DIMINUTIVE | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Bella

August 10, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Belle“, a diminutive of “Belinda”, “Beulah”, etc., or names ending in “-ella” (such as “Isabella”, “Annabella”, “Arabella“, etc.), or names ending in “-belle” (such as “Maybelle”, “Dorabelle”, etc.) Possibly from Italian, meaning “beautiful”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Arabel, Arabella, Arabelle, Amabel, Amabella, Amabelle, Anabel, Anabella, Anabelle, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Bell, Belle, Belina, Belinda, Belinha, Beulah, Elizabeth, Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle, Izabel, Izabella, Izabelle, Sabella, Sabelle, Zabel, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bella, little Rosamond Carey’s favorite doll, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Cousin Bella, who introduces Susy to the concept of Fate, without being clear on how much our actions may influence it, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Bella (Isabella) Knightley, the older of John and Isabella’s two daughters, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Bella (Isabella) McGilvray, the daughter of a wash-woman and house-cleaner who lives in the tenement behind Grandpa Bennet’s house, and who Katy befriends, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.

Cis

August 10, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Cecily” / “Cicely“, “Cecelia”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cecile, Cecille, Cece, Cecelia, Cecelie, Cecilia, Cecilie, Cecily, Celia, Cili, Cilla, Cille, Cissie, Cissy, Sheila, Silla, Sille, Sissie, Sissy, Zilla, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cousin Cis (Cecily) Carey, a somewhat frivolous and impatient young lady, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Roxy

August 10, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Roxana” or “Roxane” / “Roxanne”, meaning “bright” or “dawn”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rockie, Rocky, Roksana, Rosana, Roshanak, Rossana, Roxana, Roxane, Roxanne, Roxie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Roxy, the maid at the Carey house in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Rosy

August 10, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Rosey” / “Rosie“; diminutive of “Rose“, “Rosa“, names beginning with “Ros-“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rohese, Rohesia, Ros, Rosa, Rosabel, Rosaleen, Rosalie, Rosalind, Rosaline, Rosamond, Rosamonde, Rosamund, Rosanne, Rose, Roselin, Roselind, Rosella, Roselle, Rosemond, Rosemund, Rosetta, Rosette, Rosey, Rosie, Rosina, Rosine, Rosita, Roslyn, Royse, Roz, Roza, Rozelle, Rozie, Rozy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rosy (Rosamond) Carey, the “Button-Rose” who brings peace and joy to the lives of several cranky adults, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Mamie

August 10, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Mary” / “Marie” / “Maria“, “May“, or “Margaret“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mae, Madge, Maggie, Maggy, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Marge, Margie, Margy, Mariella, Marietta, Marji, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Meggie, Meggy, Mia, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Moll, Mollie, Molly, etc. etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mamie Parsons, Rosamond Carey’s best friend, with whom she sometimes quarrels, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Mamie (Mary) Dickens (1838-1896), English editor and writer.

Henny

August 10, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Henrietta” / “Henriette”, or, as a nickname for “Henry“, “Hendrik”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Enrica, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, Hattie, Hatty, Hen, Hennie, Henny, Henriette, Henrika, Henrike, Het, Hettie, Hetty, Yetta, etc.
For boys: Amerigo, Amery, Arrigo, Emmerich, Emery, Emory, Enrico, Enrique, Enzo, Hal, Hank, Harald, Harold, Harri, Harry, Heinrich, Heinz, Hennie, Henri, Hendrik, Hendry, Henrik, Henry, Henryk, Herrold, Herry, Imre, Imrich, Imrus, Ric, Rico, Rik, Rikki, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cousin Henny (Henrietta) Carey, a plump old lady rather inclined to hold grudges, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Penny

August 10, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Penelope“, meaning “weaver”. Could also simply refer to the small coin. Although, if you think about it, it’s a little odd to name someone after money. But, I suppose, people do, nevertheless . . .

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Pen, Pene, Penelope, Penney, Pennie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cousin Penny (Penelope) Carey, a quiet old lady who loves children, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Penny Jordan (1946-2011), pen name of English romance author Penelope Halsall, who also published under the pen names “Annie Groves”, “Caroline Courtney”, “Lydia Hitchcock”, and “Melinda Wright”.

Jenny

August 7, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Jane” or “Jennifer”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jan, Jane, Janey, Janie, Jayna, Jaynie, Jen, Jena, Jeni, Jenn, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jinny, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jenny, a maidservant in Merchant Lyte’s household, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Jenny, the “little Spanish horse” who carries Robin to St. Mark’s, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Jenny, Katy Bennet’s alert, quick-minded cousin, who realizes that little Katy is not ridiculous, after all, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Jenny (Jane) Bassett, the quiet, hard-working young lady who makes the most of her trip to Europe, and reaps the benefits, in “Poppies and Wheat”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Jenny Carver, one of the guests the Lambert children invite for dinner, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Jenny Elizabeth Creighton (b. 1847), Jethro’s pretty sister, clever and strong-willed, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Jenny Smiley, Thea’s best student in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

QUOTATIONS:
– “Jenny Kiss’d Me” is a short, charming poem written by Leigh Hunt in 1838: “Jenny kiss’d me when we met, / Jumping from the chair she sat in; / Time, you thief, who love to get / Sweets into your list, put that in! / Say I’m weary, say I’m sad, / Say that health and wealth have missed me, / Say I’m growing old, but add, / Jenny kiss’d me.”

Millie

August 7, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Milly“, a diminutive of “Mildred”, “Millicent“, “Emilie” / “Emily“, “Camille”, “Amelia“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mila, Mili, Milla, Milli, Milly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Millie, the little girl Ruth Bowen heroically saves in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Floss

August 7, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Flossie” / “Flossy”, diminutive of “Florence“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Flo, Floella, Flora, Floris, Florrie, Florry, Flossie, Flossy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Floss (Florence) Ellery, a rather snobbish and conceited young lady in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

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