS:
– Emmeline B. Wells (1828-1921), American activist, diarist, editor, journalist, and poet.
– Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), English activist, suffragette, and writer.
– Lady Emmeline Stuart-Wortley (1806-1855), English poet and writer.
Amos
August 22, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “burden” or “bearer of a burden”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Um . . . Amy? Actually, no, probably shouldn’t do that.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Amos Peters, a local farmer, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Lizy
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Eliza” or “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ella, Ellie, Elissa, Eliza, Elsa, Elsie, Elyse, Libby, Liddy, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizzie, Lizzy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizy Crofter, a hired woman, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Marcella
August 22, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Marcellus”, a Roman last name ultimately derived from Mars, the god of war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Marcela, Marcelina, Marceline, Marcelle, Marcellette, Marcellina, Marcelline, Marcelyn, Marcie, Marcy, Marsaili, Zella, Zellie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marcella Herron, Ruth Jameson’s grandmother, “a gentle woman”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Alexander
August 22, 2014 § 14 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latin version of the Greek “Alexandros”, meaning “defender of men”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ace, Al, Alasdair, Alastair, Alastar, Ale, Alec, Alejandro, Aleks, Aleksander, Aleksandr, Alessandro, Alex, Alexandre, Alexandros, Alexis, Alick, Alisander, Alistair, Alister, Ally, Eskandar, Iskandar, Lexi, Olek, Oleksander, Oleksandr, Sacha, Sander, Sandor, Sandy, Sandro, Sascha, Saunder, Sawney, Sender, Shura, Sikandar, Skender, Xander, Xandinho, Zander, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Middle name of James Alexander Creighton (1849-1852), one of the three young Creighton boys who died of “paralysis” the year Jethro was born, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Alexander Herron, Ruth Jameson’s grandfather, “who made a concession”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
WRITERS:
– Alexander Brown (1843-1906), American historian and writer.
– Alexander Hamilton (1755 or 1757- 1804), American essayist, economist, and political leader.
– Alexander King (1899-1965), Austrian-American humorist and memoirist.
– Alexander Mollin (b. 1947), pen name of English author Jim Williams, who also publishes as “Richard Hugo”.
– Alexander Pope (1688-1744), English poet.
– Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), Russian author and poet.
– Alexander Ross (c.1590-1654), Scottish writer.
– Alexander Scott (c.1520-1582/83), Scottish poet.
– Alexander Scott (1920-1989), Scottish poet and scholar.
– Alexander Tayler (1870-1937), British author and historian who published under the pen name of “Alasdair Tayler”, and often published jointly with his sister, Hetty.
– Alexander Wilson (1893-1963), English writer and spy.
Ruthie
August 22, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ruth“, meaning “friend” or “companion”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ruta, Rute, Ruut, Ruth, Ruthy.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ruthie (Ruth) Jameson, “a girl of the city” who cannot see herself as the Harvester’s dream girl, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
David
August 22, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “beloved”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dai, Daividh, Dauid, Dave, Daveth, Davey, Davide, Davie, Davis, Davit, Davy, Daw, Dawid, Dawud, Dewie, Dewey, Dewydd, Dovid, Taavetti, Taavi, Tavi, Taffy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother David, the stonemason, one of the monks at St. Mark’s in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– David Langston, the titular clean-living “harvester of the forest”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– David Wyburn, Esther’s cousin, who works as a clerk at Weyman & Co.’s importing-house, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– David Craig (b. 1929), pen name of Welsh novelist James Tucker, who also publishes as “Bill James” and “Judith Jones”.
– David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence (1885-1930), English critic, essayist, novelist, painter, playwright, and poet.
– David Malouf (b. 1934), Australian novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– David McCullough (b. 1933), American author, historian, and lecturer.
– David Mitchell (b. 1969), English novelist.
– David Sedaris (b. 1956), American author and humorist.
– David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), American essayist, novelist, professor, and short story writer.
– David Walliams (b. 1971), English activist, actor, children’s book writer, and comedian.
Rowland
August 22, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Medieval variation of “Roland“, meaning “famous land”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Laurand, Laurant, Laurend, Laurent, Lorend, Lorent, Lorand, Lorant, Roel, Roeland, Rolan, Roland, Rolando, Rolland, Rollie, Rolly, Roly, Rowle, Rowley, Rowlie, Orland, Orlando, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rowland Doone, a member of the murderous Doone clan, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Sir Rowland Nasmyth, who falls in love with Mistress Marian, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Sir Rowland, his son, who marries Lady Anne Lennox, older sister to Lady Dorothy and Lord Humphrey, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales.
– Rowland Rochester, Edward Rochester’s older brother, whose death gives him the ownership of Thornfield, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
Ernie
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ernest”, meaning “serious”, “vigor”, or “intent”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Earnest, Ern, Ernest, Ernesto, Erno, Ernst, Erny, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lord Ernie Radnor, Lady Elizabeth’s nephew, who is brought up with her daughter Patience, and adopted daughter Marian, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
Patience
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
One of the “virtue” names created by the Puritans. Guess what it means? If you guessed, “patience”, you’re right! If you did not guess “patience”, you are . . . not right.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Possibly Pat / Patti / Pattie / Patty? Paysh? Payshie? Possibly?
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Patience Lennox, Lady Elizabeth’s first daughter, a beautiful, elfin creature who was inaptly named, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 