Percival
October 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Perceval”, a name created for the poem Perceval, or the Story of the Grail, written in the 12th century by French poet Chrétian de Troyes; possibly influenced by the Old French for “to pierce the valley” or “to perceive the veil (of religious mystery)”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Parsifal, Parzifal, Perce, Perceval, Percevale, Percie, Percy, Percyvelle.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Percival Tweedie, the “eligible bachelor” silversmith who comes to join Lapham as partner after Johnny’s accident, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Percival Everett (b. 1956), American novelist, professor, and short story writer.
– Percival Pickering (1865-1965), pen name of English author Anna Marie Wilhelmina (A.M.W.) Pickering.
– Percival Pollard (1869-1911), American critic, novelist, and short story writer.
– Percival Serle (1871-1951), Australian bibliographer and biographer.
– Percival Spear (1901-1982), English educator, government worker, and historian.
– Percival Stockdale (1736-1811), English poet, reformer, and writer.
– Percival Wilde (1887-1953), American author and playwright.
– Percival Christopher (P.C.) Wren (1875-1941), English author and educator.
Carey
August 10, 2015 § 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, “Carey” (alternately spelled “Cary”) may be from an English place name, meaning “fort”; or a Welsh place name, meaning “stony island”; or a French place name from Normandy or Burgundy; or an Irish name meaning “descended from Ciardha (the Black)”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carew, Cary, Carrey, Carye, Ceary, Crey, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Carey Kriszinski, Sheila’s overweight older brother, “forever working the meat slicer”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Carey Parrish (b. 1967), American author and writer.
– Carey Wilson (1889-1962), American producer, screenwriter, and voice actor.
Sheila
August 10, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternative / Anglicized spelling of “Sile”, an Irish variation of “Cecilia” / “Cecily” / “Cicely“; or an alternate spelling of “Sheela” / “Shila”, a Hindu / Sanskrit name meaning “good character” or “good conduct”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cacilia, Cacelie, Caecilia, Cecilia, Cecilie, Cecilija, Cecille, Cecily, Cecylia, Cicely, Cicily, Cila, Cila, Cili, Cilka, Cilla, Cille, Cissi, Cissie, Cissy, Shayla, Shaylah, Shelagh, Sheelagh, Sheelah, Sheilah, Shelia, Shyla, Shylah, Sila, Sile, Sileas, Silja, Silje, Silke, Silla, Sille, Sissi, Sissie, Sissy, Tsetsiliya, Zila, Zile, Zilla, Zillah, Zille, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sheila Kriszinski, Lily’s new best friend in high school, who counts as somewhat “bad company”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Sheila Baxter (b. 1933), Canadian activist and author.
– Sheila Bhatia (1916-2008), Indian playwright and poet.
– Sheila Burnford (1918-1984), Scottish-Canadian author and traveler.
– Sheila Callaghan (b. 1973), American playwright and screenwriter.
– Sheila Connolly (b. 1950), American mystery author.
– Sheila Cussons (1922-2004), South African painter, poet, and writer.
– Sheila Finch (b. 1935), Anglo-American science fiction author.
– Sheila Fischman (b. 1937), Canadian columnist, editor, and translator.
– Sheila Fitzpatrick (b. 1941), Australian-American author, historian, and professor.
– Sheila Meiring Fugard (b. 1932), South African novelist, playwright, poet, and short story writer.
– Sheila Gordon (1927-2013), South African novelist.
– Sheila Heti (b. 1976), Canadian author and editor.
– Sheila Holland (1937-2000), English romance author who also published under the pen names “Charlotte Lamb”, “Laura Hardy”, “Sheila Coates”, “Sheila Lancaster”, and “Victoria Wolf”.
– Sheila Kaye-Smith (1887-1956), English novelist.
– Sheila K. McCullagh (1920-2014), English author and children’s book writer.
– Sheila E. Murphy (b. 1951), American poet.
– Sheila Nicholls (b. 1970), English singer and songwriter.
– Sheila Nickerson (b. 1942), American poet and writer.
– Sheila Quigley (b. 1947), English suspense and thriller author.
– Sheila Rowbotham (b. 1943), English activist and writer.
– Sheila Stewart (1937-2014), Scottish author, singer, and storyteller.
– Sheila Stuart (1892-1974), pen name of Scottish author and children’s book writer Gladys May Baker.
– Sheila Walsh (1928-2009), English romance author who also published under the pen name “Sophie Leyton”.
– Sheila Watson (1909-1998), Canadian critic, novelist, and teacher.
