Patty
August 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Pattie” or “Paddy”; originally a variant of “Martha” (via “Mattie” / “Matty“), now commonly used as a diminutive of “Patrick” or “Patricia”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matt, Matti, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patsy, Patti, Pattie, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, Trecia, Tresha, Tricia, Trish, Trisha, etc.
For boys: Paddy, Padraic, Padraig, Padrig, Pat, Pate, Patric, Patrice, Patricius, Patrick, Patrik, Patrizio, Patryk, Patsy, Pherick, Rick, Rickie, Ricky, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Patty, maidservant to Mrs. and Miss Bates, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Patty Dunbar, a clever, sensible girl, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and originator of the idea to have a shop and sell doll clothes to raise money for the family, in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Donald
August 14, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Gaelic name “Domhnall”, meaning “world ruler”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Domhnall, Domnall, Domnall, Don, Donal, Donnie, Donny etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Donald McGilvray (called “Donny“), Bella’s “crippled” younger brother, who thinks Katy Bennet might be a fairy, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Donald Murray (1924-2006), American journalist, teacher, and writer.
Larry
August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Laurence” / “Lawrence“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Enzo, Larkin, Larrie, Lars, Lasse, Lassi, Laurance, Lauren, Laurence, Laurent, Laurie, Lauritz, Lawrance, Lawrence, Lawrie, Loren, Lorencio, Lorens, Lorenzo, Lorin, Lorrin, Rance, Rens, Renzo, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Larry, Dr. Archie’s servant at his medical office in Moonstone, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Larry, 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).
– Larry Moore, Lily’s serviceman father, a man she never knows, in Sleeping Arrangements.
– Larry Mulligan, a drunken lout who ruins Bella and Donny McGilvray’s playtime, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Larry Brown (1951-2004), American novelist and writer.
– Larry David (b. 1947), American actor, comedian, and writer.
– Larry Doyle (b. 1958), American novelist, television writer, and producer.
– Larry Gelbart (1928-2009), American writer.
– Larry McMurtry (b. 1936), American essayist, novelist, and screenwriter.
Donny
August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Donald“, from the Gaelic name “Domhnall”, meaning “world ruler”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Domhnall, Domnall, Domnall, Don, Donal, Donald, Donnie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Donny Duval, Diana’s older brother, a Korean war vet who has come home (and shows no sign of leaving), in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Donny (Donald) McGilvray, Bella’s “crippled” younger brother, who thinks Katy Bennet might be a fairy, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
Isabella
August 14, 2014 § 10 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latinate version of “Isabel“, a medieval variant of “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Beileag, Bell, Bella, Belle, Belina, Belinha, Ibbie, Ibby, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Isabel, Isabela, Isabele, Isabell, Isabelle, Isbel, Iseabail, Isebel, Isebela, Isebele, Isebell, Isebella, Isebelle, Ishbel, Isobel, Isobela, Isobele, Isobell, Isobella, Isobelle, Issie, Issy, Izabel, Izabela, Izabele, Izabell, Izabella, Izabelle, Izzie, Izzy, Libbie, Libby, Sabella, Sabelle, Ysabel, Zabel, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isabella Knightley (called “Bella“), the older of John and Isabella’s two daughters, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Isabella Knightley, née Woodhouse, “a pretty, elegant little woman, of gentle, quiet manners”, “a devoted wife, a doting mother”. Emma’s older sister, married to Mr. Knightley’s younger brother John, in Emma.
– Isabella McGilvray (called “Bella“), the daughter of a wash-woman and house-cleaner who lives in the tenement behind Grandpa Bennet’s house, and who Katy befriends, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Isabella Bird (1831-1904), English explorer, naturalist, photographer, and writer.
