By Any Other Name: Writers Named Jim
February 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
A lot of writers have decided to go by the name of “Jim“. Here are a good number of them:
– Jim Allen (1926-1999), English playwright and screenwriter.
– Jim Anderson (b. 1937), Anglo-Australian editor and novelist.
– Jim Bellows (1922-2009), American editor and journalist.
– Jim Bennett (b. 1947), English historian and museum curator.
– Jim Bennett (b. 1951), English poet and short story writer.
– Jim Benton (b. 1960), American children’s book writer and illustrator.
– Jim Butcher (b. 1971), American novelist.
– Jim Capaldi (1944-2005), English lyricist, musician, and songwriter.
– Jim Carroll (1949-2009), American author, musician, and poet.
– Jim Cartwright (b. 1968), English dramatist and screenwriter.
– Jim Chandler (b. 1941), American poet.
– Jim Connell (1852-1929), Irish activist and songwriter.
– Jim Copp (1913-1999), American songwriter and storyteller.
– Jim Crace (b. 1946), English novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– Jim Daniels (b. 1956), American poet and writer.
– Jim Dodge (b. 1945), American novelist and poet.
– Jim Duffy (b. 1966), Irish historian and journalist.
– Jim Garland (1905-1978), American activist and songwriter.
– Jim Harmon, “Mr. Nostalgia” (1933-2010), American historian and short story writer, who sometimes published under the pen name “Judson Grey”.
– Jim Harris (b. 1955), American children’s book writer and illustrator.
– Jim Harrison (b. 1937), American author and poet.
– Jim Hoagland (b. 1940), American columnist and journalist.
– Jim Jacobs (b. 1942), American composer, dramatist, and lyricist.
– Jim Kepner (1923-1997), American activist, author, historian, and journalist.
– Jim Kjelgaard (1910-1959), American novelist and short story writer.
– Jim McNeil (1935-1982), Australian playwright.
– Jim Murphy (b. 1947), American children’s book writer.
– Jim Northrup (b. 1943), Native American columnist, commentator, performer, and poet.
– Jim Shepard (b. 1956), American novelist and short story writer.
– Jim Simmerman (1952-2006), American editor and poet.
– Jim Thompson (1906-1977), American crime fiction author.
– Jim Tully (1886-1947), American author, pugilist, and vagabond.
– Jim Ward (b. 1951), American fantasy author and game designer.
– Jim Williams (b. 1947), English author who also publishes under the pen names “Alexander Mollin” and “Richard Hugo”.
By Any Other Name: Writers Named James
February 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
There are so many writers named “James“. Just, so many. You might think this means that people named James are more likely to become writers, but probably it’s more because James has been a popular name for a very long time, so there are no doubt hundreds of well-known James’s in any profession. In any case, if you are looking for writers with the first name “James”, this list is a good start:
– James of Viterbo (c. 1255-1308), Italian friar, theologian, and writer.
– James II of Aragon (1267-1327), Spanish ruler and poet.
– James Barton Adams (1843-1918), American cowboy poet.
– James Truslow Adams (1878-1949), American historian and writer.
– James Agate (1877-1947), English critic and diarist.
– James Agee (1909-1955), American author, critic, journalist, poet, and screenwriter.
– James Albery (1838-1889), English dramatist.
– James Aldrich (1810-1856), American editor and poet.
– James Algar (1912-1998), American director, producer, and screenwriter.
– James Alison (b. 1959), English author, priest, and theologian.
– James Alexander Allan (1879-1967), Australian historian and poet.
– James Lane Allen (1849-1925), American novelist and short story writer.
– James Anderson (1662-1728), Scottish antiquarian, historian, and lawyer.
– James Anderson (c.1679/80-1739), Scottish minister and writer.
– James Anderson (1739-1808), Scottish agriculturalist, economist, and journalist.
– James Anderson (1936-2007), English mystery author.
– James Petit Andrews (1737-1797), English antiquarian and historian.
– James Stout Angus (1830-1923), Scottish poet and writer.
– James Arbuckle (1700-c.1742?), Irish critic and poet.
– James Atkinson (1780-1852), English artist, author, poet, scholar, and surgeon.
– James Atlas (b. 1949), American author and editor.
– James Ambrose Dominic Aylward (1813-1872), English poet and theologian.
– James Bacon (1914-2010), American actor, author, and journalist.
– James Bacque (b. 1929), Canadian editor, historian, novelist, and publisher.
– James Montgomery Bailey, “The Dansbury News Man” (1841-1894), American humorist and journalist.
– James Robert Baker (1946-1997), American novelist and screenwriter.
– James Baldwin (1841-1925), American children’s book author, editor, and educator.
– James Baldwin (1924-1987), American essayist, novelist, playwright, poet, and social critic.
– James Ballantine (1806-1877), Scottish artist and author.
– James Bandinel (1814-1892), English author, clergyman, and poet.
– James Barclay (b. 1965), English fantasy author.
– James Nelson Barker (1784-1858), American playwright, poet, politician, and soldier.
– James Barnes (1866-1936), American author, editor, historian, and journalist.
– James Lee Barrett (1929-1989), American dramatist, producer, and screenwriter.
– James Battye (1871-1954), Australian historian and librarian.
– James Keir Baxter (1926-1972), New Zealander poet.
