Marion
August 6, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
For the masculine version, derived from a French last name. For the feminine version, an alternate spelling of “Marian” or “Marianne“, French diminutive forms of “Marie“. All versions ultimately derived from “Maria“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Mairenn, Mairin, Mairwen, Manon, Manya, Mari, Maria, Mariamne, Marian, Mariana, Marianna, Marianne, Marie, Marielle, Mariette, Mariona, Marise, Marjan, Mary, Marya, Maryana, Maryann, Marzena, Maureen, Maurine, Miren, Mirjana, Mirjane, etc.
For boys: Marian, Marianus, Mariano, Marius, Merrian, Merrion, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marion Warren, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
WRITERS:
– Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930-1999), American novelist.
– Marion Cunningham (1922-2012), American food writer.
– Marion Rose Harris (b. 1925), Welsh romance author who publishes under the pen name “Rosie Harris”.
– Marion Richardson (1892-1946), English educator and author.
QUOTATIONS:
– “Oh, Marion“, from Paul Simon’s 1980 album, One Trick Pony: “Oh Marion / I think I’m in trouble here / I should’ve believed you / When I heard you saying it / The only time / That love is an easy game / Is when two other people / Are playing it.”
Fritz
August 5, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Friedrich”, the German version of “Frederick“, meaning “peaceful ruler”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fiete, Fred, Freddie, Freddy, Fredo, Frits, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Fritz, another new boy at Lily’s school, “who is from Rumania and is rumored to eat worms”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Fritz, one of Becky’s young bohemian neighbors in Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Fritz Kohler, the local tailor, in whose house Thea’s music teacher, Prof. Wunsch, lives and gives his lessons, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Fritz Angst (1944-1976), Swiss author who published under the pen name “Fritz Zorn”.
– Fritz Arnheim (1866-1922), German historian, lecturer, and traveler.
– Fritz Oswald Bilse (1878-1951), German novelist, playwright, and soldier, who also published under the pen names “Fritz von der Kyrburg” and “Fritz Wernthal”.
– Fritz Cronman (c.1640-c.1680), Swedish diarist, diplomat, letter-writer, and soldier.
– Fritz Fischer (1908-1999), German historian.
– Fritz Gerlich (1883-1934), German historian and journalist.
– Fritz Grünbaum (1880-1941), Austrian artist, actor, director, and songwriter.
– Fritz Heichelheim (1901-1968), German-Canadian historian and professor.
– Fritz Hochwälder (1911-1986), Austrian playwright.
– Fritz Hommel (1854-1936), German scholar and writer.
– Fritz Koselka (1905-1978), Austrian screenwriter and writer.
– Fritz Leiber (1910-1992), American actor, author, playwright, and poet.
– Fritz Löhner-Beda (1883-1942), Austrian librettist, lyricist, and writer.
– Fritz Magnussen (1878-1920), Danish director and screenwriter.
– Fritz Mauthner (1849-1923), Austro-Hungarian critic, journalist, novelist, philosopher, and satirist.
– Fritz Mühlenweg (1898-1961), German author, editor, painter, and translator.
– Fritz Novotny (1903-1983), Austrian historian.
– Fritz Oliven (1874-1956), German author, composer, lawyer, librettist, and lyricist, who published under the pen name “Rideamus”.
– Fritz Reuter (1810-1874), German novelist.
– Fritz Saxl (1890-1948), Austrian historian.
– Fritz Spiegl (1926-2003), Austrian broadcaster, collector, humorist, journalist, and musician.
– Fritz Stern (b. 1926), German-American historian and professor.
– Fritz Steuben (1898-1981), pen name of German novelist and short-story writer Erhard Wittek.
– Fritz von Unruh (1885-1970), German dramatist, novelist, and poet.
Max
August 5, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Maximilian” or “Maxwell”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mac, Mack, Maxie, Maxey, Miksa, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Max, one of Becky’s young bohemian neighbors in Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Dr. Max Wilson, Dr. Ed’s younger brother, a brilliant playboy surgeon who beguiles Sidney Page, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
AUTHORS:
– Sir Max Beerbohm (1872-1956), English humorist and writer.
Paolo
August 5, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Italian version of “Paul“, meaning “small” or “humble”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Pablo, Pal, Palle, Paol, Pasha, Paul, Pauli, Paulie, Paulo, Paulus, Pauly, Pauwel, Pavel, Pawel, Pavlos, Pol, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Count Paolo della Belladonna, whose Countess takes up with Lord Steyne in his absence, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
Hook
August 5, 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, “Hook” was an Old English surname given to one who lived or worked near a hook, or bend, in a river, or to one who made hooks for a living.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hooke, Hooker, Hookes, Huck, Hucks, Huke, Hukes, Hocke, Hockes, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mr. Hook Eagles, whose wife befriends Becky during her years of exile, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
Aurelius
August 5, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latin, meaning “golden” or “gilded”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aurel, Aurelio, Orel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aurelius Victor XV, previously the sovereign of Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
Victor
August 5, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Latin, meaning “conqueror”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Vic, Viktor, Vittorio, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Victor Aurelius XVII, sovereign of Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
WRITERS:
– Victor Appleton (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 “Paul Kenyon”.
– Victor Hugo (1802-1885), French dramatist, novelist, and poet.
Jos
August 5, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Joseph“, meaning “He will add”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jef, Jo, Joe, Joep, Joey, Jojo, Joop, Joos, José, Josef, Josip, Jozef, Osip, Pepe, Pepito, Seph, Sepp, Sjef, Zef, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jos (Joseph) Sedley, Amelia’s silly, conceited older brother in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
Roger
August 5, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Variant spelling of “Rodger”, from the Germanic, meaning “famous spear”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hrodger, Rod, Rodge, Rodger, Rodgers, Rogerio, Rogers, Ruggerio, Ruggero, Rutger, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Roger, a local boy Robin went to school with, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Sir Roger Bassett, who sells Tom Faggus some land at great cost, and is lucky to escape from the legal entanglements with anything left at all, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Sir Roger Bludyer, whose wife befriends Amelia after Dobbin’s and Joseph’s return to England, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 