Dave
August 23, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “David“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dai, Daividh, Dauid, Daveth, Davey, David, Davide, Davie, Davis, Davit, Davy, Daw, Dawid, Dawud, Dewie, Dewey, Dewydd, Dovid, Taavetti, Taavi, Tavi, Taffy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dave Burdow, Travis’ father, “a sullen, silent man who shunned people in general and accepted their insults as a matter of course”, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Travis
August 23, 2015 § 1 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, “Travis” is a variation of the English place name “Travers”, meaning “near a bridge or ford” (from the old French word for “crossing” or “to cross”).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Trav, Travers.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Travis Burdow, the drunken young tough who caused the accident which killed Mary Creighton, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Rob
August 23, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Robert“, “Robin“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Brecht, Hob, Hopcyn, Hopkin, Pertti, Rab, Rabbie, Robbe, Robbie, Robby, Robi, Robin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rob Nelson, pretty young Mary Creighton’s beau on that fateful night in 1859, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Wilse
August 21, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From an English place name meaning “willow island”; or a diminutive of “Wilson”, or a variation of “Wallace”, “Welles”, “Wiles”, “Willis”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Wallace, Wallis, Walls, Welles, Wells, Wels, Wil, Wilce, Wiles, Will, Willie, Willis, Wills, Willy, Wilsey, Wilsee, Wilson, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Wilse Graham, Ellen’s staunchly pro-Confederacy nephew from Kentucky in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Eb
August 21, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Eben” or “Ebenezer“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ben, Bennie, Benny, Ebb, Eben, Eben-ezer, Ebenezer, Ebeneezer, Ez, Eez, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Eb (Ebenezer) Carron (b. 1843), Jethro’s cousin, a hot-headed young man who joins Tom in running off to enlist in the Union Army, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Ebenezer
August 21, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “stone of help”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ben, Bennie, Benny, Eb, Ebb, Eben, Eben-ezer, Ebeneezer, Ez, Eez, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ebenezer Carron (called “Eb“; b. 1843), Jethro’s cousin, a hot-headed young man who joins Tom in running off to enlist in the Union Army, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Ebenezer Beesley (1840-1906), Anglo-American composer and hymn-writer.
– E. (Ebenezer) Cobham Brewer (1810-1897), English lexicographer and writer.
– Ebenezer Cooke (c.1665-c.1732), English poet and satirist.
– Ebenezer Elliott (1781-1849), English activist and poet.
– Ebenezer Erskine (1680-1754), Scottish minister and writer.
– Ebenezer Forrest (fl. 1774), English attorney, dramatist, and writer.
– Ebenezer Jones (1820-1860), English poet.
– Ebenezer Landells (1808-1860), English artist, children’s book writer, illustrator, and publisher.
– Ebenezer Joseph Mather (1849-1927), English philanthropist and writer.
– Ebenezer Porter (1772-1834), American minister, translator, and writer.
– Ebenezer Prout (1835-1909), English composer, teacher, and writer.
– Ebenezer Rhodes (1762-1839), English artist, editor, poet, publisher, topographer, and writer.
– Ebenezer Platt Rogers (1817-1881), American author and minister.
– Ebenezer Sibley (1751-c.1799), English astrologer, physician, and writer.
– Ebenezer Syme (1825-1860), Scottish-Australian journalist and publisher.
– Ebenezer Thomas (1802-1863), Welsh poet and teacher who also published under the pen name “Eben Fardd”.
A Bevy of Very British Names, Part II
August 20, 2015 § 1 Comment
Another series of links to articles on names throughout Great Britain (see Part I here). As you can see, there’s quite a bit of overlap, though it’s interesting to see where the popularity diverges. Click through for more info on the rankings, as well as on the names themselves! (Also of note is the c.1986 news video on an extremely indecisive couple who gave their daughter 140 names!)
Top 10 Baby Names for England and Wales, 2014:
For girls: Amelia, Ava, Emily, Isabella, Isla, Jessica, Lily, Olivia, Poppy, Sophie
For boys: Charlie, George, Harry, Jack, Jacob, James, Oliver, Oscar, Thomas, William
Most Popular Baby Names in Northern Ireland, 2014:
For girls: Amelia, Anna, Ava, Ella, Emily, Grace, Lucy, Olivia, Sophia, Sophie
For boys: Charlie, Daniel, Ethan, Harry, Jack, Jacob, James, Noah, Oliver, Thomas
Most Popular Baby Names in Scotland, 2014:
For girls: Amelia, Ava, Ella, Emily, Isla, Jessica, Lily, Lucy, Olivia, Sophia, Sophie
For boys: Alexander, Charlie, Daniel, Jack, James, Lewis, Logan, Lucas, Noah, Oliver
Most Popular Baby Names in Wales, 2014:
For girls: Amelia, Ava, Emily, Evie, Isla, Lily, Mia, Olivia, Poppy, Ruby
For boys: Alfie, Charlie, Dylan, Jack, Jacob, Leo, Logan, Noah, Oliver, Oscar, William
Ward
August 20, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From an Old English last name, meaning “guard” or “watchman”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Varde, Warda, Warde, Warden, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Middle name of Thomas Ward Creighton (b. 1843), Jethro’s older brother, who, at just 18 years of age, runs off to join the Union Army, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Ward Churchill (b. 1947), American activist, author, and professor.
– Ward Costello (1919-2009), American actor, composer, and lyricist.
– Ward Hawkins (1912-1990), American author, producer, and screenwriter.
– Ward Moore (1903-1978), pen name of American novelist and short story writer Joseph Ward Moore.
– Ward Morehouse (1895-1966), American author, columnist, critic, and playwright.
– Ward Ruyslinck (1929-2014), pen name of Belgian novelist, poet, translator, and writer Raymond De Belser.
Shad
August 17, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Shadrach“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Shadd, Shaddo, Shadoe, Shadrak, Shadrach, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Shad (Shadrach) Yale (b. 1841), the well-educated and eminently reasonable, though tender-hearted, schoolmaster Ellen “adopts”, Jethro idolizes, and Jenny adores, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Shadrach
August 17, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “commander of Aku (Babylonian god of the moon)”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Shad, Shadd, Shaddo, Shadoe, Shadrak, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Shadrach Yale (sometimes called “Shad“; b. 1841), the well-educated and eminently reasonable, though tender-hearted, schoolmaster Ellen “adopts”, Jethro idolizes, and Jenny adores, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 