A Flock of Girls and Boys | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Jenny

August 7, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Jane” or “Jennifer”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jan, Jane, Janey, Janie, Jayna, Jaynie, Jen, Jena, Jeni, Jenn, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jinny, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jenny, a maidservant in Merchant Lyte’s household, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Jenny, the “little Spanish horse” who carries Robin to St. Mark’s, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Jenny, Katy Bennet’s alert, quick-minded cousin, who realizes that little Katy is not ridiculous, after all, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Jenny (Jane) Bassett, the quiet, hard-working young lady who makes the most of her trip to Europe, and reaps the benefits, in “Poppies and Wheat”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Jenny Carver, one of the guests the Lambert children invite for dinner, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Jenny Elizabeth Creighton (b. 1847), Jethro’s pretty sister, clever and strong-willed, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Jenny Smiley, Thea’s best student in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

QUOTATIONS:
– “Jenny Kiss’d Me” is a short, charming poem written by Leigh Hunt in 1838: “Jenny kiss’d me when we met, / Jumping from the chair she sat in; / Time, you thief, who love to get / Sweets into your list, put that in! / Say I’m weary, say I’m sad, / Say that health and wealth have missed me, / Say I’m growing old, but add, / Jenny kiss’d me.”

Alice

August 7, 2014 § 8 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Greek, meaning “truth, or from German via French, meaning “noble”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ada, Adelheid, Adelaide, Adelais, Aileas, Aleece, Aleida, Ali, Alicia, Alida, Alise, Alisha, Alisia, Alison, Alissa, Alix, Aliz, Alli, Allie, Ally, Alyce, Alys, Alyssa, Elicia, Elke, Heidi, Lecia, Lise, Lisa, Lissa, Lyssa, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Alice, a young guest of Mrs. Warburton’s, rather inclined to be bookish, in “Pansies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Alice Bennet, one of Katy’s older sisters, who comes down with the measles, forcing Katy to go and stay with their grandfather, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Alice Fairfax, housekeeper at Thornfield, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Alice Fleming (called “Ally”), a little orphan girl who can’t seem to find her place in the world, in “Ally”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Alice Frewen, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, youngest of the group of girls next to Cannie and Marian, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Alice King, a girl who could do more good in the world if she were more thoughtful, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Alice Lorton, the sensible oldest sister of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Alice Raymond, the wonderful girl Jim Marlowe hopes to marry, in “The Tragedy of the Unexpected”, from Nora Perry’s The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (published in 1880, but set in the 1870s).
– Alice Turner, Connie’s older sister, who refuses to sleep in a “haunted” room, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.
– Alice Wood, the girl chosen by Miss Oliver to help Jane with her school, in Jane Eyre.

WRITERS:
See here for a starter list of writers named “Alice”.

QUOTATIONS:
– From “The Children’s Hour” (1859), by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “From my study I see in the lamplight, / Descending the broad hall stair, / Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair.”

Fan

August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Fannie” / “Fanny“, diminutive of “Frances“, “Francisca”, “Stefania”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chica, Cissie, Cissy, Fannie, Fanny, Fran, Franca, Franci, Francie, Francka, Franka, Frankie, Franky, Frannie, Franny, Franzi, Paca, Paquita, Sissie, Sissy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Fan (Fanny) Fletcher, a friend of Jessie Delano who needs dancing lessons, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Fan (Frances) Wentworth, Will’s conceited, snobbish cousin in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

Maud

August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Maude“, diminutive of “Matilda“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Malta, Mat, Mathilda, Matilda, Mattie, Matty, Maude, Maudie, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Maud, Robin’s mother, who must go away to serve as lady-in-waiting to the Queen, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Maud Aplin, a snobbish, bragging girl from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Maud Fletcher, Fanny Fletcher’s younger sister and a pupil at the dancing school where Jessie Delano works, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Maud Fleming, Ally’s cousin, who is perhaps too quick to agree, in “Ally”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Maud Hallett, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Maud Lorton (called “Maudie” when her youngest sister wants something from her), the soft-hearted middle sister of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Maud Hart Lovelace (1892-1980), American author.

QUOTATIONS:
– From the poem “Maud“, written in 1855 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson: “Come into the garden, Maud, / For the black bat, Night, has flown, / Come into the garden, Maud, / I am here at the gate alone”
– “Maud Muller” is a poem written by John Greenleaf Whitter in 1856, which explores the theme of “what might have been!”, begins: “Maud Muller, on a summer’s day, / Raked the meadows sweet with hay. / Beneath her torn hat glowed the wealth / Of simple beauty and rustic health.”

