Gabe
June 11, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Gabriel”, from the Hebrew “Gavri’el”, meaning “man of God” or “God is my strength”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cebrail, Dzhabrail, Gabby, Gabey, Gabi, Gabie, Gabor, Gabriel, Gabriele, Gabrien, Gavrail, Gavrel, Gavriel, Gavril, Gavriil, Havryil, Jabrel, Jibril, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gabe Shaine, Rosie’s younger brother, a librarian who moves in to help raise Lily, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Gabe Hudson (b. 1971), American educator, novelist and writer.
Curly
June 11, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Unknown; possibly a nickname for someone with curly hair, or perhaps derived from the Gaelic last name “Curley”, ultimately meaning “in the shape of the god of thunder”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Curley, Curlie, Kerley.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Curly, a local tennis champ who dates Lily’s mother, Rosie, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Rosie
June 10, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Rosey ” / “Rosy“; diminutive of “Rose“, “Rosa“, names beginning with “Ros-“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rohese, Rohesia, Ros, Rosa, Rosabel, Rosaleen, Rosalie, Rosalind, Rosaline, Rosamond, Rosamonde, Rosamund, Rosanne, Rose, Roselin, Roselind, Rosella, Roselle, Rosemond, Rosemund, Rosetta, Rosette, Rosey, Rosina, Rosine, Rosita, Roslyn, Rosy, Royse, Roz, Roza, Rozelle, Rozie, Rozy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rosie Pearl, Lily’s adored mother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Rosie Boycott (b. 1951), English activist and journalist.
– Rosie Harris (b. 1925), pen name of Welsh romance author Marion Rose Harris.
– Rosie Malek-Yonan (b. 1965), Assyrian activist, actress, author, and director.
– Rosie O’Donnell (b. 1962), American actress, author, comedian, and media personality.
– Rosie Rushton (b. 1946), English novelist and non-fiction writer.
– Rosie Scott (b. 1948), Australian-New Zealander novelist.
– Rosie Thomas (b. 1947), pen name of Welsh journalist and romance author Janey King.
– Rosie Goldschmidt (R.G.) Waldeck (1898-1982), German-American author also known as “Rosa Waldeck”.
Susan
June 10, 2015 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
An English variation of “Susanna”, from the Hebrew “Shoshannah”, meaning “lily” or “rose”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sanna, Sanne, Sawsan, Shoshana, Shoshannah, Sooki, Sookie, Sooky, Sousanna, Su, Sue, Susana, Susanita, Susann, Susanna, Susannah, Susanne, Suse, Susey, Susi, Susie, Susy, Sukey, Suki, Sukie, Suzan, Suzana, Suzann, Suzanna, Suzannah, Suzanne, Suze, Suzelle, Suzette, Suzey, Suzi, Suzie, Suzy, Zana, Zanna, Zooey, Zooie, Zsazsa, Zsuzsa, Zsuzsanna, Zsuzsi, Zsuzsu, Zu, Zula, Zuza, Zuzana, Zuzanka, Zuzanna, Zuzi, Zuzia, Zuzka, Zuzu, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Susan Hassan, one of Lily’s best friends, and a natural enemy of her other best friend, Diana, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Susan Coolidge (1835-1905), pen name of American children’s book writer Sarah Chauncey Woolsey.
– Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), American actress, journalist, novelist, and playwright.
– Susan Eloise (S.E.) Hinton (b. 1948), American children’s book writer, novelist, and screenwriter.
QUOTATIONS:
– From the popular ballad “Black Ey’d Susan, or Sweet William’s Farewell“, by John Gay, first published in 1730: “The noblest captain in the British fleet, / Might envy William’s lips those kisses sweet. / ‘O Susan, Susan, lovely dear, / My vows shall ever true remain; / Let me kiss off that falling tear, / We only part to meet again. / Change, as ye list, ye winds; my heart shall be / The faithful compass that still points to thee. / ‘Believe not what the landsmen say, / Who tempt with doubts thy constant mind: / . . . ‘If to far India’s coast we sail, / Thy eyes are seen in diamonds bright, / Thy breath is Afric’s spicy gale, / Thy skin is ivory, so white. / Thus every beauteous object that I view, / Wakes in my soul some charm of lovely Sue. / ‘Though battle call me from thy arms, / Let not my pretty Susan mourn; / Though cannons roar, yet safe from harms, / William shall to his dear return.’”
Nan
June 9, 2015 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ann” / “Anne“, or shortened version of “Nancy“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ann, Anne, Annie, Anny, Nainsi, Nancie, Nancy, Nana, Nance, Nandag, Nanette, Nanice, Nanine, Nannie, Nanny, Nanse, Nansi, Nansie, Nansy, Nenci, Nensi, Neske, Nest, Nesta, Nina, Ninette, Ninon, Nona, Nonna, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nan Duval, Diana’s younger sister, who lost an eye in a dart accident, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
QUOTATIONS:
– From The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602), Act IV scene 4, by William Shakespeare: “My Nan shall be the Queen of all the fairies, / Finely attired in a robe of white.”
WRITERS:
– Nan Agle (1905-2006), American children’s book writer.
– Nan Chauncy (1900-1970), Anglo-Australian children’s book writer.
– Nan Cohen (b. 1968), American poet.
– Nan Fairbrother (1913-1971), English lecturer and writer.
– Nan McDonald (1921-1974), Australian editor and poet.
– Nan C. Robertson (1926-2009), American author, educator, and journalist.
– Nan (Anna) Shepherd (1893-1981), Scottish novelist and poet.
– Nan Bentzen Skille (b. 1945), Norwegian biographer and editor.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 