Popocatepetl
August 24, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From an Aztec myth, meaning “smoking mountain” in the Nauhuatl language.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Well, it seems “Popo” is an option . . .
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Popocatepetl Page (called “Popo“), a young servant at Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
Popo
August 24, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
As I’ve seen it used so far, a shortened version of “Popocatepetl“, from an Aztec myth, meaning “smoking mountain”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . No idea. None, maybe.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Popo (Popocatepetl) Page, a young servant at Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
Tishy
August 24, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Letitia” / “Latisha”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Laetitia, Latisha, Latitia, Latisha, Latizia, Leta, Leticia, Letisha, Letitia, Letizia, Lettice, Lettie, Letty, Lecia, Licia, Ticia, Tish, Tisha, Tishie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tishy, an old servant at Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
Virginia
August 24, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Feminine version of a Roman family name, meaning “maid” or “virgin”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Geena, Gena, Gigi, Gina, Ginia, Ginger, Ginnie, Ginny, Jeana, Jeanna, Jinnie, Jinny, Virgee, Virgie, Virgy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Virginia Herrick, the lovely daughter of the overseer of Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
WRITERS:
– Virginia C. (V.C.) Andrews (1923-1986), pen name of American novelist Cleo Virginia Andrews.
– Virginia Clay-Copton (1825-1915), American memoirist and socialite.
– Virginia Hamilton (1934-2002), American children’s book writer.
– Virginia Henley (b. 1935), English novelist.
– Virginia Rudd Lanier (1930-2003), American mystery writer.
– Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), English writer and modernist.
Herbert
August 22, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “bright army”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bert, Bertie, Berto, Berty, Herb, Herberto, Herbie, Herby, Heribert, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Herbert Crane, one of the snobbish Jessica Hurstwood’s schoolmates, scorned for not being rich, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Herbert Kennedy, who hopes to make Ruth forget about David Langston, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
WRITERS:
– Herbert Agar (1897-1980), American editor, journalist, and historian.
– Herbert S. Scott (1931-2006), American editor and poet.
– Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), English philosopher, scientist, and writer.
– Herbert George (H.G.) Wells (1866-1946), English writer.
Emmeline
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the Germanic name “Amelina”, meaning “work”. Sometimes used as a variation of “Emily“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Amalina, Em, Emelina, Emeline, Emma, Emmaline, Emmalyn, Emmie, Emmy, Lena, Lina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Emmeline Moreland, John Moreland’s wife, who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of Granny Moreland’s antiques, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
WRITERS:
– Emmeline B. Wells (1828-1921), American activist, diarist, editor, journalist, and poet.
– Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), English activist, suffragette, and writer.
– Lady Emmeline Stuart-Wortley (1806-1855), English poet and writer.
Amos
August 22, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “burden” or “bearer of a burden”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Um . . . Amy? Actually, no, probably shouldn’t do that.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Amos Peters, a local farmer, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Lizy
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Eliza” or “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ella, Ellie, Elissa, Eliza, Elsa, Elsie, Elyse, Libby, Liddy, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizzie, Lizzy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizy Crofter, a hired woman, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Marcella
August 22, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Marcellus”, a Roman last name ultimately derived from Mars, the god of war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Marcela, Marcelina, Marceline, Marcelle, Marcellette, Marcellina, Marcelline, Marcelyn, Marcie, Marcy, Marsaili, Zella, Zellie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marcella Herron, Ruth Jameson’s grandmother, “a gentle woman”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
Alexander
August 22, 2014 § 14 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latin version of the Greek “Alexandros”, meaning “defender of men”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ace, Al, Alasdair, Alastair, Alastar, Ale, Alec, Alejandro, Aleks, Aleksander, Aleksandr, Alessandro, Alex, Alexandre, Alexandros, Alexis, Alick, Alisander, Alistair, Alister, Ally, Eskandar, Iskandar, Lexi, Olek, Oleksander, Oleksandr, Sacha, Sander, Sandor, Sandy, Sandro, Sascha, Saunder, Sawney, Sender, Shura, Sikandar, Skender, Xander, Xandinho, Zander, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Middle name of James Alexander Creighton (1849-1852), one of the three young Creighton boys who died of “paralysis” the year Jethro was born, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Alexander Herron, Ruth Jameson’s grandfather, “who made a concession”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
WRITERS:
– Alexander Brown (1843-1906), American historian and writer.
– Alexander Hamilton (1755 or 1757- 1804), American essayist, economist, and political leader.
– Alexander King (1899-1965), Austrian-American humorist and memoirist.
– Alexander Mollin (b. 1947), pen name of English author Jim Williams, who also publishes as “Richard Hugo”.
– Alexander Pope (1688-1744), English poet.
– Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), Russian author and poet.
– Alexander Ross (c.1590-1654), Scottish writer.
– Alexander Scott (c.1520-1582/83), Scottish poet.
– Alexander Scott (1920-1989), Scottish poet and scholar.
– Alexander Tayler (1870-1937), British author and historian who published under the pen name of “Alasdair Tayler”, and often published jointly with his sister, Hetty.
– Alexander Wilson (1893-1963), English writer and spy.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 