Margaret
August 22, 2014 § 15 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Margarita”, derived from the Greek word “margarites”, meaning “pearl”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Greet, Griet, Greta, Gretchen, Grete, Gretel, Grethe, Gretta, Maarit, Madge, Mae, Mag, Maggi, Maggie, Maggy, Maighread, Mairead, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Mared, Maret, Marga, Margaid, Margalo, Margareeta, Margareta, Margaretha, Margarethe, Margaretta, Margarit, Margarita, Margaux, Marge, Marged, Margery, Margherita, Margie, Margit, Margy, Margo, Margot, Margreet, Margrethe, Margriet, Margrit, Marguerita, Marguerite, Marita, Marjeta, Marji, Marjorie, Marjory, Marketa, Marketta, Marsaili, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Megan, Megeen, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Mererid, Merete, Meta, Metta, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mysie, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, Reeta, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Margaret of Amhurste, Lord Robert’s brave and strong-willed twin sister, who saves the wild, cavalier Lord Denbeigh, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Margaret Dashwood, the third Dashwood sister, “a good-humoured well-disposed girl; but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne’s romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life”, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Margaret Pelham (called “Peggy“), a simply-dressed, sweet girl who experiences a case of mistaken identity, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Margaret Atwood (b. 1939), Canadian activist, critic, essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Margaret Blake (1921-1995), pen name of English mystery and romance author Barbara Margaret Trimble, who also published under the pen names “Barbara Gilmour” and “B.M. Gill”.
– Margaret Major Cleaves (b. 1946), American romance author who also publishes under the pen name “Ann Major”.
– Margaret Gibson (b. 1944), American poet.
– Margaret Gibson (1948-2006), Canadian novelist and short story writer.
– Margaret Millar (1915-1994), American-Canadian mystery author.
– Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), American novelist.
– Margaret Oliphant (1828-1897), Scottish novelist and historical writer.
– Lady Margaret Seymour (1540-????), English writer.
– Margaret Truman (1924-2008), American historian, novelist, and singer.
– Margaret Wilson (1882-1973), American novelist.
Tony
August 22, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Antony” / “Anthony“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Teun, Teunis, Theun, Theunis, Tone, Tonino, Tonio, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tony (Anthony) Butter, the gardener at Amhurste Hall, who narrates “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), and is made fun of by Humfrey Lemon and Bered Turnip for his envy of their large broods, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
Anthony
August 22, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
English version of the Roman last name “Antonius”, meaning unknown. It has been sometimes linked to “anthos”, meaning flower, but that’s Greek, so probably not the original meaning.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Akoni, Anakoni, Andon, Andony, Antal, Antanas, Ante, Anto, Antoine, Anton, Antonello, Antoni, Antonie, Antonij, Antonije, Antonio, Antonis, Antonius, Antono, Antony, Antoon, Doncho, Teun, Teunis, Theun, Theunis, Ton, Tone, Tonci, Toni, Tonino, Tonio, Tonis, Tono, Tony, Toon, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Anthony Butter (called “Tony“), the gardener at Amhurste Hall, who narrates “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), and is made fun of by Humfrey Lemon and Bered Turnip for his envy of their large broods, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Anthony Styles, the shoemaker who passes Sibyl’s message on, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Anthony Armstrong (1897-1976), Anglo-Canadian writer, dramatist, and essayist.
– Anthony Bailey (b. 1933), English writer and art historian.
– Anthony Browne (b. 1946), English children’s book writer and illustrator.
– Anthony Burgess (1917-1993), English writer and composer.
– Anthony Gilbert (1899-1973), one of the pen names of English novelist Lucy Beatrice Malleson.
– Anthony Horowitz (b. 1955), English novelist and screenwriter.
– Anthony Powell (1905-2000), English novelist.
– Anthony Trollope (1815-1882), English novelist.
Marian
August 11, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
An alternate spelling of “Marion” or “Marianne“, French diminutive forms of “Marie”, ultimately derived from “Maria“. Sometimes used as a masculine form of “Maria“, or as a version of “Marianus”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Mairenn, Mairin, Mairwen, Manon, Manya, Mari, Maria, Mariamne, Mariana, Marianna, Marianne, Marie, Marielle, Mariette, Marion, Mariona, Marise, Marjan, Mary, Marya, Maryana, Maryann, Marzena, Maureen, Maurine, Miren, Mirjana, Mirjane, etc.
For boys: Marianus, Marion, Mariano, Marius, Merrian, Merrion, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marian Butter, Anthony Butter’s sturdy and strong-willed wife, who nursed Lady Margaret from childhood, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Mistress Marian Every, Lady Elizabeth’s adopted daughter, who grows up with Lady Patience and Lord Ernie, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales.
– Marian Gray, the youngest of the Gray girls, fun-loving and strong-willed, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Marian Selwyn, a well-bred young lady who is a good role-model for the girls around her, in “An April Fool”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Marian Engel (1933-1985), Canadian novelist.
– Marian Keyes (b. 1965), Irish author.
Ben
August 7, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Benjamin“, “Benedict”, “Reuben“, etc., diminutive of “Bernard“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bennie, Benny, Bent, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ben Bowen, Ruth and Sammy’s ailing grandfather in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Ben Harris, a local who tries to stick up for Jethro against Guy Wortman’s bullying, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Ben (Reuben) Huckabuck, the Ridd’s wealthy, persnickety uncle in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Ben Jonson (1572-1637), English critic, dramatist, and poet.
Joan
August 4, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Usually used as the English form of “Johanne”, the Old French feminine version of “John“, meaning “Jehovah has been gracious”. Sometimes used as a masculine variant of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Chevonne, Gia, Gianna, Giannina, Giovanna, Giovannetta, Hanna, Hanne, Ioanna, Ivana, Jana, Janina, Janine, Janne, Jannicke, Jean, Jeanne, Jenna, Jo, Joanie, Joann, Joanna, Joanne, Joetta, Johanna, Jojo, Jolene, Joleen, Jonelle, Jonette, Joni, Jonna, Juana, Juanita, Nana, Sheena, Shevaun, Shona, Siobhan, Sinaid, Vanna, Yoana, etc.
For boys: Eoin, Evan, Ewan, Gianni, Giannino, Giovanni, Hankin, Hans, Ian, Iain, Ioannes, Ivan, Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacky, Jan, Janko, Jannick, Jean, Jeannot, Jenkin, Jens, Jo, Joan, Jock, Johan, Johannes, Johnnie, Johnny, Jon, Jonas, Jonel, Jonny, Joop, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Yan, Yannick, Yochanon, Yon, Yvan, Vanya, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Joan Gobble, an arthritic old woman Lady Margaret goes on a charitable visit to, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Hon. Joan Johnes, who marries Lord Steyne’s son, George, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
WRITERS:
– Joan Didion (b. 1934), American essayist, memoirist, and novelist.
– Joan Austral Fraser (1918-2001), Australian novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name “Amy Witting”.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 