– James Phinney Baxter (1831-1921), American businessman, civic leader, and historian.
– James Phinney Baxter III (1893-1975), American academic, educator, and historian.
– James Beattie (1735-1803), Scottish moralist, philosopher, and poet.
– James Warner Bellah (1899-1976), American Western author.
– James Theodore Bent (1852-1897), English archaeologist, explorer, and travel writer.
– James Beresford (1764-1840), English author, clergyman, and satirist.
– James Billings (b. 1932), American director, librettist, lyricist, and performer.
– James Bisset (c.1762-1832), Anglo-Scottish artist, collector, poet, and writer.
– James DeRuyter Blackwell (1828-1901), American author and poet.
– James Carlos Blake (b. 1947), American author and essayist.
– James A. Bland (1854-1911), American musician and songwriter.
– James Blish (1921-1975), American fantasy and science fiction author.
– James Boaden (1762-1839), English biographer, dramatist, and journalist.
– James Bonwick (1817-1906), Anglo-Australian historian and writer.
– James Boswell (1740-1795), Scottish author, diarist, and lawyer.
– James Cloyd Bowman (1880-1961), American children’s book author and educator.
– James F. Bowman (1826-1882), American journalist and poet.
– James Boyd (1888-1944), American novelist.
– James I.C. Boyd (1921-2009), English author and historian.
– James C. Bracken (1909-1972), American songwriter.
– James C. Bradford (b. 1945), American historian and professor.
– James Bradley (b. 1954), American historical nonfiction author.
– James Bradley (b. 1967), Australian critic and novelist.
– James Bramston (c. 1694-1744), English poet and satirist.
– James Brasfield (b. 1952), American poet and translator.
– James Bridges (1936-1993), American director and screenwriter.
– James Bridie (1888-1951), pen name of Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and surgeon Osborne Henry Mavor.
– James Franck Bright (1832-1920), English historian.
– James Brockman (1886-1967), Russian-American songwriter.
– James Broughton (1913-1999), American filmmaker and poet.
– James Cooke Brown (1921-2000), American science fiction author and sociologist.
– James Buchan (b. 1954), Scottish journalist and novelist.
– James Bland Burges (1752-1824), English author, barrister, poet, and politician, also known as James Bland Lamb.
– James Burgess (1832-1916), Anglo-Indian archaeologist and author.
– James Burgh (1714-1775), Anglo-Scottish politician, reformer, and writer.
– James Burke (b. 1936), Anglo-Irish author, broadcaster, producer, and science historian.
– James Lee Burke (b. 1936), American mystery author.
– James Burney (1750-1821), English author and rear-admiral.
– James Burnham (1905-1987), American philosopher and political theorist.
– James MacGregor Burns (1918-2014), American biographer, historian, and political scientist.
– James Ramsay Montagu Butler (1889-1975), English academic, historian, and politician.
– James Branch Cabell (1879-1958), American fantasy and belles lettres author.
– James M. Cain (1892-1977), American author, crime author, and journalist.
– James Cameron (1911-1985), Anglo-Scottish journalist.
– James Dykes Campbell (1838-1895), Scottish biographer, merchant, and writer.
– James Madison Carpenter (1888-1983), American folklorist, minister, and scholar.
– James Carroll (b. 1943), American historian, journalist, and novelist.
– James Chapman (b. 1968), English historian.
– James Martin Charlton (b. 1966), English director, filmmaker, and playwright.
– James Hadley Chase (1906-1985), pen name of English thriller author René Lodge Brabazon, who also wrote under the pen names “Ambrose Grant”, “James L. Docherty”, “R. Raymond”, and “Raymond Marshall”.
– James Freeman Clark (1810-1888), American author and theologian.
– James Clavell (1921-1994), Anglo-Australian director, novelist, screenwriter, and soldier.
– James Cleugh (1891-1969), English author and translator.
– James Lincoln Collier (b. 1928), American author, journalist, and musician.
– James F. Conant (b. 1958), American author and philosopher.
– James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), American novelist.
– James Costigan (1926-2007), American actor, playwright, and screenwriter.
– James Cousins (1873-1956), Irish actor, critic, editor, poet, playwright, teacher, and writer.
– James Cowan (1870-1943), New Zealander author and historian.
– James Cowan (b. 1942), Australian author and poet.
– James Gould Cozzens (1903-1978), American novelist.
– James Ashmore Creelman (1894-1941), American screenwriter.
– James Edwin Creighton (1861-1924), American essayist and philosopher.
– James Crumley (1939-2008), American crime author, novelist, and short story writer.
– James Currie (1756-1805), Scottish biographer, editor, and physician.
– James Curtis (1907-1977), English novelist.
– James Oliver Curwood (1878-1927), American adventure writer and conservationist.
– James Cuthbertson (1851-1910), Scottish-Australian poet and teacher.
– James Dashner (b. 1972), American novelist.
– James Darmesteter (1849-1894), French antiquarian, author, and translator.
– James Daugherty (1889-1974), American children’s book author, illustrator, and painter.
– James Conway Davies (1891-1971), Welsh historian and palaeographer.
– James (J.) Kitchener Davies (1902-1952), Welsh playwright and poet.
– James Davis (1706/07-1755), Welsh physician and satirist.
