Selina
August 21, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Selena”, a variation of “Selene”, the name of a Greek moon goddess.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Celena, Celene, Celina, Celine, Lena, Lina, Selena, Selene, Seline, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Selina Hawkins, Augusta’s older sister, whose marriage to the wealthy Mr. Suckling, owner of the Maple Grove estate, seems to be the family’s only claim to fame, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
Augusta
August 21, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Augustus”, meaning “majestic” or “venerable”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gus, Gussie, Gussy, Gusta.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Augusta Brocklehurst, the second daughter of the formidable and hypocritical supervisor of Lowood Institute, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Augusta Hawkins, the vain and self-important younger daughter of a Bristol merchant, who Mr. Elton selects for his wife after being disappointed in his first choice, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
WRITERS:
– Augusta, Lady Gregory (1852-1932), Irish dramatist, folklorist, and theatre manager.
Hetty
August 21, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Hettie”, diminutive of “Henrietta“, “Hester“, “Harriet“, “Mehetabel”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Essie, Essy, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Halle, Hallie, Hattie, Hatty, Hen, Hennie, Henny, Het, Hettie, Yetta, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Hetty Bates, a silly, chatty, good-hearted woman who is always delighted to talk about anything, particularly her beloved niece, Jane Fairfax, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Aunt Hetty Walker, who used to frighten young John and Bill with “witch stories” when she’d come to help Ellen with work on the farm, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Hetty Burlingame Beatty (1907-1971), American children’s book author, illustrator, and sculptor.
– Hetty Tayler (1869-1951), pen name of British author and historian Helen Tayler, who also published as “Henrietta Tayler”, and often published jointly with her brother, Alexander.
– Hetty Verolme (b. 1930), Belgian-Australian author and educator.
– Hetty Wright (1697-1750), pen name of English poet Mehetabel Wesley Wright, who was also known as “Kitty Wright”.
Mimi
August 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Maria“, “Miriam”, “Jemima“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mae, Madge, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Maria, Marie, Mariele, Mariella, Marietta, May, Mayme, Maymie, Mia, Midge, Mim, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mirele, Moll, Mollie, Molly, etc. etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mimi, the Austrian kitchen maid at Mrs. Page’s boarding-house, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Carlotta
August 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Italian version of “Charlotte“, a feminine form of “Charles“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carla, Carlota, Carola, Carole, Carolina, Caroline, Charla, Charlene, Charline, Charlize, Charlotta, Charlotte, Karla, Karola, Karolina, Let, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Lotty, Séarlait, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Carlotta Harrison, a nurse at Dr. Max’s hospital, with the kind of jealous and vengeful personality that destroys lives, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Katie
August 18, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Katy“, etc., a diminutive of “Catherine” / “Katherine“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Cat, Cate, Catey, Cathi, Cathy, Catie, Cato, Caty, Catya, Kady, Kaia, Kaity, Kaja, Kat, Kata, Kate, Katey, Kathi, Kathie, Kathy, Katka, Katri, Katy, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katie, housemaid at Mrs. Page’s boarding-house, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Katie Stewart (1934-2013), English cooking writer and columnist.
Tillie
August 18, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Tilly“, diminutive of “Matilda“, meaning “strength in battle” or “mighty battle-maid”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Malta, Mathilda, Mathilde, Matilda, Matilde, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Tilda, Tilde, Tilly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tillie, Mrs. Rosenfeld’s niece who works in the dining room at Mrs. McKee’s boarding-house, and who is courted by the already-married Mr. Schwitter, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Tillie Kronborg, Thea’s eccentric aunt and biggest fan, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Tillie Olsen (1912-2011), American activist and writer.
Christine
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Variation of “Christina”, from “Christiana”, the feminine form of “Christian”, meaning, you know, “a Christian”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chris, Chrissie, Chrissy, Christa, Christel, Christelle, Christen, Christi, Christiana, Christiane, Christie, Christin, Christina, Christy, Cris, Crissi, Crissie, Crissy, Crista, Cristen, Cristi, Cristiana, Cristiane, Cristie, Cristin, Cristina, Cristine, Cristy, Crys, Cryssi, Cryssie, Cryssy, Crysta, Crysten, Crysti, Crystie, Crystin, Crystina, Crystine, Crysty, Ina, Kia, Kiki, Kilikina, Kirsi, Kirsteen, Kirsten, Kirsti, Kirstie, Kirstin, Kirstine, Kirsty, Kjersti, Kris, Krissi, Krissie, Krissy, Krista, Kristen, Kristi, Kristiana, Kristiane, Kristie, Kristin, Kristina, Kristine, Kristjana, Kristy, Kristyna, Krisztina, Krysia, Krystiana, Krysten, Krystina, Krystine, Krysty, Krystyna, Krystyne, Stina, Teena, Tina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christine Lorenz, Sidney’s friend, who chooses to become a “bird in a gilded cage” and lives to regret it, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Christine Angot (b. 1959), French writer, novelist, and playwright.
– Christine Arnothy (b. 1930), French writer.
– Christine Brooke-Rose (1923-2012), English writer and critic.
– Christine de Pisan (1364-c.1430), French author and poet.
– Christine Marion Fraser (1938-2002), Scottish author.
– Christine Harris (b. 1955), Australian author.
– Christine Nöstlinger (b. 1936), Austrian writer.
Sid
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Sidney“, meaning “wide island”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cyd, Cydne, Cydnie, Cydney, Sid, Sidelle, Sidonia, Sidonie, Sidne, Sidnie, Syd, Sydelle, Sydne, Sydney, Sydnie, Sydonia, Sydonie, etc.
For boys: Sid, Syd, Sydney, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sid (Sidney) Page, a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Sid Chaplin (1916-1986), English writer.
– Sid Fleischman (1920-2010), American writer.
– Sid Smith (b. 1949), English novelist and journalist.
Sidney
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From an English place name, meaning “wide island”. Possibly an elision of the name of the French town, Saint Denis. But probably not.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cyd, Cydne, Cydnie, Cydney, Sid, Sidelle, Sidonia, Sidonie, Sidne, Sidnie, Syd, Sydelle, Sydne, Sydney, Sydnie, Sydonia, Sydonie, etc.
For boys: Sid, Syd, Sydney, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sidney Page (called “Sid“), a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Sidney Lanier (1842-1881), American author, musician, and poet.
– Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007), American writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 