Katherine
August 14, 2014 § 13 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Katharine“, “Catherine” / “Catharine”, etc., from the Greek for “pure”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Caity, Caren, Carina, Casia, Cat, Catalina, Cate, Catey, Catharine, Catherine, Cathie, Cathleen, Cathrine, Cathryn, Cathy, Catie, Cato, Catrina, Catrine, Catriona, Caty, Catya, Ekaterina, Ina, Jekaterina, Kady, Kaia, Kaisa, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaity, Kaja, Kalena, Karen, Karin, Karina, Kasia, Kat, Kata, Katalin, Kate, Katenka, Katerina, Katey, Katharina, Katharine, Kathi, Kathie, Kathleen, Kathrine, Kathryn, Kathy, Kati, Katie, Katinka, Katja, Katka, Katri, Katrina, Katrine, Katy, Katya, Kay, Kaya, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, Nienke, Nina, Rina, Riona, Tina, Tineke, Trina, Trine, Yekaterina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katherine Bennet (called “Katy“), who is ridiculous because she is wise, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Grandma Katherine Bennet, for whom Katy is named, and in whose memory Grandpa Bennet remains in their little old house in their increasingly-unfashionable neighborhood, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
QUOTATIONS:
– From “Epistle to Earl Harcourt, on his wishing her to spell her name of Catherine with a K“, by an unknown poet (“F—-“), found in A Collection of Poems, Chiefly Manuscript, and from Living Authors (1823), edited by Joanna Baillie: “To Katherines lawfully baptiz’d. / What has not Shakspeare said and sung, / Of our pre-eminence of tongue! / . . . See him the comic muse invoking, / (The merry nymph with laughter choking) / While he exhibits at her shrine / The unhallow’d form of Katherine . . . / So that in Shakspeare’s time ’tis plain, / The Katherines were scolds in grain, / No females louder, fiercer, worse”
WRITERS:
– Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923), English author.
– Katherine Paterson (b. 1932), American author.
– Katherine Anne Porter (1890-1980), American activist, journalist, and writer.
Grace
August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Latin “gratia”, meaning, well, “grace”, this was one of the “virtue” names created and embraced by the Puritans.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gracie, Gracelyn, Gray.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Grace, Jenny’s older sister, also Katy Bennet’s cousin, who does not realize little Katy is not ridiculous, after all, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Grace Howe, Major Wade’s greatest comforter before his capture and execution as a rebel, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Grace Irving, a “fallen woman” Sidney nurses in the hospital, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Grace Johnston, Mrs. “Livery” Johnson’s spoiled daughter, who is set up to be a rival for Thea, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Grace Poole, the hired nurse whose presence at Thornfield mystifies and frightens Jane, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
WRITERS:
– Grace Greenwood (1823-1904), pen name of American activist, journalist, and poet Sara Jane Clark.
– Grace Paley (1922-2007), American activist, poet, teacher, and writer.
Katy
August 14, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Like “Kate“, 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, Katie, Katka, Katri, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katy (Katherine) Bennet, who is ridiculous because she is wise, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Katy Mears, Molly’s best friend, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Katy Malony, the Irish chambermaid who works for Aunt Cathy, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
WRITERS:
– Katy Butler (b. 1949), American journalist and author.
Patrick
August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Patricius”, meaning “of noble birth”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Paddy, Padraic, Padraig, Padrig, Pat, Pate, Patric, Patrice, Patricius, Patrik, Patrizio, Patryk, Patsy, Patty, Pherick, Rick, Rickie, Ricky, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Patrick, one of the servants in the Lorton household, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
WRITERS:
– Patrick Carman (b. 1966), American writer.
– Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962), English novelist and playwright.
– Patrick F. McManus (b. 1933), American humorist and writer.
– Patrick O. McGuire (1926-2002), pen name of English crime fiction author and screenwriter James Mitchell, who also wrote under the pen name “James Munro”.
– Patrick Robinson (b. 1940), English novelist and columnist.
– Patrick Taylor (b. 1941), Irish novelist.
– Patrick White (1912-1990), Anglo-Australian novelist.
Mark
August 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Variant of “Marcus“, from a Roman last name derived from Mars, the god of war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Marc, Marcas, Marco, Marcos, Marcus, Marek, Markie, Marko, Markos, Markus, Marky, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mark Burney, Prescott Burney’s father, an investor in the Good Luck silver mines, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Mark Tourin, Marty’s older brother, who aspires to be just like Howard Cosell, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Mark O’Brien (1949-1999), American activist, journalist, and poet.
– Mark Rutherford (1831-1913), pen name of English civil servant, translator, and writer William Hale White.
– Mark Twain (1835-1910), pen name of American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
– Mark Van Doren (1894-1972), American poet, writer, and critic.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 