– James Wentworth Day (1899-1983), English broadcaster, sportsman, and writer.
– James De Mille (1833-1880), Canadian novelist.
– James Deahl (b. 1945), Canadian poet and publisher.
– James Dearden (b. 1949), English director and screenwriter.
– James Devaney (1890-1976), Australian journalist, novelist, and poet.
– James Dickey (1923-1997), American novelist and poet.
– James Main Dixon (1856-1933), Scottish author and educator.
– James Donaldson (1831-1915), Scottish scholar, theologian, and writer.
– James Lowry Donaldson (1814-1885), American author and soldier.
– James V. Downton (b. 1938), American sociologist and writer.
– James William Drought (1931-1983), American author, editor, and press officer.
– James Duff Duff (1860-1940), Scottish editor, scholar, and translator.
– James Duffy (1809-1871), Irish author and publisher.
– James Duport (1606-1679), English classical scholar and translator.
– James M. Edie (1927-1998), American philosopher and writer.
– James Edmeston (1791-1876), English architect and hymnwriter.
– James Edward Edmonds (1861-1956), English historian and soldier.
– James Ellroy (b. 1948), American crime fiction writer and essayist.
– James Elphinston (1721-1809), Scottish educator, linguist, phonologist, and writer.
– James Elward (1928-1996), American actor, author, playwright, and screenwriter.
– James Fallows (b. 1949), American journalist and writer.
– James L. Farmer, Sr. (1886-1961), American author, educator, and theologian.
– James Farrar (1823-1944), English poet.
– James Gordon (J.G.) Farrell (1935-1979), Irish novelist.
– James T. Farrell (1904-1979), American novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– James Fenton (b. 1931), Scottish linguist and poet.
– James Fenton (b. 1949), English critic, journalist, and poet.
– James Fergusson (1808-1886), Scottish architect, historian, and writer.
– James Thomas Fields (1817-1881), American editor, poet, and publisher.
– James Fitzmaurice-Kelly (1858-1923), Scottish translator and writer.
– James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915), English novelist, playwright, and poet.
– James Flint (b. 1968), English journalist, novelist, and short story writer.
– James Follett (b. 1939), English author and screenwriter.
– James Forbes (1749-1819), Anglo-Scottish artist, author, and traveler.
– James Forbes (1871-1938), Canadian playwright and screenwriter.
– James Fordyce (1720-1796), Scottish minister and poet.
– James Baillie Fraser (1783-1856), Scottish artist and travel writer.
– James George Frazer (1854-1941), Scottish anthropologist and author.
– James Dillet Freeman (1912-2003), American minister and poet.
– James Midwinter Freeman (1827-1900), American clergyman and writer.
– James Freney (1719-1788), Irish highwayman and writer.
– James Frey (b. 1969), American producer and writer.
– James N. Frey (b. 1943), American author and educator.
– James Hain Friswell (1825-1878), English essayist and novelist.
– James Anthony Froude (1818-1894), English biographer, editor, historian, and novelist.
– James Gairdner (1828-1912), Scottish historian.
– James Galvin (b. 1951), American author and poet.
– James Alan Gardner (b. 1955), Canadian science fiction author.
– James Louis Garvin (1868-1947), English author, editor, and journalist.
– James Gilreath (1936-2003), American singer and songwriter.
– James Gleeson (1915-2008), Australian artist, critic, curator, poet, and writer.
– James Gleick (b. 1954), American author and science historian.
– James Goldman (1927-1998), American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.
– James Grady (b. 1949), American journalist and novelist.
– James Graham (b. 1929), pen name used by English author Harry Patterson, who also published under the pen names “Hugh Marlowe”, “Jack Higgins”, and “Martin Fallon”.
– James Grahame (1765-1811), Scottish poet.
– James Grainger (c.1721-1766), Scottish doctor, poet, and translator.
– James Grant (1822-1887), Scottish historian and novelist.
– James H. Gray (1906-1998), Canadian author, historian, and journalist.
– James Green (b. 1944), American activist, author, and educator.
– James Greenwood (c. 1683-1737), English author and grammarian.
– James Greenwood (1832-1929), English journalist, and writer.
– James Grippando (b. 1958), American lawyer and novelist.
– James Gruen (1894-1967), American screenwriter.
– James Gunn (b. 1923), American science fiction author and editor.
– James William Hackett (b. 1929), American philosopher and poet.
– James Hadow (1667-1747), Scottish author, educator, and theologian.
– James Baker Hall (1935-2009), American novelist, photographer, poet, and teacher.
– James Halliwell-Phillipps (1820-1889), English collector and historian.
– James Hanley (1897-1985), Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– James F. Hanley (1892-1942), American lyricist and songwriter.
– James Hannay (1827-1873), Scottish diplomat, journalist, and novelist.
– James Aloyisius Harden-Hickey (1854-1898), Franco-American adventurer, author, and editor.
– James Hardiman (1782-1855), Irish historian and librarian.
– James Wycliffe Headlam-Morley (1863-1929), English classicist and historian.
– James Hearst (1900-1983), American philosopher, poet, and professor.
– James Hebblethwaite (1857-1921), Anglo-Australian clergyman, poet, and teacher.
– James Heneghan (b. 1930), Anglo-Canadian children’s book writer and novelist.
– James Henry (1798-1876), Irish poet and scholar.
