Jeannette
August 16, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Jean” / “Jeanne” or “Joan“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Genette, Jana, Janina, Janine, Janna, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeannine, Nettie, Netty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mademoselle Jeannette is what Adèle Varens sometimes calls her governess, Jane, since she can’t pronounce “Eyre” very well, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Jeannette, one of the French servants in the Lamonte household in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Syl
August 16, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Sylvia“, “Sylvie“, etc. meaning “of the forest”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Silva, Silvia, Silvie, Silviya, Silvy, Sylva, Sylvi, Sylvia, Sylvie, Sylwia, Szilvia, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Little Syl (Sylvie) Lamonte, the “little dryad that had slipped from some rose-tree’s bark” who Doctor Tom cures, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Sylvie
August 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
French version of “Silvia” / “Sylvia“, feminine form of the Latin name “Silvius”, meaning “of the forest”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Silva, Silvia, Silvie, Silviya, Silvy, Syl, Sylva, Sylvi, Sylvia, Sylwia, Szilvia, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sylvie Lamonte (called “Sylvia” or “Syl“), the “little dryad that had slipped from some rose-tree’s bark” who Doctor Tom cures, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Em
August 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Emma“, “Emmy“, “Emily“, and other names beginning with “Em-“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Amie, Amy, Ema, Emma, Emme, Emmalyn, Emelina, Emeline, Emmaline, Emmeline, Emmie, Emmy, Ima, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Em Mayo, poor little Jessie Mayo’s little sister, one of the girls Doctor Tom tells the story of Sylvie to, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Bess
August 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Bessie” / “Bessy“, a diminutive of “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bessie, Bessy, Betje, Bette, Betsy, Bettie, Bettina, Betty, Bettye, Buffy, Let, Lettie, Letty, Pet, Pettie, Tess, Tessie, Tessy, Tetty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bess (Bessie), Laura’s sister, the “Bright-Eyes” Ted tells his rag-bag story to, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881-1954), American author.
Bessie
August 15, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Bessy“, a diminutive of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bess, Bessy, Betje, Bette, Betsy, Bettie, Bettina, Betty, Bettye, Buffy, Let, Lettie, Letty, Pet, Pettie, Tess, Tessie, Tessy, Tetty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bessie (sometimes called “Bess“), Laura’s sister, the “Bright-Eyes” Ted tells his rag-bag story to, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Bessie Lee (Leaven, after her marriage), the kind-hearted though quick-tempered nursemaid who looks after Jane and her cousins, the Reeds, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
WRITERS:
– Bessie Head (1937-1986), South African author.
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.
Tommy
August 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Like “Tom“, a diminutive of “Thomas“, the Greek form of the Aramaic for “twin”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Tam, Thom, Tom, Toma, Tomas, Tommie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tommy Harrison, Carlotta’s touring minstrel father, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Tommy Lambert, whose generous choice inspires Elsie, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Tommy O’Flaherty, a denizen of Pump Court, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Cathy
August 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Catherine” / “Katherine“, and alternately spelled “Cathie” / “Kathie” / “Kathy”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Cat, Cate, Catey, Cathi, Cathie, Catie, Cato, Caty, Catya, Kady, Kaia, Kaity, Kaja, Kat, Kata, Katey, Kathi, Kathie, Kathy, Katie, Katka, Katri, Katy, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aunt Cathy, who is left in charge of Susy and her brothers after their mother’s death, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Cathy Kelly (b. 1966), Irish journalist and author.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 