1770s | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Harry

August 6, 2014 § 10 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Harold”, “Harris”, “Henry“, “Harriet“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Enrica, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Halle, Hallie, Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, Hattie, Hatty, Henrietta, Henriette, Het, Hettie, Hetty, Yetta, etc.
For boys: Amerigo, Amery, Arrigo, Emmerich, Emery, Emory, Enrico, Enrique, Enzo, Hal, Hank, Harald, Harold, Harri, Heinrich, Heinz, Hennie, Henny, Henri, Hendrik, Hendry, Henrik, Henry, Henryk, Herrold, Herry, Imre, Imrich, Imrus, Ric, Rico, Rik, Rikki, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Harry, Mr. Knightley’s butler, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Harry, a beau of one of the other shop girls in the Chicago shoe factory where Carrie first finds employment, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Harry, a boy-of-all-work at Fitzgerald and Moy’s, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry, the regular desk clerk at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Harry, the name of more than one of the boys Lily dates, who perhaps not-so-coincidentally often have names which rhyme with her long-absent father, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Harry Burbeck, a fellow Elk who will be performing in blackface for the lodge theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Camden, the consummate gentleman, who seems everything a woman could wish for, in “What Hope Bell Found in Her Stocking”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Harry Dashwood, John’s little boy, for whose benefit Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are entirely overlooked and impoverished, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Harry (Harriet) Dunbar, a confident, stout-hearted girl, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats, in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and who refuses to be bullied by the snobs who come into the shop in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry Elliott, Edith’s brother, who Dolly embarrasses herself in front of, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry McGarren, one of Hurstwood’s friends, the managing editor of the Times, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Quincel, a fellow Elk and friend of Drouet’s, who asks him to find a girl to star in the lodge’s theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Warren, Marion Warren’s brother in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Sir Harry Willing, an officer in His Majesty’s army who admires and courts the lovely Sibyl, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

WRITERS:
– Harry Bates (1900-1981), American editor and writer.
– Harry Brown (1917-1986), American novelist, poet, and screenwriter.
– Harry Harrison (1925-2012), American author.
– Harry Patterson (b. 1929), English author who also published under the pen names “Hugh Marlowe”, “Jack Higgins”, “James Graham”, and “Martin Fallon”.
– Harry Bache (B.) Smith (1860-1936), American composer, lyricist, and writer.
– Harry Whittington (1915-1989), American writer.

QUOTATIONS:
– In “Tom, Dick or Harry“, a song from the 1948 Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter, Bianca and her suitors sing of her eagerness to wed: “I’m a maid who would marry / And would take with no qualm / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Harry, Dick or Tom. / I’m a maid mad to marry / And will take double-quick / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Tom, Harry or Dick!”

Johnny

August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “John” or “Jonathan“. Obviously.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eoin, Evan, Gianni, Giannino, Hans, Ian, Ivan, Janek, Jani, Janne, Jannick, Jean, Jens, Jo, Johannes, John, Johnnie, Jon, Jonas, Joni, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Jono, Vanya, Yan, Yannick, Yvon, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Johnny, a little blind boy at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Johnny Lambert, one of the children who delight in offering hospitality to those in need on the holiday, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Johnny Rosenfeld (sometimes called “Jack“), a florist’s delivery boy who lives down the alley near the Page’s house, and who works his way up to the position of chauffeur for Palmer and Christine Howe, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Spanish Johnny (Juan Tellamantez), a talented guitar player, one of the Mexican workmen who befriend Thea in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Johnny (Jonathan) Tremain, the gifted and proud teenaged hero of Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).

WRITERS:
– Johnny Byrne (1935-2008), English writer and script editor.
– Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), American songwriter and lyricist.

Francis

August 5, 2014 § 6 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Late Latin word “Franciscus” (meaning “Frenchman”), from the Germanic / Old French word for “free”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chica, Chico, Ferenc, Feri, Fran, Franca, Francesco, Francisco, Franciscus, Franco, Francois, Frank, Franka, Frankie, Franky, Franny, Frans, Franz, Franzi, Paca, Paco, Pancho, Paquita, Paquito, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Francis, William Dobbin’s manservant in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Francis Bowyer, the kindly vicar whose wife befriends Mary Vivian after her godmother’s death, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.

WRITERS:
– Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English writer and statesman.
– Francis Macdonald (F.M.) Cornford (1874-1943), English poet and scholar.
– Francis Scott Key (F. Scott) Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American author.
– Francis Francis (1822-1866), English writer.
– Francis King (1923-2011), English novelist, poet, and writer.
– Francis Marrash (1836-1873), Syrian writer and poet.
– Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), American author and amateur poet.
– Francis Sempill (c.1616-1682), Scottish poet and satirist.
– Francis Wyndham (b. 1923), English author, editor, and journalist.

Walter

August 5, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “powerful warrior” or “ruler of the army”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gautier, Gualtiero, Valter, Waldhar, Wally, Walt, Walther, Wat, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Walter Scape, who is “withdrawn from Eton and put into a merchant’s house” after his father’s failure in the firm of Fogle, Fake, and Cracksman, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

WRITERS:
– Walter of Swinbroke (died c. 1360), English chronicler, also known as Geoffrey the Baker.
– Walter Besant (1836-1901), English historian and novelist who sometimes published in collaboration with James Rice.
– Walter Ericson (1914-2003), pen name of American novelist and television writer Howard Fast, who also wrote under the pen name “E.V. Cunningham”.
– Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864), English writer and poet.
– Walter Pater (1839-1894), English writer and critic.
– Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet.