– James Leo Herlihy (1927-1993), American actor, novelist, and playwright.
– James A. Herne (1839-1901), American actor and playwright.
– James Hilton (1900-1954), English novelist and screenwriter.
– James Hinton (1822-1875), English author and surgeon.
– James P. Hogan (1941-2010), English science fiction author.
– James Hogg (1770-1835), Scottish essayist, novelist, and poet.
– James Holman, “The Blind Traveler” (1786-1857), English adventurer and author.
– James Archibald Houston (1921-2005), Canadian artist, author, designer, and filmmaker.
– James D. Houston (1933-2009), American novelist.
– James Howe (b. 1946), American children’s book author.
– James Howell (c. 1594-1666), Anglo-Welsh historian and writer.
– James Huneker (1857-1921), American critic and writer.
– James Hynes (b. 1955), American novelist.
– James Janeway (1636-1674), English author and minister.
– James Jackson Jarves (1818-1888), American author, collector, critic, and editor.
– James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), American activist, author, diplomat, educator, lawyer, and songwriter.
– James Johonnot (1832-1888), American author and educator.
– James Joll (1918-1994), English biographer, historian, and lecturer.
– James Jones (1921-1977), American novelist.
– James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist and poet.
– James Kaplan (b. 1951), American biographer, journalist, and novelist.
– James Kelly (b. 1959), Irish author, editor, educator, and historian.
– James Patrick Kelly (b. 1951), American science fiction author.
– James Kennaway (1928-1968), Scottish novelist and screenwriter.
– James Kenney (1780-1849), English dramatist.
– James Kenward (1908-1944), English author and illustrator.
– James Kirkup (1918-2009), English poet, translator, and travel writer.
– James Kirkwood, Jr. (1924-1989), American actor, author, and playwright.
– James Kisner (1947-2008), American horror author, who also wrote under the pen names “Eric Flanders” and “Martin James”.
– James Krüss (1926-1997), German children’s book author and illustrator, dramatist, poet, and translator.
– James Howard Kunstler (b. 1948), American author and social critic.
– James Lapine (b. 1949), American director, librettist, playwright, and screenwriter.
– James Lasdun (b. 1958), English author and poet.
– James Laughlin (1914-1997), American poet and publisher.
– James Laver (1899-1975), English author, critic, curator, and historian.
– James MacPherson Le Moine (1825-1912), Canadian author and barrister.
– James Leasor (1923-2007), English novelist.
– James Lees-Milne (1908-1997), English architectural historian, biographer, diarist, and novelist.
– James Matthews Legaré (1823-1859), American inventor and poet.
– James Legge (1815-1897), Scottish editor, missionary, sinologist, and translator.
– James Lockhart (1933-2014), American author and historian.
– James Russell Lowell (1819-1891), American critic, diplomat, editor, and poet.
– James Love (1722-1774), pen name of English actor, playwright, and poet, James Dance.
– James Lydon (1928-2013), Irish educator and historian.
– James Mabbe (1572-1642), English poet, scholar, and translator.
– James Macdonnell (1841-1879), Scottish author and journalist.
– James E. Mace (1952-2004), American historian and professor.
– James MacGeoghegan (1702-1763), Irish historian and priest.
– James MacKaye (1872-1935), American engineer and philosopher.
– James Mackintosh (1765-1832), Scottish historian, journalist, jurist, philosopher, and politician.
– James Noël MacKenzie Maclean (1928-1978), Scottish author and memoirist.
– James Macpherson (1736-1796), Scottish poet, politician, translator, and writer.
– James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849), Irish poet.
– James Marr (1918-2009), English author and historian.
– James Marshall (1942-1992), American children’s book writer and illustrator.
– James Martineau (1805-1900), English religious philosopher and writer.
– James David Marwick (1826-1908), Scottish historian, lawyer, and town clerk.
– James Mayhew (b. 1964), English children’s book writer and illustrator.
– James McAuley (1917-1976), Australian academic, critic, journalist, and poet.
– James McBride (b. 1957), American author, journalist, musician, and screenwriter.
– James H. McClure (1939-2006), English author and journalist.
– James McCourt (b. 1941), Irish- American novelist and writer.
– James McFarlane (1920-1999), English editor, scholar, and translator.
– James Kevin McGuinness (1893-1950), American producer and screenwriter.
– James McHenry (1785-1845), American author, diplomat, and physician.
– James McIntyre (1828-1906), Canadian poet.
– James McLevy (1796-1875), Irish-Scottish detective and mystery author.
– James L. McMichael (b. 1939), American poet.
– James McNeish (b. 1931), New Zealander author, novelist, and playwright.
– James Alan McPherson (b. 1943), American essayist and short story writer.
– James M. McPherson (b. 1936), American author and historian.
– James McSherry, Jr. (1819-1869), American lawyer and writer.
– James Meek (b. 1962), Anglo-Scottish novelist and journalist.
– James Melville (1556-1614), Scottish clergyman, poet, and translator.
– James Creed Meredith (1875-1942), Irish activist, author, philosopher, scholar, and translator.
– James Merrick (1720-1769), English poet and scholar.
– James Merrill (1926-1995), American author and poet.
– James J. Metcalfe (1906-1960), American poet, reporter, and special agent.
