Izzy
September 12, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
For boys, a shortened version of “Isidor” / “Isidore”, “Israel“, “Isaiah”, “Isaac”, etc. For girls, a shortened version of “Isadora”, “Isannah“, “Isabel” / “Isobel”, “Isabella“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Isa, Issie, Issy, Izzie.
For boys: Is, Isa, Issy, Iz, Izzie.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Izzy (Isannah) Lapham, Mrs. Lapham’s delicate and ethereally-beautiful youngest daughter, precocious, selfish, vain, and a skilled little actress, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
Dusty
September 9, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A diminutive of “Dustin”, or a nickname given to people who were often dusty or dirty.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Dustee, Dusti, Dustie.
For boys: Dustan, Dustie, Dustin, Duston, Dustyn.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dusty Miller, one of Johnny’s two co-apprentices at Lapham’s silversmithing business, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Dusty Hughes (b. 1947), English director and playwright.
Jonathan
September 9, 2015 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew “Yehonatan” or “Yonatan”, meaning “Jehovah has given” or “gift of God”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gionata, Ionathan, Johnathan, Johnathon, Johnnie, Johnny, Jon, Jonatas, Jonathon, Jonatan, Jonaton, Jon-jon, Jonni, Jonnie, Jonny, Jontie, Jonty, Nat, Nate, Nathan, Nattie, Natty, Yehonatan, Yonatan, Yoni, Yonni, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jonathan Lyte, the sly and selfish wealthy merchant who was Johnny’s great-uncle, though he refused to acknowledge the connection, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Jonathan Lyte Tremain (called “Johnny“), the gifted and proud teenaged hero of Johnny Tremain.
WRITERS:
– Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), Irish author, cleric, essayist, poet, and satirist.
Some Single-Syllable Sobriquets
September 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
Longer, more classical-sounding names — for example, “Christopher“, “Elizabeth“, “Alexander“, or “Penelope” — have always had a place on America’s playgrounds, but there is certainly something to be said for the short-and-simple one-syllable names in this article, no? (Be sure to click through for more information — meanings, origins, popularity rankings, etc.)
For girls: Brooke, Claire, Faith, Grace, Hope, Jade, Jane, June, Kate, Paige, Rose, Ruth
For boys: Blake, Bryce, Charles, Chase, Cole, George, Jace, Jack, James, Joel, John, Juan, Luke, Max, Miles
For either: Bryn / Brynn, Quinn, Reese
A Selection of Heel Goed Dutch Baby Names
September 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
If you follow the link, you’ll be able to find out a little bit more about these fantastic Dutch names (although a pronunciation guide is not always included; you may have to look that up yourself!):
“20 Dutch Baby Names You’ll Want to Steal Immediately”
(Click here to find the French version.)
For girls: Adrie, Anouk, Danique, Evi, Fay / Faye, Lina, Marit, Noa, Tess
For boys: Bas / Bastiaan, Bram, Cas / Casper, Coen / Coenraad, Everhart, Hans, Joost, Lars, Pim, Sander, Schuyler / Skylar
Hig
September 2, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Unknown; possibly a variation of “High” or diminutive of “Higgins” or some such, but really, I’ve no idea.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . I’ve got nothing.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Hig Phillips, a wealthy farmer infamous in the area for hiring a substitute to go to war for him, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Lafe
September 2, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possibly an Anglicization of the Old Norse “Leif”, meaning “heir” or “descendant”, or a diminutive of “Lafayette”, a French last name, meaning “son of Lafay” (“Lafay” being a place name meaning “near the beech tree”).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lafay, Lafaye, Lafayette, Lafee, Leif, Leiv.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lafe Edwards, proprietor of a saloon in Newton, which falls prey to Guy Wortman’s band of troublemakers, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Hardin
September 1, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From an English last name / place name, meaning “hare’s valley”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hardan, Harden, Hardene, Hardeyn, Hardon, Haredene.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Middle name of Benjamin Hardin Creighton (b. 1832), oldest of the Creighton children, “left for Californy 1849”), in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Hardin E. Taliaferro (1811-1875), American humorist, preacher, and writer.
Irv
August 31, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Irving”, from a Scottish last name / place name, meaning “beautiful” or “green water”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Earwin, Earvin, Erwin, Erwyn, Erv, Ervin, Ervyn, Irwin, Irwyn, Irven, Irvine, Irving, Irvyn, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Irv Chandler, a friend from Hildalgo, who joins in the watch over the Creighton farm when it’s threatened by Guy Wortman and his gang, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Sigurd
August 31, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Old Norse, meaning “victorious guardian”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Siguror, Sigurour, Sigvard, Sjurd, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sigurd Nelson, a neighbor from “our toward Old Grandville”, who joins in the watch over the Creighton farm when it’s threatened by Guy Wortman and his gang, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Sigurd Abel (1837-1873), German historian.
– Sigurd Bødtker (1866-1928), Norwegian critic and poet.
– Sigurd Christiansen (1891-1947), Norwegian novelist and playwright.
– Sigurd Engelstad (1914-2006), Norwegian archivist, genealogist, and writer.
– Sigurd Evensmo (1912-1978), Norwegian author and journalist.
– Sigurd Hoel (1890-1960), Norwegian author, editor, and consultant.
– Sigurd Ibsen (1859-1930), Norwegian author, lawyer, and statesman.
– Sigurd Lybeck (1895-1975), Norwegian farmer, novelist, and short story writer.
– Sigurd Segelcke Meidell (1878-1968), Norwegian genealogist, journalist, and novelist.
– Sigurd Nergaard (1873-1932), Norwegian educator, folklorist, and writer.
– Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982), American activist and author.
– Sigurd Risting (1870-1935), Norwegian historian, teacher, and writer.
– Sigurd Senje (1919-1993), Norwegian author, children’s book writer, historian, and novelist.
– Sigurd Swane (1879-1973), Danish painter and poet.
– Sigurd Willoch (1903-1991), Norwegian art director and historian.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 