Ensie
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ensor“, “Ennis”, “Enos”, “Enoch”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eni, Eny, Enni, Ennie, Enny, Ensi, Ensy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ensie (Ensor) Doone (later re-named Jones), Carver’s young son, who adores and is adopted by John Ridd following the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Ikey
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Isaac” or “Ichabod”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iikka, Iiro, Ike, Ikie, Ikka, Isa, Isak, Iza, Sahak, Sekel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ikey (Ike), an old yeoman who joins in the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Ike
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Isaac” or “Ichabod”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iikka, Iiro, Ikey, Ikie, Ikka, Isa, Isak, Iza, Sahak, Sekel, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ike (sometimes called “Ikey“), an old yeoman who joins in the assault on the Doone stronghold, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
QUOTATIONS:
– “Sweet Betsy from Pike” is an American ballad, written in the 1850s: “Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike / Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike?”
Nita
September 16, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Anita”, “Benita“, “Juanita”, other names ending in “-nita”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Anika, Juana, Neeta, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nita (Benita) Odam, the Italian nursemaid John Ridd meets in an innyard, who is stranded in Exmoor by the Doone’s attack on her employer’s coach, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Charlie
September 15, 2014 § 7 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Charley“, a diminutive or feminine form of “Charles“, meaning “man”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Carla, Carlotta, Carola, Carolina, Caroline, Charlize, Charlotta, Karla, Karola, Karolina, Let, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Lotty, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
For boys: Carl, Carlos, Carroll, Charles, Charley, Chas, Chaz, Chick, Chip, Chuck, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charlie (Charleworth) Doone, who tries to compete with Carver for Lorna’s hand, though she despises them both for their violence and cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Charlie (Charles) Drouet, the traveling salesman who first offers Carrie a way out of her poverty, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
Jerry
September 14, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Gerald”, “Jeremiah“, “Jeremy“, “Jerome”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gerrie, Gerry, Jarmo, Jer, Jere, Jeri, Jeroen, Jerold, Jerri, Jerrie, Jorma, Reme, Remy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickname for Jeremy Stickles (sometimes called “Jeremiah” as well), the Court Messenger who, after being sent to bring John Ridd back to London, befriends the Ridd family and aids in the fight against the Doones, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Si
September 13, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Silas“, “Simon“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sie, Siem, Sim, Sy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Si (Simon) Carfax, Gwenny’s father, a Cornish miner lured into Essex to work Reuben Huckabuck’s secret mine, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Gwenny
September 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Variation of “Gwen”, or diminutive of “Gwendoline” / “Gwendolyn”, “Guenivere”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gwen, Gwennie, Gwin, Gwinne, Gwinnie, Gwinny, Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne, Gwynnie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gwenny Carfax, Lorna’s stout-figured and stout-hearted Cornish servant and friend, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Jem
September 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
An English medieval diminutive of “James“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jae, Jaime, Jamie, Jamey, Jay, Jemmy, Jim, Jimi, Jimmie, Jimmy, Jimsy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Red Jem Hannaford, a sheep thief, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Jem Slocombe, a laborer on John Ridd’s farm, in Lorna Doone.
Nanny
September 12, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Medieval diminutive of “Annis”, or of “Ann” / “Anne” (via “Nan”).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ann, Anne, Annie, Anny, Nainsi, Nan, Nancie, Nancy, Nana, Nance, Nandag, Nanette, Nanice, Nanine, Nannie, Nanse, Nansi, Nansie, Nansy, Nenci, Nensi, Neske, Nest, Nesta, Nina, Ninette, Ninon, Nona, Nonna, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nanny (Annie) Ridd (sometimes called “Nancy“), John’s favorite sister, a sweet little homemaker, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 