By Any Other Name: Writers Named Laura
May 31, 2015 § 1 Comment
There are many, many writers named “Laura“, with a seeming preponderance of novelists. Here is a starter for you:
WRITERS:
– Laura Albert (b. 1965), American author who also published under the pen names “Emily Frasier”, “Gluttenberg”, “JT LeRoy”, “Laura Victoria”, and “Speedy”.
– Laura Adams Armer (1874-1963), American artist, author, and photographer.
– Laura Bynum (b. 1968), American novelist.
– Laura Cereta (1469-1499), Italian humanist and writer.
– Laura Frankos (b. 1960), American author and columnist.
– Laura Freixas (b. 1958), Spanish columnist, novelist, and short story writer.
– Laura Furman (b. 1945), American author and editor.
– Laura Gallego García (b. 1977), Spanish fantasy and science fiction author.
– Laura Anne Gilman (b. 1967), American fantasy author.
– Laura Crafton Gilpin (1950-2007), American activist, nurse, and poet.
– Laura Hardy (1937-2000), pen name of English romance author Sheila Holland, who also published as “Charlotte Lamb”, “Sheila Coates”, “Sheila Lancaster”, and “Victoria Wolf”.
– Laura Hillenbrand (b. 1967), American author and non-fiction writer.
– Laura Chapman Hruska (1935-2010), American editor, lawyer, novelist, and publisher.
– Laura Jones (b. 1946), Australian screenwriter.
– Laura Kasischke (b. 1961), American author and poet.
– Laura Lamson (1948-2008), American lecturer and screenwriter.
– Laura Jean Libbey (1862-1924), American novelist.
– Laura Lippman (b. 1959), American mystery author.
– Laura Beatrice Mancini (1821-1869), Italian poet.
– Laura McCullough (b. 1960), American editor, poet, and writer.
– Laura J. Mixon (b. 1957), American engineer and science fiction author, who also publishes under the pen name “Morgan J. Locke”.
– Laura Moriarty (b. 1952), American novelist and poet.
– Laura Moriarty (b. 1970), American novelist.
– Laura Mullen (b. 1958), American poet.
– Laura Numeroff (b. 1953), American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Laura Orvieto (1876-1955), Italian children’s book author.
– Laura Resnick (b. 1962), American fantasy author.
– Laura E. Richards (1850-1943), American author, biographer, children’s book writer, and poet.
– Laura Salverson (1890-1970), Canadian novelist.
– Laura Redden Searing (1839-1923), American columnist, journalist and poet, who published under the pen name “Howard Glyndon”.
– Laura Amy Schlitz (b. 1955), American children’s book author.
– Laura Veccia Vaglieri (1893-1989), Italian scholar and writer.
– Laura Wade (b. 1977), English playwright.
– Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), American author and memoirist.
– Laura Wilson (b. 1964), English crime author.
Endangered or Extinct First Names
May 31, 2015 § 1 Comment
Here we have a couple of articles talking about first names which are disappearing (click here for some articles on endangered or extinct last names). Maybe it’s time to stage a renaissance? At the very least, these are some good resources for anyone looking for a name which has classic appeal, but is nevertheless unique in today’s world. As always, click through to the articles to see rankings, popularity peaks, and other information on the names!
“25 Names That Are Going Extinct”
“We started by crunching the numbers to find a list of baby names that were at least somewhat popular in 1950 (more than 1,000 per 1 million babies). Next, we tracked which of those names had nearly vanished by 2013.”
“Baby Names on the Verge of Extinction”
“These 15 names were given to only five babies each in 2013, the lowest number counted by the Social Security Administration. Once usage dips below that, they become the dodo birds of baby names.”
“Cecil, Bertha and Gertrude — Britain’s ‘Endangered’ Names Revealed”
“Many of the nation’s most traditional names are at risk of dying out according to a report released today by family history website Ancestry, which reveals forenames that have virtually disappeared over the last 100 years and many more that have become ‘endangered’.”
“Baby Names on the [Australian] Extinction List”
“Mums and dads, will you take one for the country and name your kids any of these to keep them from extinction?”
