A Garland for Girls | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Nathan

August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “gift”. Sometimes used as a shortened form of “Nathaniel” or even “Jonathan“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Nat, Natan, Natanael, Natanaele, Natanail, Nataniel, Nate, Nathanael, Nathanahel, Nathaniel, Nath, Nathe, Natty, Nethanel, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nathan Baxter, the carpenter Almira Miller hopes to marry, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Nathan Hale Creighton (called “Nate“; 1848-1852), one of the three young Creighton boys who died of “paralysis” the year Jethro was born, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).

Almira

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ORIGIN:
Possibly a Spanish place name, meaning “from Almeira”. Possibly from Arabic, meaning “princess” or “exalted”. Possibly a variant of “Elmira”, either the feminine version of “Elmer” or a shortened version of “Edelmira”, both from the Anglo-Saxon “Adelmar”, meaning “noble” or “famous”.

VARIANTS and NICKNAMES:
Elmira, Edelmira, Mira.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Almira Miller, Ella Carver’s “business partner” and proprietor of a small shop selling homemade items, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps (1793-1884), American educator and author.

Clara

August 6, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate version of “Clare”, from the Latin name “Clarus”, meaning “clear” or “bright”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chiara, Claire, Clare, Claretta, Claribel, Clarice, Clarinda, Clarissa, Clarette, Kiara, Kiera, Klare, Klara, Klarissa, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Clara, the “honest and quiet; but heavy, mindless, and unimpressible” German woman Mr. Rochester took as a mistress following Céline Varens’ betrayal, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Clara, Rosamond Carey’s mother, who sends her to stay with three maiden cousins, in “Little Button-Rose”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Clara Carey, wife of Dr. Carey, David Langston’s dearest friend, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– Clara, Ella Carver’s cousin, for whose baby she buys pretty little things made by Almira Miller, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls.
– Clara Harrington, a girl who unknowingly assisted in the trick on Tilly Drake, in “An April Fool”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Clara Jeffreys (née Partridge), one of Augusta Elton’s friends from Bath that she cites as an example of how married women always give up their pursuit of music, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).

Eva

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Ava”, the Latin form of “Eve”, from Hebrew, meaning “breath” or “life”. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Evangeline”, “Evelyn”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ava, Chava, Chavah, Eabha, Efa, Eve, Eveline, Evelyn, Evie, Evita, Evvie, Evvy, Hava, Havva, Hawa, Yeva, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Eva, a young guest of Mrs. Warburton’s, rather inclined to be helpful, in “Pansies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Eva Nelson, a kind, thoughtful girl, who wants to do good in the world but doesn’t know how, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Eva Randal, an older girl who Anna Winslow emulates by reading to the working-class girls at the Union in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls.

WRITERS:
– Eva Ibbotson (1925-2010), English novelist.

Ria

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Maria“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maia, Maja, Mia, Miep, Mies, Mitzi, Mya, Reena, Reeta, Rina, Rita, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickname of Maria Porter, a shopgirl Anna Winslow helps in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Lizzie

August 6, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Lizzy“; diminutive of “Elizabeth“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Elise, Elissa, Eliza, Ella, Elle, Ellie, Elsa, Else, Elsie, Elsje, Elyse, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Let, Lettie, Letty, Liana, Libby, Liddy, Lies, Liesl, Liese, Lillie, Lilly, Lily, Lis, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizy, Lizzy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizzie (Elizabeth) Alden, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Lizzie Macdonald, a friendly and loyal saleswoman in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Lizzie (Eliza) Ridd, John’s small, strange, and spiteful book-loving youngest sister, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

Maggie

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Margaret“, from Greek via Latin, meaning “pearl”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maarit, Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Maggi, Maggy, Mamie, Maret, Margaux, Marge, Margie, Margit, Margo, Margot, Margy, Marji, May, Meg, Megeen, Megan, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Midge, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Maggie, a maidservant in the Hurstwood household in Chicago, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Maggie Bradford, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Maggie Evans, a local Moonstone girl, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Maggie Rosenfeld, Johnny’s mother, who works as a washerwoman for the ladies who live on the Street, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Maggie Schwitter, Mr. Schwitter’s insane wife, whose continued existence bars her husband and Tillie from being able to wed and find happiness in each other, in K.

