Sukey
November 23, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of names such as “Susannah”, “Susan“, “Sarah“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sooki, Sookie, Sooky, Su, Sue, Suse, Susey, Susi, Susie, Suki, Sukie, Susy, Suze, Suzey, Suzi, Suzie, Suzy, Zooey, Zooie, Zsazsa, Zsuzsa, Zsuzsi, Zsuzsu, Zu, Zuza, Zuzi, Zuzia, Zuzu, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sukey, a servant girl at Sam Adams’ house in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Sukey Vickery (1799-1821), American novelist and poet.
QUOTATIONS:
– The second verse of the nursery rhyme “Polly Put The Kettle On” (1797), based on the writer’s observation of his young daughters at play, goes: “Sukey, take it [the kettle] off [of the table] again, / They’ve all gone away.”
Jenifer
November 23, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Jennifer”, a variation of the Welsh “Gwynhyfar” / “Guinevere” / “Gwenevere” / etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jen, Jena, Jenae, Jenelle, Jenessa, Jeni, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenny, Jinelle, Jin, Jinessa, Jini, Jinifer, Jinni, Jinnie, Jinny, Yenifer, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jenifer Lorne (née Silsbee), Rab’s aunt, “tiny-footed and too plump”, a kind-hearted woman who is very fond of Johnny, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
Percival
October 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Perceval”, a name created for the poem Perceval, or the Story of the Grail, written in the 12th century by French poet Chrétian de Troyes; possibly influenced by the Old French for “to pierce the valley” or “to perceive the veil (of religious mystery)”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Parsifal, Parzifal, Perce, Perceval, Percevale, Percie, Percy, Percyvelle.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Percival Tweedie, the “eligible bachelor” silversmith who comes to join Lapham as partner after Johnny’s accident, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Percival Everett (b. 1956), American novelist, professor, and short story writer.
– Percival Pickering (1865-1965), pen name of English author Anna Marie Wilhelmina (A.M.W.) Pickering.
– Percival Pollard (1869-1911), American critic, novelist, and short story writer.
– Percival Serle (1871-1951), Australian bibliographer and biographer.
– Percival Spear (1901-1982), English educator, government worker, and historian.
– Percival Stockdale (1736-1811), English poet, reformer, and writer.
– Percival Wilde (1887-1953), American author and playwright.
– Percival Christopher (P.C.) Wren (1875-1941), English author and educator.
Rab
October 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A Scottish variation of “Rob“, short for “Robert“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Brecht, Hob, Hopcyn, Hopkin, Pertti, Rabbie, Rob, Robbe, Robbie, Robby, Robi, Robin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rab Silsbee, the laconic apprentice and nephew to Mr. Lorne, owner of The Observer; a born fighter who becomes Johnny’s best friend and hero in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Rab Noakes (b. 1947), Scottish singer and songwriter.
– Rab Wilson (b. 1960), Scottish poet and translator.
Andy
September 26, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of names like “Andrew“, “Andor“, even “Alexander“, etc. For girls, sometimes a nickname for “Andrea” or even “Ann” / “Anne“, “Anna“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Andi, Andie, Andra, Drea, Ea, etc.
For boys: Andie, Andre, Andro, Andor, Antti, Atte, Bandi, Dand, Dre, Drew, Dru, Drue, Ea, Endre, Tero, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Andy, one of Johnny’s acquaintances, an apprentice at one of the shops on the wharf, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Andy Stack (1931-2015), pen name of American crime author Ann Rule, who also published as “Arthur Stone” and “Chris Hansen”.
Saul
September 21, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew “Sha’ul”, meaning “asked for” or “prayed for”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Saoul, Sauli, Saulius, Shaul, Shuah, Sol, Suah.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Saul, one of Johnny’s acquaintances, an apprentice at one of the shops on the wharf, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Saul Akkemay (b. 1964), Belgian columnist, novelist, and publicist, who publishes under the pen name “Panbello”.
– Saul Alinksy (1909-1972), American activist and writer.
– Saul Ascher (1767-1822), German bookseller, translator, and writer.
– Saul Bellow (1915-2005), American novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– Saul David (b. 1966), Welsh author, broadcaster, historian, and professor.
– Saul Elkins (1907-2001), American director, producer, and screenwriter.
– Saul Friedländer (b. 1932), Israeli historian and professor.
– Saul Friedman (1929-2010), American educator and journalist.
– Saul Landau (1936-2013), American author, commentator, filmmaker, and journalist.
– Saul Alves Martins (1917-2009), Brazilian anthropologist, folklorist, and poet.
– Saul K. Padover (1905-1981), Austrian-American academic and historian.
Vinny
September 17, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of names such as “Vincent” or “Lavinia“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Lavina, Lavinia, Lavena, Viney, Vinie, Vinnie.
For boys: Vin, Vince, Vinn, Vinnie.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Vinny (Lavinia) Lyte, Johnny’s proud and determined mother (and Merchant Lyte’s niece), once the “wildest and handsomest girl in Boston”, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
Lavinia
September 17, 2015 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Unknown; possibly Etruscan; the name of Aeneas’ wife in The Aeneid.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lavina, Lavena, Viney, Vinie, Vinnie, Vinny.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lavinia Lyte (called “Vinny“), Johnny’s proud and determined mother (and Merchant Lyte’s niece), once the “wildest and handsomest girl in Boston”, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Lavinia Lyte, Merchant Lyte’s daughter, a beautiful, spoiled, jaded, rich girl who gets what she wants no matter who suffers by it, in Johnny Tremain.
WRITERS:
– Lavinia R. Davis (1909-1961), American children’s book author and novelist, who also published under the pen name “Wendell Farmer”.
– Lavinia Derwent (1909-1989), pen name of Scottish author and broadcaster Elizabeth Dodd.
– Lavinia Dock (1858-1956), American activist, author, and nurse.
– Lavinia Greenlaw (b. 1962), English novelist and poet.
QUOTATIONS:
– From Titus Andronicus (c. 1594), Act II, scene 1, by William Shakespeare: “She is a woman, therefore may be woo’d; / She is a woman, therefore may be won; / She is Lavinia, therefore must be loved.”
Jehu
September 17, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew (pronounced “JEE-hyoo”), meaning “he is Jehovah”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hieu, Iou, Yehu.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jehu, Mr. Hancock’s page-boy, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Jehu O’Cataract (1793-1876), pen name of American author and critic John Neal.
Izzy
September 12, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
For boys, a shortened version of “Isidor” / “Isidore”, “Israel“, “Isaiah”, “Isaac”, etc. For girls, a shortened version of “Isadora”, “Isannah“, “Isabel” / “Isobel”, “Isabella“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Isa, Issie, Issy, Izzie.
For boys: Is, Isa, Issy, Iz, Izzie.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Izzy (Isannah) Lapham, Mrs. Lapham’s delicate and ethereally-beautiful youngest daughter, precocious, selfish, vain, and a skilled little actress, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 