Paul
October 3, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latin, from the Roman family name “Paulus”, meaning “small” or “humble”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Boulus, Bulus, Pablo, Pal, Pali, Palle, Paol, Paolo, Paulie, Paulo, Paulos, Paulus, Pauwel, Pasha, Pavel, Pavlo, Pavlos, Pavo, Pavol, Pawel, Pol, Poul, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Paul, a new boy at Lily’s school, “imported from Switzerland”, who “soon becomes the Charles Boyer of the fourth grade”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Brother Paul, 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.
WRITERS:
– Paul Bowles (1910-1999), American author, composer, and translator.
– Paul Cain (1902-1966), pen name of American author and screenwriter George Caryl Sims.
– Paul Goodman (1911-1972), American intellectual, novelist, philosopher, playwright, poet, psychotherapist, and social critic.
– Paul Jennings (1918-1989), British humorist and writer.
– Paul Jennings (b. 1943), Australian children’s book writer.
– Paul Jordan-Smith (1885-1971), American editor, minister, scholar, and writer.
– Paul Kenyon (b. 1947), pen name of American fantasy, science fiction, and Western author Robert E. Vardeman, who has also published under the pen names “Cliff Garnett”, “Daniel Moran”, “F.J. Hale”, “Edward S. Hudson”, “Jackson Lowry”, “Karl Lassiter”, and “Victor Appleton”.
– Paul Ledd (b. 1951), one of the many pen names of American mystery and Western author Robert J. Randisi, who also publishes as “Cole Weston”, “Joseph Meek”, “Joshua Randall”, “Lew Baines”, “Robert Lake” “Spenser Fortune”, “Tom Cutter”, and “W.B. Longley”, among other pseudonyms.
– Paul Smith (1920-1997), Irish playwright and writer.
– Paul Girard Smith (1894-1968), American screenwriter.
– Paul Verlaine (1844-1896), French poet.
– Paul Zindel (1936-2003), American educator, novelist, and playwright.
Wat
October 3, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Medieval diminutive of “Walter“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gautier, Gualtiero, Valter, Waldhar, Wally, Walt, Walter, Walther, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Wat Hokester, a local merchant whose dishonesty gets him into trouble, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
Gregory
October 3, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Gregorios”, via the Latin “Gregorius”, meaning “watchful” or “alert”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Goyo, Greagoir, Greg, Grega, Greger, Gregg, Grégoire, Gregor, Gregorio, Gregorios, Gregorius, Greer, Greig, Grigol, Grigor, Grigore, Grigori, Grigoriy, Grigory, Griogair, Grisha, Grzegorz, Hryhoriy, Reijo, Reko, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gregory, the gardener, one of the servants who was supposed to look after Robin while his parents were away, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
Jon
October 3, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Jonathan“, or variation of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eoin, Evan, Ewan, Gianni, Giannino, Giovanni, Hankin, Hans, Ian, Iain, Ioannes, Ivan, Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacky, Jan, Janko, Jannick, Jean, Jeannot, Jenkin, Jens, Jo, Joan, Jock, Johan, Johannes, John, Johnnie, Johnny, Jonas, Jonel, Jonny, Joop, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Yan, Yannick, Yochanon, Yon, Yvan, Vanya, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jon the Cook, one of the servants who was supposed to look after Robin while his parents were away, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
Ensie
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ensor“, “Ennis”, “Enos”, “Enoch”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eni, Eny, Enni, Ennie, Enny, Ensi, Ensy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ensie (Ensor) Doone (later re-named Jones), Carver’s young son, who adores and is adopted by John Ridd following the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Ikey
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Isaac” or “Ichabod”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iikka, Iiro, Ike, Ikie, Ikka, Isa, Isak, Iza, Sahak, Sekel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ikey (Ike), an old yeoman who joins in the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Ike
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Isaac” or “Ichabod”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iikka, Iiro, Ikey, Ikie, Ikka, Isa, Isak, Iza, Sahak, Sekel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ike (sometimes called “Ikey“), an old yeoman who joins in the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
QUOTATIONS:
– “Sweet Betsy from Pike” is an American ballad, written in the 1850s: “Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike / Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike?”
Christopher
September 16, 2014 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Christophoros”, meaning “bearer of Christ”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chip, Chris, Christie, Christoffel, Christoffer, Christophe, Christophoros, Christy, Cris, Cristobal, Cristoforo, Hristo, Hristofor, Kester, Kit, Kris, Kristof, Kristoffer, Kristofor, Kristopher, Krsto, Krystof, Krzys, Krzysiek, Krzysztof, Risto, Toph, Topher, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christopher Badcock (called “Kit“), the innocent farmer whose young child is murdered while his wife, Margery, is carried off by the Doones, the final outrage which causes the locals to rise up against this scourge in their midst, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Christopher Fry (1907-2005), English poet and playwright.
– Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011), Anglo-American author, debater, journalist, and polemicist.
– Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), English novelist.
– Christopher Koch (1932-2013), Australian novelist.
– Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English dramatist, poet, and translator.
– Christopher Morley (1890-1957), American essayist, journalist, novelist, and poet.
– Christopher Nolan (1965-2009), Irish author and poet.
Gronus
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Gronus” is a name of unknown origin and meaning, but possibly related to the French “grenus”, meaning “grainy”, or archaic French slang for “whiskers” or “moustaches”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . I don’t know. I really, really don’t know.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Gronus Batchildor, one of the local gentry who rile up a mob with the intent of at least arresting, if not shooting, the pardoned and somewhat-reformed highwayman Tom Faggus, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Josiah
September 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “Jehovah supports”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iosias, Jos, Josias, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Josiah Bowden, the local parson in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Josiah Quincy, the “best young lawyer in Boston”, who defends Johnny against charges of theft and fraud, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Josiah Conder (1789-1855), English author and editor.
– Josiah Gregg (1806-1850), American author, explorer, merchant, and naturalist.
– Josiah Henson (1789-1883), American-Canadian abolitionist, author, and minister.
– Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1881), American novelist and poet who sometimes used the pen name “Timothy Titcomb”.
– Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), American historian and politician.
– Josiah Priest (1788-1851), American pseudohistorical and pseudoscientific writer.
– Josiah Strong (1847-1916), American author, clergyman, editor, and organizer.
– Josiah Tucker (1713-1799), Welsh churchman, economist, and political writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 