Marion

August 6, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
For the masculine version, derived from a French last name. For the feminine version, an alternate spelling of “Marian” or “Marianne“, French diminutive forms of “Marie“. All versions ultimately derived from “Maria“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Mairenn, Mairin, Mairwen, Manon, Manya, Mari, Maria, Mariamne, Marian, Mariana, Marianna, Marianne, Marie, Marielle, Mariette, Mariona, Marise, Marjan, Mary, Marya, Maryana, Maryann, Marzena, Maureen, Maurine, Miren, Mirjana, Mirjane, etc.
For boys: Marian, Marianus, Mariano, Marius, Merrian, Merrion, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marion Warren, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930-1999), American novelist.
– Marion Cunningham (1922-2012), American food writer.
– Marion Rose Harris (b. 1925), Welsh romance author who publishes under the pen name “Rosie Harris”.
– Marion Richardson (1892-1946), English educator and author.

QUOTATIONS:
– “Oh, Marion“, from Paul Simon’s 1980 album, One Trick Pony: “Oh Marion / I think I’m in trouble here / I should’ve believed you / When I heard you saying it / The only time / That love is an easy game / Is when two other people / Are playing it.”

Ella

August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Germanic “Alia”, meaning “all” or “other”. Sometimes used as a nickname for “Eleanor“, “Ellen“, names ending in “-ella” or “-elle”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
El, Elle, Ellie, Elly, Elsa, Elsie, Elsy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ella Carver, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Ella Dunbar (sometimes called “Elly“), a refined girl, somewhat inclined to be priggish, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and reluctant participant in the plan to open a shop to sell doll’s clothes, in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

AUTHORS:
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919), American author and poet.

Anna

August 6, 2014 § 9 Comments

ORIGIN:
From “Hannah” (as used in the Greek and Latin Old Testament), a version of the Hebrew name “Channah”, meaning “favor” or “grace”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ana, Anabel, Anais, Andie, Andy, Aneke, Aneta, Ani, Ania, Anica, Anika, Anissa, Anita, Anitra, Anka, Anke, Ann, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Anne, Anneke, Annetta, Annette, Annick, Annicka, Annie, Annika, Anniken, Annis, Anny, Anouk, Antje, Anushka, Anya, Channah, Hana, Hanna, Hannah, Hanne, Nainsi, Nan, Nancie, Nancy, Nanette, Nannie, Nanny, Nina, Ninon, Ona, Onna, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Anna Kronborg, Thea’s jealous and priggish older sister, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Anna Page, Sidney’s mother, who takes in boarders to help pay the bills after her sister, Harriet, leaves to start a dressmaking business, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Anna Raymond, the girl Dolly Lorton is gossiping about when her friend Sally Ware calls her on it, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Anna Richards, Mary Marcy’s friend and seat-mate, in “An April Fool”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Anna Snezak, co-owner (with her husband, Morris) of AnaMor Towers apartments, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Anna Weston, the baby girl possibly named for her mother, who signs her name “A. Weston” (née Taylor), in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Anna Winslow, president of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966), pen name of Russian poet Anna Andreyevna Gorenko.
– Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743-1825), English critic, editor, essayist, poet, and children’s book writer.
– Anna Maria Bennett (c. 1750-1808), English novelist (sometimes credited as “Agnes Maria Hall”)
– Anna Maria Bunn (1808-1889), Australian author.
– Anna Maria Falconbridge (1769-c. 1816), English writer.
– Anna Katherine Green (1846-1935), American poet and novelist.
– Anna Maria Hall (1800-1881), Irish novelist (sometimes credited as “Mrs. S.C. Hall”)
– Anna Maria Hussey (1805-1853), English scientist, writer, and illustrator.
– Anna Kavan (1901-1968), English novelist, short story writer, and painter.
– Anna Maria Lenngren (1754-1817), Swedish poet, translator, and writer.
– Anna Maria Ortese (1914-1998), Italian poet and short story writer.
– Anna Maria Porter (1780-1832), English poet and novelist.
– Anna Quindlen (b. 1953), American author, columnist, and journalist.
– Anna Maria Rückerschöld (1725-1805), Swedish author.
– Anna Seghers (1900-1983), pen name of German writer Anna Reiling.
– Anna Sewell (1820-1878), English novelist.
– Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678), German-Dutch engraver, painter, poet, and scholar.
– Anna Marie Wilhelmina (A.M.W.) Stirling (1865-1965), English author who published under the pen name “Percival Pickering”.
– Anna Maria Wells (c. 1794-1868), American poet and children’s book writer.
– Anna Wheeler (c. 1780-1848), Irish activist and writer.

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