Nikos
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A shortened version of the Greek “Nikolaos”, meaning “victory of the people”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cai, Caj, Claes, Claus, Col, Colas, Cole, Colet, Colin, Collin, Kai, Kaj, Kay, Klaas, Klaes, Klas, Klaus, Kolya, Miklos, Mikolas, Miksa, Mykola, Neacel, Nels, Nic, Niccolo, Nichol, Nicholas, Nichols, Nick, Nickie, Nickolas, Nicky, Nico, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolas, Nicolaas, Nicolaos, Nicolau, Nicolaus, Nicolo, Nicos, Niek, Niels, Nigul, Nik, Nika, Nikko, Niklas, Niklaus, Niko, Nikola, Nikolai, Nikolaj, Nikolajs, Nikolaos, Nikolas, Nikolaus, Nikolay, Nikoloz, Niksa, Nikusha, Nils, Nixon, Nykko, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nikos, the great wizard who tried his best to teach Schmendrick everything he knew, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985), Greek painter and poet.
– Nikos Gatsos (1911-1992), Greek lyricist, poet, and translator.
– Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (1906-1994), Greek academic, artist, and writer.
– Nikos Karouzos (1926-1990), Greek poet.
– Nikos Kavvadias (1910-1975), Greek poet and writer.
– Nikos Nicolaides (1884-1956), Greek painter and writer.
– Nikos Nikolaidis (1939-2007), Greek director, producer, and writer.
– Nikos Tsiforos (1916-1970), Greek director and screenwriter.
Schmendrick
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “fat person”, or Yiddish, meaning “stupid person”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Not sure that there are any.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Schmendrick, the aspiring magician who accompanies the unicorn on her quest to find the rest of her people, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
Rukh
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Probably Persian, meaning “face”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
I, um, don’t know.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rukh, Mommy Fortuna’s henchman and guide at her Midnight Carnival, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
Fortuna
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Latin, meaning “fortunate” or “lucky”, after the Roman goddess of Fortune (obviously).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fortune? Maybe Lucky, in a roundabout sort of way?
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mommy Fortuna, the witch who captures the unicorn for her Midnight Carnival, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
Alison
October 4, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Medieval French diminutive of “Aalis” (“Alice“).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ali, Alli, Allie, Allison, Alyson, Ally, Allyson, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Alison de Lindsay, Sir Peter and Lady Constance’s daughter, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Princess Alison Jocelyn, the damsel in distress who needs a hero, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Alison Baker (b. 1953), American short story writer.
– Alison Cockburn (1712-1794), Scottish poet, socialite, and wit (also known as Alison Rutherford or Alicia Cockburn).
– Alison Brackenbury (b. 1953), English poet.
– Alison Des Forges (1942-2009), American activist and historian.
– Alison Fell (b. 1944), Scottish novelist and poet.
– Alison Lester (b. 1952), Australian author and illustrator.
– Alison Lurie (b. 1926), American academic and novelist.
– Alison Plowden (1931-2007), English biographer and historian.
– Alison Uttley (1884-1976), English author.
– Alison Weir (b. 1951), English author, biographer, and historian.
Philura
August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Probably from Latin, meaning “linden tree” or “writing tablet”. Or possibly a variation of “Philippa”, “Phillida”, “Philomena”, “Phyllis”, etc., or of “Pilar”. But probably the Latin one.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Philaura, Phileria, Philleria, Phillire, Philora, Philoria, Philyra, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Philura Maple, the aunt who gave Zeena the cherished, ill-fated, red pickle dish for a wedding present, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
Endurance
August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
One of the “virtue” names created by the Puritans, meaning, you know, “endurance”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
I don’t think there are any variations, unless you count all of the other “virtue” names (“Faith”, “Hope”, “Charity”, “Patience”, etc.). As for nicknames . . . whatever. You do what you want.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Endurance Frome, Ethan’s mother, whose death left him lonesome enough to turn to his cousin Zenobia for comfort, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
Jotham
August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “Jehovah is upright” or “Jehovah is perfect”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Yotam . . . and . . . that’s it, I guess.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jotham Powell, the Frome’s hired man, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
Andrew
August 12, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Andreas”, meaning “man”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aindreas, Aindriu, Ander, Anders, Andi, Andie, Andor, Andre, Andrei, Andres, Andrea, Andreas, Andrius, Andro, Andrus, Andy, Deandre, Drew, Ondre, Ondrei, Ondreas, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother Andrew, one of the monks at St. Mark’s, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Andrew Hale, Ned’s father, a builder who frequently does business with Ethan, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
WRITERS:
– Andrew Clements (b. 1949), American children’s book writer.
– Andrew Davies (b. 1936), English novelist and screenplay writer.
– Andrew Gross (b. 1952), American novelist.
– Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African pastor, teacher, and writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 