Names that made the various lists:
For boys: Arnold, Bernard, Bill, Bruce, Cecil, Clarence, Clifford, Cyril, Donald, Elmo, Ernest, Fred, Gary, Harold, Herbert, Horace, Ian, Icarus, Inigo, Leslie, Llewellyn, Neil, Nigel, Norman, Percy, Remus, Roland, Rowland, Sherwood, Sydney, Trevor, Waldo, Walter, Willie
For girls: Alpha, Ann, Barbara, Barbra, Bertha, Blodwen, Carol, Cathy, Cheryl, Claudine, Debbie, Debra, Dianne, Dolores, Doris, Dorothy, Edna, Ethel, Eveline, Fanny, Freda, Gail, Gertrude, Gladys, Glenda, Gwendoline, Helen, Hilda, Irene, Jackie, Jane, Janet, Janis, Jeanne, Jennie, Jill, Judith, Kay, Leslie, Lilian, Lizzie, Lynda, Marcia, Margaret, Margery, Marjorie, Marion, Marsha, Mary, Maud, Maureen, Mildred, Muriel, Nanette, Nellie, Pamela, Phyllis, Rhoda, Rhonda, Roberta, Sandra, Sandy, Sheba, Sheryl, Sondra, Sue, Thisbe, Vickie, Wanda, Winifred, Zelma
Most Popular Last Names in the U.S.
May 30, 2015 § Leave a comment
“Baby name trends can change wildly from generation to generation, but last names tend to stick around. . . . For each name, we created state-by-state heat maps and racial breakdowns. A few of the patterns and regional differences might surprise you.”
Click through to the article to see the rankings, and to learn more:
“America’s 21 Most Popular Last Names (Plus Maps and Charts for Each)”
The names (in alphabetical order, not order of popularity) are:
Anderson, Brown, Davis, Garcia, Hernandez, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Lopez, Martin, Martinez, Miller, Moore, Rodriguez, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Smith, White, Williams, Wilson
Related article: “The 18 Whitest Last Names in America” (which would you guess is number one?):
Fox, Hansen, Hoffman, Kelley, Meyer, Miller, Myers, Olson, Peters, Peterson, Ryan, Schmidt, Snyder, Stone, Sullivan, Wagner, Weaver, Wood
The 7 Types of English Last Names
May 29, 2015 § Leave a comment
As the linked article says, “There are perhaps 45,000 different English surnames, but most had their origins as one of these seven types.” Click through to see explanations and lists of examples for each type:
“There Are 7 Types of English Surnames — Which One Is Yours?”
1. Occupational.
2. Describing a personal characteristic.
3. From an English place name.
4. From the name of an estate.
5. From a geographical feature of the landscape.
6. Patronymic, matronymic, or ancestral.
7. Signifying patronage.
The Meanings of 62 Last Names
May 29, 2015 § Leave a comment
This Mental Floss video gives the meanings of 62 different last names, including the language or country of origin. Click through to find out what they are:
“List Show: 62 Last Name Meanings”
Names that made the list:
Adams, Allen, Anderson, Baker, Baxter, Becker, Brown, Campbell, Carter, Clark, Cohen, Cook, Cooper, Evans, Fox, Garcia, Gomez, Green, Hall, Hill, Hoffman, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Kim, King, Lee, Lewis, Li, Lopez, Lynch, Martinez, Miller, Moore, Muller, Murphy, Myers, Novak, Oleson, Olsen, Parker, Perry, Phillips, Roberts, Robinson, Rodriguez, Rogers, Russell, Schmidt, Schneider, Smith, Stewart, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Torres, Turner, Walker, Weber, White, Wilson, Wright, Young
On “Stealing” Baby Names
May 28, 2015 § Leave a comment
The linked articles discuss the etiquette of “stealing” baby names. Personally, I don’t think there’s any such thing. No one “owns” a name, and I don’t understand feeling affronted at the very notion of having more than one child of that name in your circle. You and your child are not such special special snowflakes that you get to claim ownership of words; come up with some nicknames and get over yourself.
(Also, parents who are hellbent on giving their children a “unique” name have apparently never spoken to people who have grown up with “unique” names. It’s not as delightful as you seem to think it is.)
Most Popular Baby Names, 2014 (Canadian Edition)
May 24, 2015 § Leave a comment
Wondering which names made the top ranking for last year, eh? Wonder no more. The linked article lists ’em all, from #1 to #100. Did your name make the cut?
