Millicent
October 3, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Germanic “Amalasuintha”, meaning “work-strength”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Melicent, Melisent, Melisande, Melisende, Mila, Mili, Milla, Milli, Millie, Milly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Millicent, Brother Luke’s cat in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
WRITERS:
– Millicent Armstrong (1888-1973), Australian playwright and farmer.
– Millicent Garrett Fawcett (1947-1929), English novelist and writer.
– M. (Millicent) Travis Lane (b. 1934), Canadian poet.
– Millicent Mackenzie (1863-1942), English educator and writer.
– Millicent Murby (1873-1951), English activist and author.
– Millicent Selsam (1912-1996), American children’s book writer.
Honour
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “honor” (and also alternately spelled “Honor”), this is one of the “virtue” names created and embraced by the Puritans.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Honor, Honora, Honoria, Honorata, Nora, Norah, Noreen, Norene, Norina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Honour Jose, the Badcock’s maid, who is able to hide from the Doone’s during the raid on the farmhouse, and consequently testify to their cruelty in murdering the Badcock’s child, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Margery
September 16, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Marjorie” / “Marjory“, a medieval English version of “Margaret“, influenced by the name of the herb “marjoram”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Margaret, Margareta, Margaretha, Margarethe, Margarita, Margaux, Marge, Margie, Margit, Margy, Margo, Margot, Marguerite, Marji, Marjorie, Marjory, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Megan, Megeen, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Meta, Metta, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mysie, Jorey, Jori, Jorie, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, Reeta, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Margery Badcock, the innocent farmer Christopher Badcock’s wife, whose young child is murdered while she is carried off by the Doones, the final outrage which causes the locals to rise up against this scourge in their midst, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Margery Allingham (1904-1966), English mystery writer.
– Margery Fish (1892-1969), English gardener and writer.
– Margery Kempe (c. 1373-after 1438), English mystic and autobiographer.
– Margery Lawrence (1889-1969), English author.
– Margery Sharpe (1905-1991), English writer.
– Margery Williams (1881-1944), Anglo-American author.
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).
Benita
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Spanish feminine version of “Benito”, a variation of “Benedict”, meaning “blessed”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Benedetta, Benedicta, Bénédicte, Benedikta, Benedita, Bengta, Benoite, Bente, Bettina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benita Odam (called “Nita“), 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).
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).
Sabina
September 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “a Sabine woman”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sabien, Sabine, Savina, Szabina.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– “Aunt” Sabina, the woman who raised Lorna, although the coarseness and violence of living among the Doones broke her heart, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Maple
September 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the maple tree, probably. Or perhaps a variant of “Mabel” / “Mable”. But probably just the tree.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Um . . . Mapie? No, on second thought, please don’t call anyone, real or imagined, “Mapie”. That’s awful.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Maple Durham, the real name of local “wise woman” (read: witch) Mother Melldrum, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Faith
September 13, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
One of the “virtue” names created by the Puritans, meaning, well, “faith”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fae, Faithe, Faithie, Fay, Faye, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Faith Snowe, one of Farmer Nicholas’ three lively, comely daughters, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Faith Baldwin (1893-1978), American author.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 