Harry

August 6, 2014 § 10 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Harold”, “Harris”, “Henry“, “Harriet“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Enrica, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Halle, Hallie, Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, Hattie, Hatty, Henrietta, Henriette, Het, Hettie, Hetty, Yetta, etc.
For boys: Amerigo, Amery, Arrigo, Emmerich, Emery, Emory, Enrico, Enrique, Enzo, Hal, Hank, Harald, Harold, Harri, Heinrich, Heinz, Hennie, Henny, Henri, Hendrik, Hendry, Henrik, Henry, Henryk, Herrold, Herry, Imre, Imrich, Imrus, Ric, Rico, Rik, Rikki, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Harry, Mr. Knightley’s butler, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Harry, a beau of one of the other shop girls in the Chicago shoe factory where Carrie first finds employment, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Harry, a boy-of-all-work at Fitzgerald and Moy’s, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry, the regular desk clerk at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Harry, the name of more than one of the boys Lily dates, who perhaps not-so-coincidentally often have names which rhyme with her long-absent father, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Harry Burbeck, a fellow Elk who will be performing in blackface for the lodge theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Camden, the consummate gentleman, who seems everything a woman could wish for, in “What Hope Bell Found in Her Stocking”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Harry Dashwood, John’s little boy, for whose benefit Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are entirely overlooked and impoverished, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Harry (Harriet) Dunbar, a confident, stout-hearted girl, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats, in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and who refuses to be bullied by the snobs who come into the shop in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry Elliott, Edith’s brother, who Dolly embarrasses herself in front of, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry McGarren, one of Hurstwood’s friends, the managing editor of the Times, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Quincel, a fellow Elk and friend of Drouet’s, who asks him to find a girl to star in the lodge’s theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Warren, Marion Warren’s brother in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Sir Harry Willing, an officer in His Majesty’s army who admires and courts the lovely Sibyl, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

WRITERS:
– Harry Bates (1900-1981), American editor and writer.
– Harry Brown (1917-1986), American novelist, poet, and screenwriter.
– Harry Harrison (1925-2012), American author.
– Harry Patterson (b. 1929), English author who also published under the pen names “Hugh Marlowe”, “Jack Higgins”, “James Graham”, and “Martin Fallon”.
– Harry Bache (B.) Smith (1860-1936), American composer, lyricist, and writer.
– Harry Whittington (1915-1989), American writer.

QUOTATIONS:
– In “Tom, Dick or Harry“, a song from the 1948 Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter, Bianca and her suitors sing of her eagerness to wed: “I’m a maid who would marry / And would take with no qualm / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Harry, Dick or Tom. / I’m a maid mad to marry / And will take double-quick / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Tom, Harry or Dick!”

Lotty

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Lottie” or “Lotte”; diminutive of “Charlotte“, “Liselotte”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Let, Lette, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lotty Kennedy, a poverty-stricken little girl Ida Standish befriends in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Lotty Riker, a mean-spirited parcel-girl in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

Johnny

August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “John” or “Jonathan“. Obviously.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eoin, Evan, Gianni, Giannino, Hans, Ian, Ivan, Janek, Jani, Janne, Jannick, Jean, Jens, Jo, Johannes, John, Johnnie, Jon, Jonas, Joni, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Jono, Vanya, Yan, Yannick, Yvon, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Johnny, a little blind boy at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Johnny Lambert, one of the children who delight in offering hospitality to those in need on the holiday, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Johnny Rosenfeld (sometimes called “Jack“), a florist’s delivery boy who lives down the alley near the Page’s house, and who works his way up to the position of chauffeur for Palmer and Christine Howe, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Spanish Johnny (Juan Tellamantez), a talented guitar player, one of the Mexican workmen who befriend Thea in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Johnny (Jonathan) Tremain, the gifted and proud teenaged hero of Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).

WRITERS:
– Johnny Byrne (1935-2008), English writer and script editor.
– Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), American songwriter and lyricist.

Jimmy

August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Jim“, etc., a diminutive of “James“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jae, Jaime, Jamie, Jamey, Jay, Jem, Jemmy, Jim, Jimi, Jimmie, Jimsy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jimmy Barrows, a friend of Tom Lloyd’s, who is studying to be an artist, in “The Egg-Boy” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Jimmy Dolan, a little boy at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Jimmy Grant, a little boy whose marble-playing Susy finds distracting, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Nickname given to Jim Lorton, the teasing, critical brother of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.

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.

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