– James Lionel Michael (1824-1868), Anglo-Australian poet and solicitor.
– James A. Michener (1907-1997), American non-fiction author and novelist.
– James Mill (1773-1836), Scottish economist, historian, philosopher, and political theorist.
– James Miller (1730-1744), English clergyman, librettist, playwright, and poet.
– James Mitchell (1926-2002), English crime fiction author and screenwriter who also wrote under the pen names “James Munro” and “Patrick O. McGuire”.
– James Moffat (1922-1993), Anglo-Canadian pulp novelist, who also published under the pen names of “Etienne Aubin”, “Richard Allen”, and “Trudi Maxwell”.
– James Lynam Molloy (c. 1837-1909), Irish author, composer, and poet.
– James Moloney (b. 1954), Australian children’s book author.
– James J. Montague (1873-1941), American journalist, poet, and satirist.
– James Montgomery (1771-1854), Anglo-Scottish editor, hymnwriter, and poet.
– James Mooney (1861-1921), American ethnographer and writer.
– James Augustus Cotter Morrison (1832-1888), English essayist and historian.
– James K. Morrow (b. 1947), American fantasy and science fiction author.
– James Mortimer (1833-1911), Anglo-American chess player, journalist, and playwright.
– James Hope Moulton (1863-1917), English author, philologist, and theologian.
– James Mudge (1844-1918), American author and clergyman.
– James Murdoch (1856-1921), Scottish educator, historian, journalist, and scholar.
– James Vincent Murphy (1880-1946), Irish journalist, translator, and writer.
– James Murray (1837-1915), Scottish editor, lexicographer, and philologist.
– James W. Nichol (b. 1940), Canadian novelist and playwright.
– James Oppenheim (1882-1932), American editor, novelist, and poet.
– James Orr (1770-1816), Scottish weaver poet.
– James Otis (1848-1912), pen name of American children’s book author and journalist James Otis Kaler.
– James Owen (b. 1969), English historian and journalist.
– James Parkes (1896-1981), English activist, clergyman, and historian.
– James Patterson (b. 1947), American novelist.
– James Lloydovich Patterson (b. 1933), Russian-American naval officer and poet.
– James Payn (1830-1898), English novelist.
– James Larkin Pearson (1879-1981), American poet and publisher.
– James Gates Percival (1795-1856), American geologist and poet.
– James Breck Perkins (1847-1910), American historian, politician, and writer.
– James Phillips (b. 1977), English director, photographer, and playwright.
– James Philp (c. 1860-1935), Scottish-Australian author and journalist.
– James Lord Pierpont (1822-1893), American composer and songwriter.
– James Shepherd Pike (1811-1882), American journalist.
– James Planché (1796-1880), English antiquarian and dramatist.
– James Poe (1921-1980), American screenwriter.
– James Alan Polster (1947-2012), American explorer, journalist, novelist, producer, and screenwriter.
– James Pope-Hennessy (1916-1974), English biographer and travel writer.
– James A. Porter (1836-1897), American novelist.
– James Powell (b. 1932), Canadian short story writer.
– James Puckle (1667-1724), English inventor, lawyer, and writer.
– James Purdy (1914-2009), American novelist, playwright, poet, and short story writer.
– James Morgan Pryse (1859-1942), American author, publisher, and theosophist.
– James Pycroft (1813-1895), English author, cricketer, and vicar.
– James Rado (b. 1932), American actor, composer, and writer.
– James Raine (1791-1858), English antiquarian, author, and clergyman.
– James G. Randall (1881-1953), American author and historian.
– James Ryder Randall (1839-1908), American journalist and poet.
– James Reaney (1926-2008), Canadian librettist, playwright, poet, and professor.
– James Redhouse (1811-1892), English author and linguist.
– James Rees (1802-1885), American author, editor, and playwright.
– James Reeves (1909-1978), English children’s book writer, playwright, and poet.
– James Reiss (b. 1941), American poet.
– James Rennell (1742-1830), English geographer, historian, and oceanographer.
– James Reston, Jr. (b. 1943), American author and journalist.
– James Rhoades (1841-1923), English author, mystic, poet, and translator.
– James Rice (1843-1882), English novelist who published in collaboration with Walter Besant.
– James Robert Richard (1900-1977), pen name of American aviator, author, editor, and journalist Robert Sidney Bowen, who also published as “R. Sidney Bowen”.
– James Maude Richards (1907-1992), English architect and author.
– James Richardson (1809-1851), English diarist and explorer.
– James Richardson (b. 1950), American poet.
– James Theodore Richmond, “Twilight Ted”, (1890-1975), American conservationist, librarian, preacher, and writer.
– James Ridley (1736-1765), English novelist.
− James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (1948-2007), American fantasy author who wrote under the pen names “Chang Lung”, “Jackson O’Reilly”, “Reagan O’Neal”, and “Robert Jordan”.
– James Riordan (1936-2012), English author, broadcaster, and historian.
– James Risen (b. c. 1955), American journalist.
– James Robertson (b. 1958), Scottish author and poet.
– James Alexander Robertson (1873-1939), American archivist, bibliographer, historian, and translator.
– James Burton Robertson (1800-1877), English historian and translator.
– James Craigie Robertson (1813-1882), Scottish clergyman and historian.
