Fritz
August 5, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Friedrich”, the German version of “Frederick“, meaning “peaceful ruler”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fiete, Fred, Freddie, Freddy, Fredo, Frits, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Fritz, another new boy at Lily’s school, “who is from Rumania and is rumored to eat worms”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Fritz, one of Becky’s young bohemian neighbors in Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Fritz Kohler, the local tailor, in whose house Thea’s music teacher, Prof. Wunsch, lives and gives his lessons, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Fritz Angst (1944-1976), Swiss author who published under the pen name “Fritz Zorn”.
– Fritz Arnheim (1866-1922), German historian, lecturer, and traveler.
– Fritz Oswald Bilse (1878-1951), German novelist, playwright, and soldier, who also published under the pen names “Fritz von der Kyrburg” and “Fritz Wernthal”.
– Fritz Cronman (c.1640-c.1680), Swedish diarist, diplomat, letter-writer, and soldier.
– Fritz Fischer (1908-1999), German historian.
– Fritz Gerlich (1883-1934), German historian and journalist.
– Fritz Grünbaum (1880-1941), Austrian artist, actor, director, and songwriter.
– Fritz Heichelheim (1901-1968), German-Canadian historian and professor.
– Fritz Hochwälder (1911-1986), Austrian playwright.
– Fritz Hommel (1854-1936), German scholar and writer.
– Fritz Koselka (1905-1978), Austrian screenwriter and writer.
– Fritz Leiber (1910-1992), American actor, author, playwright, and poet.
– Fritz Löhner-Beda (1883-1942), Austrian librettist, lyricist, and writer.
– Fritz Magnussen (1878-1920), Danish director and screenwriter.
– Fritz Mauthner (1849-1923), Austro-Hungarian critic, journalist, novelist, philosopher, and satirist.
– Fritz Mühlenweg (1898-1961), German author, editor, painter, and translator.
– Fritz Novotny (1903-1983), Austrian historian.
– Fritz Oliven (1874-1956), German author, composer, lawyer, librettist, and lyricist, who published under the pen name “Rideamus”.
– Fritz Reuter (1810-1874), German novelist.
– Fritz Saxl (1890-1948), Austrian historian.
– Fritz Spiegl (1926-2003), Austrian broadcaster, collector, humorist, journalist, and musician.
– Fritz Stern (b. 1926), German-American historian and professor.
– Fritz Steuben (1898-1981), pen name of German novelist and short-story writer Erhard Wittek.
– Fritz von Unruh (1885-1970), German dramatist, novelist, and poet.
Max
August 5, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Maximilian” or “Maxwell”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mac, Mack, Maxie, Maxey, Miksa, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Max, one of Becky’s young bohemian neighbors in Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Dr. Max Wilson, Dr. Ed’s younger brother, a brilliant playboy surgeon who beguiles Sidney Page, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
AUTHORS:
– Sir Max Beerbohm (1872-1956), English humorist and writer.
Florence
August 5, 2014 § 7 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Florentia” or “Florentius”, meaning “blooming” or “prosperous”. Sometimes used as a variant of “Flora” or “Florent”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Fiorenza, Fleur, Flo, Flor, Flora, Florentia, Florina, Floris, Florrie, Florry, Floss, Flossie, Flossy, etc.
For boys: Fiorenzo, Florent, Florentius, Floris, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Florence Aplin (called “Flo“), a snobbish, bragging girl from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Florence Ellery (called “Floss“), a rather snobbish and conceited young lady in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Florence Fleming, Ally’s cousin, who can be a bit spiteful, in “Ally”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Florence Scape, who, with her sister and mother, “fade away to Boulogne” after her 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:
– Florence Morse Kingsley (1859-1937), American novelist.
– Florence Nash (1888-1950), American actress and poet.
– Florence Scovel Shinn (1871-1940), American artist and metaphysical writer.