“Top 100 Baby Names in Canada 2014”
In alphabetical order (you’ll have to click through to the article for the rankings!), the names are:
For boys: Aaron, Adam, Aiden, Alex, Alexander, Alexis, Andrew, Anthony, Antoine, Austin, Benjamin, Bentley, Blake, Brayden, Caleb / Kaleb, Cameron, Carter, Charles, Chase, Christopher, Cole, Colton, Connor, Cooper, Daniel, David, Declan, Dominic, Dylan, Edward, Eli, Elijah, Elliot, Emmett, Ethan, Evan, Felix, Gabriel, Gavin, Grayson / Greyson, Hayden, Henry, Hudson, Hunter, Isaac, Jace / Jase, Jack, Jackson / Jaxon / Jaxson, Jacob, James, Jayden, Jeremy, John, Jonathan, Jordan, Joseph, Joshua, Justin, Landon, Leo, Levi, Liam, Lincoln, Logan, Luca, Lucas / Lukas, Luke, Marcus, Mason, Mateo, Mathis, Matthew, Max, Michael, Muhammad, Nathan, Nathaniel, Nicolas / Nicholas, Noah, Nolan, Oliver, Owen, Parker, Riley, Ryan, Ryder, Samuel, Sebastian, Simon, Theo, Thomas, Tristan, Tyler, Victor, Vincent, William, Wyatt, Xavier, Zachary / Zackary, Zack
For girls: Abigail, Adele, Addison / Addyson, Alexa, Alexandra, Alexis, Alice, Alicia, Alyssa, Amelia, Anna, Annabelle, Aria, Arianna, Aubrey, Audrey, Ava, Avery, Beatrice, Brooke, Brooklyn, Camille, Charlie, Charlotte, Chloe, Claire, Clara, Coralie, Elizabeth, Ella, Emily, Emma, Eva, Eve, Evelyn, Faith, Florence, Gabriella, Gabrielle, Georgia, Grace, Hailey, Hanna / Hannah, Harper, Isabella, Isabelle, Isla, Ivy, Jade, Jasmine, Jessica, Julia, Juliette, Justine, Lauren, Layla, Lea / Leah, Leanne, Leonie, Lillian, Lily, Lucy, Mackenzie, Madison, Maelie, Maeva, Maika, Marianne, Maya / Mia / Mya, Megan, Melodie, Mila, Morgan, Naomi, Natalie, Nevaeh, Nora, Oceane, Olivia, Paige, Peyton, Rachel, Romy, Rosalie, Rose, Rowan, Ruby, Sadie, Samantha, Sarah, Savannah, Scarlett, Sofia / Sophia, Sofie / Sophie, Stella, Sydney, Taylor, Victoria, Violet, Zoe / Zoey
Inez
May 24, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Anglicization of “Inés”, the Italian or Spanish version of “Agnes“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Annice, Annis, Aune, Iines, Ines, Nainsi, Nance, Nancie, Nancy, Nensi, Nes, Neske, Nessie, Nessy, Nest, Nesta, Neysa, Oanez, Ynes, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Inez Carew, the actress Carrie replaces for her first big break, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Inez Baskin (1916-2007), American activist and journalist.
– Inez Hogan (1895-1973), American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Inez Holden (1903-1974), English journalist, socialite, and writer.
– Inez Haynes Irwin (1873-1970), American activist, author, and journalist who sometimes published as “Inez Haynes Gillmore”.
Benjamin
May 24, 2015 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew name “Binyamin”, meaning “son of the south” or “son of the right hand”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ben, Beniamin, Beniamino, Benj, Benja, Benji, Benjie, Benjy, Bennie, Benny, Benyamen, Beryamen, Binyamin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benjamin Hardin Creighton (b. 1832), oldest of the Creighton children, “left for Californy 1849”), in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Middle name of Matthew Benjamin Creighton, Ellen’s husband and Jethro’s father, a well-respected farmer of integrity and compassion, in Across Five Aprils.
– Benjamin Norton, the president of the trolley company Hurstwood attempts to work for, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), English novelist and politician.
– Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), American activist, author, diplomat, inventor, politician, publisher, scientist, and statesman.
Orrin
May 24, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Oran” / “Orin”, from Irish, meaning “little pale green one”, or of “Oren”, from Hebrew, meaning “pine tree”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Odran, Odrhan, Oran, Oren, Orin, Orren, Orrie, Orry, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Orrin Cushing, a friend of Lola’s who tries to strike up a flirtation with Carrie, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 