– James Logie Robertson (1846-1922), Scottish author, editor, and poet, who also wrote under the pen name “Hugh Haliburton”.
– James Harvey Robinson (1863-1936), American historian.
– James Jeffrey Roche (1847-1908), Irish-American diplomat, journalist, and poet.
– James Roose-Evans (b. 1927), English author, director, playwright, and priest.
– James Roy (b. 1968), Australian children’s book writer.
– James Runcie (b. 1959), English director, novelist, and producer.
– James Runciman (1852-1891), English author, journalist, and teacher.
– James Malcom Rymer (1814-1884), Anglo-Scottish pulp novelist.
– James Sallis (b. 1944), American crime author and poet.
– James Salter (b. 1925), American novelist and short story writer.
– James Saunders (1925-2004), English playwright.
– James Schevill (1920-2009), American critic, playwright, poet, and professor.
– James H. Schmitz (1911-1981), American science fiction author.
– James Scholefield (1789-1853), English classical scholar and translator.
– James Schouler (1839-1920), American historian and lawyer.
– James Schuyler (1923-1991), American poet.
– James Scully (b. 1937), American poet and translator.
– James Sempill (1566-1625/26), Scottish diplomat, poet, and theologian.
– James Witt Sewell (1865-1955), American educator, grammarian, and writer.
– James S. Shapiro (b. 1955), American author, educator, and historian.
– James Shirley (1596-1666), English dramatist and poet.
– James Simmons (1933-2001), Irish critic, poet, and songwriter.
– James Spedding (1808-1881), English author and editor.
– James Augustus St. John (1795-1875), Welsh author and traveler.
– James Lee Stanley (b. 1946), American singer and songwriter.
– James Kenneth Stephen (1859-1892), English poet and tutor.
– James Stephens (1880-1950), Irish novelist and poet.
– James Brunton Stephens (1835-1902), Scottish-Australian poet.
– James Stern (1904-1993), Anglo-Irish author and reviewer.
– James Thomas Stevens (b. 1966), American academic and poet.
– James Stevenson (b. 1929), American children’s book writer and illustrator.
– James Still (1906-2001), American folklorist, novelist, and poet.
– James Hutchison Stirling (1820-1909), Anglo-Scottish author and philosopher.
– James Leigh Strachan-Davidson (1843-1916), English classicist and historian.
– James Street (1903-1954), American journalist, minister, and novelist.
– James Talley (b. 1944), American singer and songwriter.
– James T. Tanner (1858-1915), English director and dramatist.
– James Tate (b. 1943), American poet.
– James Emerson Tennent (1804-1869), Irish politician, traveler, and writer.
– James Alexander Thom (b. 1933), American novelist and short-story writer.
– James Westfall Thompson (1869-1941), American historian.
– James Thomson (1700-1748), Anglo-Scottish playwright and poet.
– James Thomson (1763-1832), Scottish weaver poet.
– James Thomson (1834-1882), Scottish poet who wrote under the pen name “Bysshe Vanolis”.
– James Thomson (1852-1934), Australian journalist and newspaper publisher.
– James F. Thomson (1921-1984), English philosopher.
– James Thornton (1861-1938), American performer and songwriter.
– James Thurber (1894-1961), American author, cartoonist, humorist, journalist, and playwright.
– James Sterling Tippett (1885-1958), American children’s book writer and educator.
– James Tiptree, Jr. (1915-1987), pen name of American science fiction author Alice Bradley Shelden, who also published as “Raccoona Sheldon”.
– James Tod (1782-1835), English geographer, historian, and soldier.
– James Henthorn Todd (1805-1869), Irish educator and historian.
– James Townley (1714-1778), English dramatist.
– James Trefil (b. 1938), American author and physicist.
– James Hammond Trumbull (1821-1897), American historian, philologist, and scholar.
– James Tucker (b. 1929), Welsh novelist, who also publishes under the pen names “Bill James”, “David Craig”, and “Judith Jones”.
– James Tyrell (1642-1718), English author, historian, and political philosopher.
– James Ramsey Ulllman (1907-1971), American mountaineer and writer.
– James Ware (1594-1666), Irish author and historian.
– James Webb (1946-1980), Scottish biographer and historian.
– James R. Webb (1909-1974), American author and screenwriter.
– James Wechsler (1915-1983), American columnist, editor, and journalist.
– James Wedderburn (ca. 1495-1553), Scottish playwright and poet.
– James Weinstein (1926-2005), American historian and journalist.
– James Welch (1940-2003), American novelist and poet.
– James White (1759-1799), Anglo-Irish novelist and translator.
– James White (1928-1999), Irish science fiction author.
– James Wilcox (b. 1949), American novelist and professor.
– James Williamson (1886-1964), English author and historian.
– James Wills (1790-1868), Irish poet and writer.
– James Wood (b. 1965), English critic, essayist, and novelist.
– James Woodforde (1740-1803), English author and clergyman.
– James Young (1872-1948), American actor, director, and screenwriter.
Endangered or Extinct Last Names
January 28, 2015 § 1 Comment
The linked articles list some last names which are going (or have already gone) the way of the dodo, and discuss some of the reasons for their disappearance. Did you even know last names could go extinct? (Also, don’t you think some of these last names sound perfect for gnomes or hobbits?)
