Bernard
August 30, 2014 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “stern bear” or “brave bear”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Barnard, Barnet, Barney, Ben, Bent, Berinhard, Bernardino, Bernardo, Bernarr, Bernat, Bernd, Bernhard, Bernie, Bernt, Berny, Dino, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dr. Bernard Phillips, whose house Ally mistakes for home, in “Ally”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Bernard Ashley (b. 1935), English children’s book writer.
– Bernard Lewis (b. 1916), Anglo-American historian and writer.
– Bernard Malamud (1914-1986), American author.
– (George) Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish author, critic, and playwright.
Ally
August 30, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Allie”, etc.; diminutive of “Alice“, “Alison“, “Alexandra”, other names beginning with “Al-“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ailis, Ale, Aleid, Aleida, Alex, Alexa, Alexina, Ali, Alida, Alis, Alisa, Alix, Aliz, Alli, Allie, Alyx, Lexa, Lexie, Lexine, Lexy, Ola, Sandie, Sandy, Xandra, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ally (Alice) Fleming, 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).
Jake
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Variant of “Jack“, or diminutive of “Jacob”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cobus, Coby, Jaak, Jack, Jackie, Jacko, Jacks, Jacky, Jacob, Jak, Jakes, Jakey, Jakin, Jaks, Jax, Jaxon, Jaxson, Jeb, Jeppe, Jock, Jockie, Jocky, Koba, Kobe, Koby, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jake, a “tough” who lives in Cove Street and adores sharp little Becky Hawkins, in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Jake Roscoe, an elderly neighbor of the Creighton’s, whose son (also named “Jake“) is off fighting in the war, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Jake Arnott (b. 1961), English novelist.
– Jake Copass (1920-2006), American poet and storyteller.
– Jake Halpern (b. 1975), American author, commentator, and producer.
– Jake Holmes (b. 1939), American singer and songwriter.
– Jake McDonald (b. 1949), Canadian novelist and writer.
– Jake Saunders (b. 1947), American businessman, novelist, and science fiction author.
– Jake Thackray (1938-2002), pen name of English journalist, poet, singer, and songwriter John Philip Thackray.
– Jake Adam York (1972-2012), American poet.
Tim
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Timothy“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Timmer, Timmie, Timmy, Timo, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tim, the “prizefighter” Becky Hawkins risks her life to save, in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Tim Potter, one of the locals riled up into a mob with the intent of at least arresting, if not shooting, the pardoned and somewhat-reformed highwayman Tom Faggus, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Tim Burton (b. 1958), American artist, director, producer, poet, and writer.
– Tim O’Brien (b. 1946), American novelist.
Josie
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Josey”, etc., a diminutive of “Josephine”, a feminine form of “Joseph“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Giosetta, Jo, Joetta, Joleen, Jolene, Joey, Josée, Josette, Josey, Josi, Josiane, Josy, Posie, Posey, Seph, Sephi, Sephie, Sephy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Josie Kelley, Matty’s sister, and another of the shopgirls in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Matty
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Mattie“, “Maddie”, etc.; diminutive of of “Matilda“, “Martha“, etc., or of “Matthew”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matt, Matti, Mattie, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patti, Pattie, Patty, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.
For boys: Mat, Matt, Mattie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Matty Kelley, one of the shopgirls in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Windlow
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possibly a variation of “Winslow”, an old English place name meaning “friend’s hill”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Winnie, Winny, Windslow, Winselow, Winsloe, Winslow, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Windlow Aplin, who was given his mother’s maiden name as a first name, a snobbish, bragging boy from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Flo
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Florence” or “Flora”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fflur, Fiorenza, Fleur, Floor, Flora, Flore, Floreen, Floella, Florence, Florene, Florentia, Floretta, Florette, Floris, Florrie, Flossie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Flo (Florence) Aplin, a snobbish, bragging girl from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Esther
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly Persian, meaning “star”, or derived from “Ishtar”, the name of the Babylonian and Assyrian mother goddess of love, fertility, and war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aster, Eistir, Esfir, Essi, Essie, Esta, Estee, Ester, Estera, Esteri, Eszter, Eszti, Hester, Ishtar, Istar, Yesfir, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Esther Bowdoin, whose shabby home life belies her blue-blooded ancestry and artistic heritage, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Esther (or Edna or Etka) Kroll Shaine — “Esther in Hebrew, Edna in English, and Etka in Russian” — Lily’s increasingly-senile grandmother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
You can find a good, solid starter list of writers named “Esther” in this post.
Cordelia
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From “Cordeilla”, a Celtic name, meaning unknown.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cordeilla, Cordie, Cordula, Cordy, Delia, Della, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cordelia Burr, an ungainly lass with a sore heart, in need of comfort and friendship, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 