Lotty
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Lottie” or “Lotte”; diminutive of “Charlotte“, “Liselotte”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Let, Lette, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lotty Kennedy, a poverty-stricken little girl Ida Standish befriends in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Lotty Riker, a mean-spirited parcel-girl in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Johnny
August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “John” or “Jonathan“. Obviously.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eoin, Evan, Gianni, Giannino, Hans, Ian, Ivan, Janek, Jani, Janne, Jannick, Jean, Jens, Jo, Johannes, John, Johnnie, Jon, Jonas, Joni, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Jono, Vanya, Yan, Yannick, Yvon, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Johnny, a little blind boy at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Johnny Lambert, one of the children who delight in offering hospitality to those in need on the holiday, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Johnny Rosenfeld (sometimes called “Jack“), a florist’s delivery boy who lives down the alley near the Page’s house, and who works his way up to the position of chauffeur for Palmer and Christine Howe, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Spanish Johnny (Juan Tellamantez), a talented guitar player, one of the Mexican workmen who befriend Thea in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Johnny (Jonathan) Tremain, the gifted and proud teenaged hero of Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Johnny Byrne (1935-2008), English writer and script editor.
– Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), American songwriter and lyricist.
Norah
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Nora”; Irish diminutive of “Honora” or “Eleanor“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eleanor, Elinor, Honor, Honora, Honoria, Honorata, Honour, Lenora, Lenore, Leonora, Nonie, Nora, Noreen, Norene, Noor, Norina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Norah, a little girl at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
WRITERS:
– Norah Lofts (1904-1983), English author.
Nathan
August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “gift”. Sometimes used as a shortened form of “Nathaniel” or even “Jonathan“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Nat, Natan, Natanael, Natanaele, Natanail, Nataniel, Nate, Nathanael, Nathanahel, Nathaniel, Nath, Nathe, Natty, Nethanel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nathan Baxter, the carpenter Almira Miller hopes to marry, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Nathan Hale Creighton (called “Nate“; 1848-1852), one of the three young Creighton boys who died of “paralysis” the year Jethro was born, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
Eva
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Ava”, the Latin form of “Eve”, from Hebrew, meaning “breath” or “life”. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Evangeline”, “Evelyn”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ava, Chava, Chavah, Eabha, Efa, Eve, Eveline, Evelyn, Evie, Evita, Evvie, Evvy, Hava, Havva, Hawa, Yeva, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Eva, a young guest of Mrs. Warburton’s, rather inclined to be helpful, in “Pansies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Eva Nelson, a kind, thoughtful girl, who wants to do good in the world but doesn’t know how, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Eva Randal, an older girl who Anna Winslow emulates by reading to the working-class girls at the Union in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls.
WRITERS:
– Eva Ibbotson (1925-2010), English novelist.
Ria
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Maria“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maia, Maja, Mia, Miep, Mies, Mitzi, Mya, Reena, Reeta, Rina, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickname of Maria Porter, a shopgirl Anna Winslow helps in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
Lizzie
August 6, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Lizzy“; diminutive of “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Elise, Elissa, Eliza, Ella, Elle, Ellie, Elsa, Else, Elsie, Elsje, Elyse, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Let, Lettie, Letty, Liana, Libby, Liddy, Lies, Liesl, Liese, Lillie, Lilly, Lily, Lis, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizy, Lizzy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizzie (Elizabeth) Alden, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Lizzie Macdonald, a friendly and loyal saleswoman in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Lizzie (Eliza) Ridd, John’s small, strange, and spiteful book-loving youngest sister, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Maggie
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Margaret“, from Greek via Latin, meaning “pearl”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maarit, Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Maggi, Maggy, Mamie, Maret, Margaux, Marge, Margie, Margit, Margo, Margot, Margy, Marji, May, Meg, Megeen, Megan, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Midge, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Maggie, a maidservant in the Hurstwood household in Chicago, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Maggie Bradford, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Maggie Evans, a local Moonstone girl, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Maggie Rosenfeld, Johnny’s mother, who works as a washerwoman for the ladies who live on the Street, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Maggie Schwitter, Mr. Schwitter’s insane wife, whose continued existence bars her husband and Tillie from being able to wed and find happiness in each other, in K.
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.”
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 