9 Last Names on the Brink of Extinction:
“Any last name with under 200 “bearers” is endangered, and we’ve found some which are even extinct. Do you have a rare last name on the verge of extinction? Or is your last name extremely common?”
Endangered last names:
Ajax, Edevane, Gastrell, and Slora
Critically-endangered last names (fewer than 20 bearers):
Berrycloth, Birdwhistle, Dankworth, Fernsby, Loughty, MacQuoid, Miracle, Relish, Sallow, Tumbler, and Villan / Villin
Extinct last names:
Bread, Bythesea, Bytheseashore, MacCaa, Puscat, Pusset, Pussmaid, and Spinster
10 English Surnames About to Go Extinct:
Names which have disappeared from England and Wales (extinct last names):
Chips, Harred, Hatman, Jarsdel, Nithercott, Raynott, Rummage, Southwark, Temples, and Woodbead
Names with fewer than 50 bearers through England and Wales (critically endangered last names):
Bonneville, Carla, Febland, Fernard, Grader, Gruger, Mirren, Nighy, Pober, and Portendorfer.
Names dying out the fastest in England and Wales, compared to the 1901 census (endangered last names):
Ashworth, Brook, Butterworth, Clegg, Cohen, Crowther, Greenwood, Haigh, Ingham, Kershaw, Nuttal, Ogden, Pratt, Sutcliffe, and William
Can you think of any other uncommon or vanished last names?
(Also, if you’re looking for endangered or extinct first names, try this post!)
Some Formerly-Popular Baby Names for Girls
January 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
Here is an article about some names that were once top of the list in popularity for baby girls, but have since gone nearly extinct. What do you think? Is it time to resurrect some of these old-fashioned names? (Note: If you’re looking for good names for characters, remember that the young adults of any particular decade would be likely to have a popular baby name of ~20 years earlier. So, say, an Ethel born in the 1890s would be a “new woman” of the WWI years, or even a “flapper” of the 1920s!)
Bertha (popular in the 1880s)
Betty (popular throughout the 1930s)
Doris (popular in the 1930s)
Dorothy (popular in the 1920s)
Edna (popular from the 1880s through to the 1920s)
Ethel (popular in the 1890s through the early 1900s)
Florence (popular from the 1880s-1930s)
Gladys (popular around the 1890s-1910s)
Ida (popular in the 1880s)
Mildred (popular in the 1910s-1920s)
Minnie (popular in the late 1800s)
Tammy (popular in the 1960s)
What Your Name Says About You
January 14, 2015 § Leave a comment
The article linked here talks about how naming conventions change over time, and how the tendency of parents to favor “unique” or unusual names increases as cultural values increasingly favor individualism over community. It also touches on the perils of giving a child a name which is too unusual, which ties in to lower rates of income for the groups most likely to have “unique” names (i.e., girls, lower socio-economic classes, ethnic minorities).
From the article:
More than half of parents polled last year said they favor unusual names, which is up nearly 10 percent from 2013, according to the parenting site BabyCenter.com. And this trend is only expected to grow, say researchers, who’ve found that more than ever, baby naming is tethered to a narcissistic urge to be different.
. . . “The interesting paradox is although people still prefer more common names, parents are less likely to give more common names,” Twenge says. “They place more emphasis on uniqueness.”
Baby-Naming Trends of the Past
January 8, 2015 § Leave a comment
What’s that they say?
“Everything old is new again.”
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
“History repeats itself.”
“What goes around, comes around.”
It all seems so appropriate for the subject of naming trends. We even have an early 19th century preference for “K” names to thank for making “Katherine” (and it’s nickname, “Katie” / “Katy“) more common than “Catherine“!
Click through to the article for more baby-naming trends that aren’t as modern as we might think!
Most Common Names for Some Common Jobs
January 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
Click here to see an infographic showing the six most disproportionately common names for for 37 professions. The data was gathered from U.S. public records, with some rather interesting (and useful, if, for example, you’re trying to choose a name that really suits a particular character) results. What do you think: Do certain names just sound right for certain jobs? Were there any results that surprised you? Are you in the right position for your name (keep in mind, some names show up for more than one occupation)?
– ACCOUNTANT: Adele, Charmaine, Kurtis, Maribel, Mindy, and Mitzi.
– BIOLOGIST: Cheryl, Janet, Nicholas, Sara, Stuart, and Suzanne.
– CAR SALESPERSON: Allen, Bob, Clay, Larry, Pete, and Travis.
– DRUMMER: Billy, Chad, Dave, Joey, Mickey, and Tommy.
– ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Alfred, Bernard, Charles, Edwin, Eugene, and Harvey.
– FARMER: Darin, Delbert, Duane, Elwood, Marlin, and Mavis.
– FIREFIGHTER: Brandon, Darren, Jason, Jeremy, Matthew, and Ryan.
– FITNESS INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer, Julie, Karen, Pamela, Rebecca, and Virginia.
– FOOTBALL COACH: Bill, Dan, Jim, Mike, Rich, and Steve.
– FOOTBALL PLAYER: Darnell, Derrick, Jermaine, Nate, Quinton, and Reggie.
– GEOLOGIST: Frederick, Henry, Hugh, Leonard, Samuel, and William.
– GOLFER: Bobby, Bud, Johnny, Simon, Tommy, and Willie.
– GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Alison, Diana, Jan, Jessica, Kurt, and Vanessa.
– GUITARIST: Buddy, Eddie, Mick, Richie, Sonny, and Trey.
– HAIRDRESSER: James, Lori, Patricia, Raymond, Robert, and Susan.
– HISTORIAN: Adrienne, Caroline, Emma, Henry, Herbert, and Theodore.
– INSURANCE SALESPERSON: Brent, Clark, Dalton, Garrett, Mac, and Patty.
– INTERIOR DESIGNER: Bonnie, Elise, Lynne, Marjorie, Martha, and Melinda.
– JOURNALIST: Alastair, Angus, Gideon, Hanna, Jonah, and Louisa.
– JUDGE: Archibald, Clement, Josiah, Lise, Louise, and Rufus.
– LAWYER: Augustus, Cecily, Marshal, Norton, Sanford, and William.
– LIBRARIAN: Abigail, Eleanor, Johanna, Julia, Margot, and Nanette.
– MECHANIC: Dave, Fred, Jerry, Patrick, Randy, and Rick.
– METEOROLOGIST: Bill, Jeff, Joe, Jim, Mike, and Scott.
– PHOTOGRAPHER: Annie, Bruno, Hugo, Noah, Tracey, and Zoe.
– POET: Anne, Celia, Dorothy, Edgar, Edmund, and Hannah.
– POLICE OFFICER: Kevin, Kim, Louis, Raymond, Timothy, and Wayne.
– RABBI: Chaim, Judah, Meir, Moshe, Shlomo, and Yosef.
– RACE CAR DRIVER: Bobby, Jimmy, Johnny, Luigi, Robbie, and Sebastian.
– RANCHER: Boyd, Clifford, Judy, Leland, Leroy, and Roy.
– SOCIAL WORKER: Constance, Jeannette, Marsha, Penelope, Stella, and Vivian.
– SOLDIER: Jacob, Jeremy, Joshua, Justin, Kyle, and Zachary.
– SONGWRITER: Benny, Billy, Mick, Richie, Sonny, and Stevie.
– STUNT-PERSON: Alex, Ben, Eddie, Erik, Terry, and Tom.
– SURGEON: Barrett, Harris, Holly, Jefferson, Sanford, and Sherwin.
– VENTURE CAPITALIST: Alexander, Doug, Guy, Joanna, Nicholas, and Shawn.
– VETERINARIAN: Gene, Larry, Peggy, Sara, Tracy, and Wayne.
Dudley
January 6, 2015 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
An Old English last name, meaning “from Dudda’s meadow”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
None that I can think of.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lord Dudley, the evil Duke Wulf’s fat son, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Dudley Carew (1903-1981), English critic, journalist, poet, and writer.
– Dudley Costello (1803-1865), Anglo-Irish journalist, novelist, and soldier.
– Dudley Doust (1930-2008), American author and journalist.
– Dudley Fitts (1903-1968), American critic, educator, poet, and translator.
– Dudley Leavitt (1772-1851), American editor and publisher.
– Dudley Nichols (1895-1960), American screenwriter.
– Dudley Randall (1914-2000), American poet and publisher.
– Dudley Pope (1925-1997), English author.
Colin
January 6, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of the Celtic “Cailean” or “Coilean”, or a diminutive of “Nicholas“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cailan, Cailean, Cailin, Calan, Calum, Coilean, Col, Colan, Cole, Coley, Collin, Collins, Colombe, Colombo, Colombano, Colson, Columbanus, Colyn, Kolman, Koloman, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Prince Colin, one of Princess Alison Jocelyn’s three brothers, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Colin Campbell (1859-1928), Scottish actor, director, and screenwriter.
– Colin Dann (b. 1943), English author.
– Colin Dexter (b. 1930), English author.
– Colin Douglas (b. 1945), pen name of Scottish novelist Colin Thomas Currie.
– Colin Fletcher (1922-2007), Welsh outdoorsman and writer.
– Colin Forbes (1923-2006), pen name of English author Raymond Sawkins, who also wrote under the pen names “Harold English”, “Jay Bernard”, and “Richard Raine”.
– Colin Greenland (b. 1954), English author.
– Colin Harvey (1960-2011), English author and editor.
– Colin Henry Hazlewood (1823-1875), English playwright.
– Colin Higgins (1941-1988), Australian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.
– Colin Kapp (1928-2007), English author.
– Colin MacInnes (1914-1976), English journalist and novelist.
– Colin Mackay (1951-2003), Scottish novelist and poet.
– Colin McDougal (1917-1984), Canadian author.
– Colin McEvedy (1930-2005), English author, historian, and scholar.
– Colin Morton (b. 1948), Canadian poet.
– Colin Thiele (1920-2006), Australian author and educator.
– Colin Turbayne (1916-2006), Australian philosopher and writer.
– Colin Ward (1924-2010), English activist and writer.
– Colin Watson (1920-1983), English author.
– Colin White (1951-2008), English historian.
– Colin Wilson (1931-2013), English philosopher and writer.
Corin
January 6, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Medieval French version of the Latin “Quirinus”, possibly from the Sabine word meaning “spear”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Quirijn, Quirin, Quirino, Quirinus.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Prince Corin, one of Princess Alison Jocelyn’s three brothers, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 