Tishy
August 24, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Letitia” / “Latisha”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Laetitia, Latisha, Latitia, Latisha, Latizia, Leta, Leticia, Letisha, Letitia, Letizia, Lettice, Lettie, Letty, Lecia, Licia, Ticia, Tish, Tisha, Tishie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tishy, an old servant at Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
Lizy
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Eliza” or “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ella, Ellie, Elissa, Eliza, Elsa, Elsie, Elyse, Libby, Liddy, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizzie, Lizzy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizy Crofter, a hired woman, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Ruthie
August 22, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ruth“, meaning “friend” or “companion”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ruta, Rute, Ruut, Ruth, Ruthy.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ruthie (Ruth) Jameson, “a girl of the city” who cannot see herself as the Harvester’s dream girl, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Ernie
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ernest”, meaning “serious”, “vigor”, or “intent”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Earnest, Ern, Ernest, Ernesto, Erno, Ernst, Erny, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lord Ernie Radnor, Lady Elizabeth’s nephew, who is brought up with her daughter Patience, and adopted daughter Marian, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
Jock
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Scottish version of “Jack“, a diminutive of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacks, Jacky, Jak, Jake, Jakey, Jakie, Jakin, Jaks, Jankin, Jax, Jenkin, Jockie, Jocko, Jocky, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jock Crumpet, Nurse Crumpet’s husband in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
Davy
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “David“, from Hebrew, meaning “beloved”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dai, Daividh, Dauid, Dave, Daveth, Davey, David, Davide, Davie, Davis, Davit, Daw, Dawid, Dawud, Dewie, Dewey, Dewydd, Dovid, Taavetti, Taavi, Tavi, Taffy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Davy Short-hose, a local poulterer, who is suggested to (and summarily rejected by) Keren Lemon as a possible husband, 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.
Meg
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Margaret“, meaning “pearl”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Madge, Mae, Mag, Maggi, Maggie, Maggy, Maighread, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Marga, Margaid, Margaux, Marge, Marged, Margery, Margie, Margit, Margy, Margo, Margot, Marji, Marjorie, Marjory, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Megan, Megeen, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Meta, Metta, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mysie, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, Reeta, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mistress Meg Titmouse, a friend of Keren Lemon’s, 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.
Robin
August 22, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Medieval diminutive of “Robert“. For girls, usually a reference to the small, red-breasted songbird.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Bobbie, Robbie, Robbin, Robinett, Robinette, Robena, Robenia, Roberta, Robina, Robyn, etc.
For boys: Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Rab, Rob, Robbie, Robby, Robert, Roberto, Robi, Rupert, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Robin, the little boy whose illness prevents him from following the path laid out for him, but who manages to find the door in the wall nevertheless, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Robin (Lord Robert of Amhurste), a brave and generous young man, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Robin (Robert) Racket, a handsome and charming lad who steals the hearts of cousins Keren Lemon and Ruth Visor, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888).
– Robin Snell (called “Bob“), the little schoolboy whose fight with young John Ridd is momentarily disrupted by news of the elder Ridd’s death, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Robin Ddu o Fon (c.1744-1785), Welsh poet also known as “Robert Hughes”.
Tony
August 22, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Antony” / “Anthony“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Teun, Teunis, Theun, Theunis, Tone, Tonino, Tonio, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tony (Anthony) Butter, the gardener at Amhurste Hall, who narrates “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), and is made fun of by Humfrey Lemon and Bered Turnip for his envy of their large broods, 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.
Hetty
August 21, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Hettie”, diminutive of “Henrietta“, “Hester“, “Harriet“, “Mehetabel”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Essie, Essy, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Halle, Hallie, Hattie, Hatty, Hen, Hennie, Henny, Het, Hettie, Yetta, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Hetty Bates, a silly, chatty, good-hearted woman who is always delighted to talk about anything, particularly her beloved niece, Jane Fairfax, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Aunt Hetty Walker, who used to frighten young John and Bill with “witch stories” when she’d come to help Ellen with work on the farm, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Hetty Burlingame Beatty (1907-1971), American children’s book author, illustrator, and sculptor.
– Hetty Tayler (1869-1951), pen name of British author and historian Helen Tayler, who also published as “Henrietta Tayler”, and often published jointly with her brother, Alexander.
– Hetty Verolme (b. 1930), Belgian-Australian author and educator.
– Hetty Wright (1697-1750), pen name of English poet Mehetabel Wesley Wright, who was also known as “Kitty Wright”.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 