Horace

August 5, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
English / French version of the Latin “Horatio” / “Horatius”, derived from the word for “hour”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Horacio, Horatio, Horatius, Orazio, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Horace Fogey, one of Becky’s high society friends in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Sir Horace Fogle, a former partner in Fogle, Fake, and Cracksman, who manages to escape his firm’s failure smelling like a rose, though it ruins Mr. Scape, in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
– Horace (65 BC-8 BC), English name for the Roman lyric poet, satirist, and critic.
– Horace Gregory (1898-1982), American poet and literary critic.
– Horace Smith (1779-1849), English poet and parodist.
– Horace Walpole (1717-1797), English writer and politician.

Molly

August 4, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Polly“, a diminutive of “Mary“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maille, Malle, Manon, Moll, Molle, Mollie, Pol, Pola, Poll, Pollie, Polly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Molly, an old serving-woman who works for the Ridd’s, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Molly, the cook in the Crawley-Sharp household, who little Master Rawdon loved because she “crammed him with ghost stories at night, and with good things from the dinner”, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Molly Barnet, “a hospital nurse with a heart”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– “Major” Molly Elliston, whose determination to keep a promise helps save a garrison, in “Major Molly’s Christmas Promise” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Molly Gair, a resourceful and diligent young lady, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Molly Grue, the “drab” who knows quite a lot about unicorns, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
– Molly Jameson, Ruth’s aunt, who has borne all that she can bear, in The Harvester.
– Molly (Maria) Mirvan, Evelina’s dearest friend, with whom she enters into London society, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Molly (Mary) Porter, a shopgirl Anna Winslow helps in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Molly Price, one of the guests the Lambert children invite for dinner, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.

WRITERS:
– Molly Childers (1875-1964), Irish activist and writer.
– Molly Holden (1927-1981), English poet.
– Molly Ivins (1944-2007), American writer, political critic, and humorist.
– Molly Kazan (1906-1963), American dramatist and playwright.
– Molly Keane (1904-1996), Irish novelist and playwright.
– Molly Lefebure (1919-2013), English writer.
– Molly Elliot Seawell (1860-1916), American historian and writer.
– Molly Weir (1910-2004), Scottish actress and memoirist.

Polly

August 4, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Variant of “Molly“, a diminutive of “Mary“. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Pauline“, “Paulette”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Moll, Mollie, Molly, Paula, Pol, Pola, Poll, Pollie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Polly, one of the Lexington girls clamoring to partner with Rab at the Silsbee country dance in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Polly (Mary) Clapp, daughter of the Sedley’s landlord, who bestows on Dobbin the nickname “Major Sugarplums” owing to his habit of bringing gifts for all at every visit to the house, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Polly Branghton (sometimes called “Poll“), the youngest child of Madame Duval’s (and Evelina’s) cousins, the crude, ill-mannered Branghton clan, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Polly Green, the nurse’s daughter passed off as the child of Sir John Belmont, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World.
– Polly Moore, daughter of a chandler’s-shop woman, who Madame Duval uses as an example of how much life in Paris can “improve” a young lady, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World.
– Polly Price, a generous little girl who learns about Valentines in “Polly’s Valentine” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Polly Snowe, one of Farmer Nicholas’ three lively, comely daughters, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Polly Talboys, a village girl who lives near Queen’s Crawley, in Vanity Fair.

QUOTATIONS:
– The nursery rhyme “Polly Put the Kettle On“, published in 1797: “Polly put the kettle on, / We’ll all have tea.”

Betsy

August 4, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Betsey” or “Betsie”, diminutive of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bess, Bessie, Bessy, Betsey, Bette, Beth, Bette, Bettie, Betty, Buffy, Elspet, Elspeth, Pet, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Betsy, one of the Lexington girls clamoring to partner with Rab at the Silsbee country dance in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Betsy Barnes, a housemaid who convinces herself that she has seen a ghost, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.
– Betsy Horrocks, known as “Ribbons”, the saucy butler’s daughter who tries to parlay the attention she gets from Sir Pitt into wealth, status, and a ladyship (through marriage), in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Betsy Paramore, the girl Tom Faggus was set to marry before the financial failure that drove him to become a highwayman, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

WRITERS:
– Betsy Byars (b. 1928), American children’s book author.
– Betsy Colquitt (b. 1927), American poet.

QUOTATIONS:
– “Sweet Betsy from Pike” is an American ballad, written in the 1850s: “Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike / Who crossed the wide mountains with her lover Ike?”

Dolly

August 4, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Dorothy“, from the Greek, meaning “gift of God”. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Dolores”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dee, Dodie, Doll, Dolley, Dollie, Dora, Dorit, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Lola, Lollie, Lolly, Moll, Molly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dolly, one of the Boston children roused to their chores at the start of Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Dolly, the kindly housemaid who cares for little Rawdon Crawley after his French nursemaid leaves, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Dolly, who foolishly attempts to imitate her famous namesake by “putting on airs”, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Dolly (Lady Dorothy Lennox), one of the children in the care of Nurse Crumpet who beg her to tell the sad story of their Aunt Patience, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Dolly Lorton (sometimes called “Doll“), the heedless, gossiping youngest sister of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.

Clement

August 2, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
English version of the Latin “Clemens” or “Clementius”, meaning “merciful” or “gentle”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Clem, Clemens, Clemente, Klement, Klemens, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Clement William Sheepshanks, Earl of Southdown, brother to Lady Emily and Lady Jane Sheepshanks in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Sir Clement Willoughby, the insistent rouge (perhaps the original “NiceGuyTM”) who forces his attentions on Miss Anville, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.

AUTHORS:
– Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863), American theologian and poet.

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