BOY NAMES | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Kerr

August 17, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
From a Scottish place name, meaning “rough, wet ground”. Lovely.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carr, Carre, Ker.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kerr is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

King

August 17, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Old English word “cyning”. Three guesses what it means. Yep. It means “king”. Surprising, no?

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
None, really, unless we count synonyms, like “Royal”, or similar place names, like “Kingston”.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– King is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

Kenneth

August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of either “Coinneach”, meaning “handsome”, or “Cinaed”, meaning “born of fire”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cainneach, Coinneach, Cinaed, Cionaodh, Ken, Kennet, Kennie, Kennith, Kenny, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kenneth is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

WRITERS:
– Kenneth Anderson (1910-1974), English adventure writer.
– Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), Scottish writer.
– Kenneth Horne (1900-1975), English writer and playwright.
– Kenneth Millar (1915-1983), Canadian-American crime author who published under the pen name “Ross Macdonald”.
– Kenneth Morris (1879-1937), Welsh author and theosophist.
– Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957), American author and journalist.
– Kenneth Tynan (1927-1980), English critic and writer.

Palmer

August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
An English last name, meaning “pilgrim”, derived from the Latin word for “palm tree”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Not sure that there are any, really.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Palmer Howe, Christine Lorenz’s “wild” fiancé, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

Sid

August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Sidney“, meaning “wide island”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cyd, Cydne, Cydnie, Cydney, Sid, Sidelle, Sidonia, Sidonie, Sidne, Sidnie, Syd, Sydelle, Sydne, Sydney, Sydnie, Sydonia, Sydonie, etc.
For boys: Sid, Syd, Sydney, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sid (Sidney) Page, a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

WRITERS:
– Sid Chaplin (1916-1986), English writer.
– Sid Fleischman (1920-2010), American writer.
– Sid Smith (b. 1949), English novelist and journalist.

Sidney

August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From an English place name, meaning “wide island”. Possibly an elision of the name of the French town, Saint Denis. But probably not.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sidney Page (called “Sid“), a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

WRITERS:
– Sidney Lanier (1842-1881), American author, musician, and poet.
– Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007), American writer.

Timothy

August 16, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Timotheos”, meaning “to honor God”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Tim, Timmer, Timmie, Timmy, Timo, Timofei, Timofey, Timotei, Timoteo, Timoteus, Timotheos, Timotheus, Timoti, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Uncle Timothy, the little Dunbars’ wealthy, somewhat cantankerous uncle, in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Timothy Makeshift, a local farrier who might be competition for the Lemons, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Timothy Pooke, proprietor of the Spit and Gridiron, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

WRITERS:
– Timothy Findley (1930-2002), Canadian novelist and playwright.
– Timothy Leary (1920-1996), American psychologist and writer.
– Timothy Titcomb (1819-1881), pen name sometimes used by American novelist and poet Josiah Gilbert Holland.

Teddy

August 15, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Ted“, etc., a diminutive of “Edward” or “Theodore“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ed, Edd, Eddi, Eddie, Eddy, Fedir, Fedor, Fedya, Ned, Nedd, Neddie, Neddy, Tad, Taddie, Taddy, Ted, Tedd, Teddie, Teo, Theo, Todor, Toshe, Tudor, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Teddy (Theodore) Shaffer, the little boy who is adopted by Mrs. McNeely, and who falls asleep in a rag-bag, leading to fortune and happiness, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Ted

August 15, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Edward” or “Theodore“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ed, Edd, Eddi, Eddie, Eddy, Fedir, Fedor, Fedya, Ned, Nedd, Neddie, Neddy, Tad, Taddie, Taddy, Tedd, Teddie, Teddy, Teo, Theo, Todor, Toshe, Tudor, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mr. Ted (Theodore) Shaffer (known as “Teddy” when young), who found his long-lost ship captain father while working in a paper mill, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Ted Lewis (1940-1982), English writer.

Theodore

August 15, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Theodoros”, meaning “gift of God”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fedir, Fedor, Fedya, Feodor, Fyodor, Tad, Taddie, Taddy, Ted, Teddie, Teddy, Tedo, Teo, Teodor, Teodoro, Theo, Theodor, Theodoros, Theodorus, Todor, Toshe, Tudor, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Theodore, Ray Kennedy’s deceased chum, in whose honor he nicknames Thea “Thee”, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Theodore Brocklehurst, one of the children of the formidable and hypocritical supervisor of Lowood Institute, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Theodore Ingram (called “Tedo“), Blanche and Mary’s brother, one of the elegant people who make up Mr. Rochester’s social set, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Mr. Theodore Shaffer (known as “Teddy“, and later “Ted“), who found his long-lost ship captain father while working in a paper mill, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945), American novelist and journalist.
– Theodore Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), American writer, poet, and cartoonist, most famous for his work under the pen name “Dr. Seuss”.
– Theodore Roethke (1908-1963), American poet.
– Theodore Taylor (1921-2006), American author.
– Theodore H. White (1915-1986), American journalist and historian.

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