Honour
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “honor” (and also alternately spelled “Honor”), this is one of the “virtue” names created and embraced by the Puritans.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Honor, Honora, Honoria, Honorata, Nora, Norah, Noreen, Norene, Norina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Honour Jose, the Badcock’s maid, who is able to hide from the Doone’s during the raid on the farmhouse, and consequently testify to their cruelty in murdering the Badcock’s child, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Christopher
September 16, 2014 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Christophoros”, meaning “bearer of Christ”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chip, Chris, Christie, Christoffel, Christoffer, Christophe, Christophoros, Christy, Cris, Cristobal, Cristoforo, Hristo, Hristofor, Kester, Kit, Kris, Kristof, Kristoffer, Kristofor, Kristopher, Krsto, Krystof, Krzys, Krzysiek, Krzysztof, Risto, Toph, Topher, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christopher Badcock (called “Kit“), the innocent farmer whose young child is murdered while his wife, Margery, is carried off by the Doones, the final outrage which causes the locals to rise up against this scourge in their midst, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Christopher Fry (1907-2005), English poet and playwright.
– Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011), Anglo-American author, debater, journalist, and polemicist.
– Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), English novelist.
– Christopher Koch (1932-2013), Australian novelist.
– Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English dramatist, poet, and translator.
– Christopher Morley (1890-1957), American essayist, journalist, novelist, and poet.
– Christopher Nolan (1965-2009), Irish author and poet.
Margery
September 16, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Marjorie” / “Marjory“, a medieval English version of “Margaret“, influenced by the name of the herb “marjoram”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Margaret, Margareta, Margaretha, Margarethe, Margarita, Margaux, Marge, Margie, Margit, Margy, Margo, Margot, Marguerite, Marji, Marjorie, Marjory, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Megan, Megeen, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Meta, Metta, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mysie, Jorey, Jori, Jorie, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, Reeta, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Margery Badcock, the innocent farmer Christopher Badcock’s wife, whose young child is murdered while she is carried off by the Doones, the final outrage which causes the locals to rise up against this scourge in their midst, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Margery Allingham (1904-1966), English mystery writer.
– Margery Fish (1892-1969), English gardener and writer.
– Margery Kempe (c. 1373-after 1438), English mystic and autobiographer.
– Margery Lawrence (1889-1969), English author.
– Margery Sharpe (1905-1991), English writer.
– Margery Williams (1881-1944), Anglo-American author.
Gronus
September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Gronus” is a name of unknown origin and meaning, but possibly related to the French “grenus”, meaning “grainy”, or archaic French slang for “whiskers” or “moustaches”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . I don’t know. I really, really don’t know.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Gronus Batchildor, one of the local gentry who rile up 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).
Nita
September 16, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Anita”, “Benita“, “Juanita”, other names ending in “-nita”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Anika, Juana, Neeta, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nita (Benita) Odam, the Italian nursemaid John Ridd meets in an innyard, who is stranded in Exmoor by the Doone’s attack on her employer’s coach, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Benita
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Spanish feminine version of “Benito”, a variation of “Benedict”, meaning “blessed”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Benedetta, Benedicta, Bénédicte, Benedikta, Benedita, Bengta, Benoite, Bente, Bettina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benita Odam (called “Nita“), the Italian nursemaid John Ridd meets in an innyard, who is stranded in Exmoor by the Doone’s attack on her employer’s coach, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Josiah
September 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “Jehovah supports”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Iosias, Jos, Josias, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Josiah Bowden, the local parson in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Josiah Quincy, the “best young lawyer in Boston”, who defends Johnny against charges of theft and fraud, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Josiah Conder (1789-1855), English author and editor.
– Josiah Gregg (1806-1850), American author, explorer, merchant, and naturalist.
– Josiah Henson (1789-1883), American-Canadian abolitionist, author, and minister.
– Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1881), American novelist and poet who sometimes used the pen name “Timothy Titcomb”.
– Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), American historian and politician.
– Josiah Priest (1788-1851), American pseudohistorical and pseudoscientific writer.
– Josiah Strong (1847-1916), American author, clergyman, editor, and organizer.
– Josiah Tucker (1713-1799), Welsh churchman, economist, and political writer.
Jasper
September 15, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
From Persian, meaning “treasurer”, or referring to the gemstone.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cas, Caspar, Casper, Gaspar, Gaspard, Gaspare, Gasparo, Gaszi, Jas, Jaspar, Jesper, Kaspar, Kasper, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jasper Flight, a prospector for Dr. Archie’s company, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Jasper Kebby, a local yeoman whose farm neighbors Ridd’s and Snowe’s, though is far less prosperous than either, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Charlie
September 15, 2014 § 7 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Charley“, a diminutive or feminine form of “Charles“, meaning “man”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Carla, Carlotta, Carola, Carolina, Caroline, Charlize, Charlotta, Karla, Karola, Karolina, Let, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Lotty, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
For boys: Carl, Carlos, Carroll, Charles, Charley, Chas, Chaz, Chick, Chip, Chuck, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charlie (Charleworth) Doone, who tries to compete with Carver for Lorna’s hand, though she despises them both for their violence and cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Charlie (Charles) Drouet, the traveling salesman who first offers Carrie a way out of her poverty, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
Charleworth
September 15, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possible variation of “Charlesworth”, an English place name meaning “jagged or jaw-like enclosure”, or “Charlton”, an English place name meaning “Charles’ town”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chalesworth, Charlie, Charles, Charley, Charleston, Charlesworth, Charlton, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charleworth Doone (called “Charlie“), who tries to compete with Carver for Lorna’s hand, though she despises them both for their violence and cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 