Ira
August 9, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “watchful”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
I . . . got nothin’.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ira Tourin, Marty’s younger brother, “born a month prematurely, and . . . permanently trying to catch up”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), Anglo-American actor and playwright.
– Ira Berkow (b. 1940), American columnist, reporter, and writer.
– Ira Berkowitz (b. 1939), American crime author.
– Ira Berlin (b. 1941), American author, historian, and professor.
– Ira Cohen (1935-2011), American filmmaker, photographer, poet, and publisher.
– Ira Eisenstein (1906-2001), American author, rabbi, and theologian.
– Ira Lunan Ferguson (1904-1992), American author, essayist, and psychologist.
– Ira Joe Fisher (b. 1947), American broadcaster, educator, and poet.
– Ira Gitler (b. 1928), American historian and journalist.
– Ira Gershwin (1896-1983), American lyricist.
– Ira D. Gruber (b. 1934), American author, bibliographer, and historian.
– Ira B. Harkey, Jr. (1918-2006), American author, editor, professor, and publisher.
– Ira Ishida (b. 1960), Japanese actor, commentator, novelist, and short story writer.
– Ira M. Lapidus (b. 1937), American author, historian, and professor.
– Ira Levin (1929-2007), American dramatist, novelist, and songwriter.
– Ira Lewis (1932-2015), American actor, playwright, and writer.
– Ira Louvin (1924-1965), pen name of American musician, singer, and songwriter Ira Lonnie Loudermilk.
– Ira Sadoff (b. 1945), American critic, novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Ira Schuster (1889-1945), American songwriter who also published under the pen name “John Siras”.
– Ira Stanphil (1914-1993), American songwriter.
– Ira Wallach (1913-1995), American novelist and screenwriter.
– Ira Wolfert (1908-1997), American reporter and writer.
Igor
August 4, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Russian variation of “Ingvar”, from the Old Norse “hero” name “Yngvarr”, meaning “warrior of the god Yngvi-Freyr“; sometimes used as a variation of “George“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ingvar, Ingvarr, Yngvar, Yngvarr, Yngvi, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Igor, the (possibly false) name of more than one of Uncle Len’s mysterious friends, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Igor Akimushkin (1929-1993), Russian writer and zoologist.
– Igor M. Diakonoff (1915-1999), Russian historian, linguist, scholar, and translator.
– Igor Goldkind (b. 1960), American lecturer, poet, science fiction author, and writer.
– Igor Guberman (b. 1936), Russian-Israeli poet and writer.
– Igor Marojević (b. 1968), Serbian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and translator.
– Igor Severyanin (1887-1941), Russian poet.
– Igor Škamperle (b. 1962), Slovenian essayist, novelist, sociologist, and translator.
– Igor Štiks (b. 1977), Croatian author, editor, reporter, and scholar.
– Igor Talankin (1927-2010), Russian director and screenwriter.
– Igor Torkar (1913-2004), pen name of Slovenian poet, playwright, and writer Boris Fakin.
– Igor Yefimov (b. 1937), Russian-American philosopher, publisher, and writer who also publishes as “Andrei Moscovit”.
Edna
August 2, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly an Anglicized version of the Gaelic “Eithne”, meaning “kernel”, or from Hebrew, meaning “pleasure” or “rejuvenation”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aithne, Edena, Ednah, Eithne, Ena, Enya, Ethna, Ethne, Etna, Idina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Edna (or Esther or Etka) Kroll Shaine — “Esther in Hebrew, Edna in English, and Etka in Russian” — Lily’s increasingly-senile grandmother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Edna Anhalt (1914-1987), American screenwriter.
– Edna Buchanan (b. 1938/39), American crime author, journalist, and novelist.
– Edna Ferber (1885-1968), American novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– Edna (E.) Mayne Hull (1905-1975), Canadian science fiction author.
– Edna Iturralde (b. 1948), Ecuadorian children’s book author.
– Edna Lewis (1916-2006), American author and chef.
– Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), American poet and playwright who also published under the pen name “Nancy Boyd”.
– Edna O’Brien (b. 1930), Irish memoirist, novelist, playwright, poet, and short story writer.
– Edna Osser (1919-2005), American songwriter.
– Edna Staebler (1906-2006), Canadian author and journalist.
Inez
May 24, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Anglicization of “Inés”, the Italian or Spanish version of “Agnes“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Annice, Annis, Aune, Iines, Ines, Nainsi, Nance, Nancie, Nancy, Nensi, Nes, Neske, Nessie, Nessy, Nest, Nesta, Neysa, Oanez, Ynes, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Inez Carew, the actress Carrie replaces for her first big break, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Inez Baskin (1916-2007), American activist and journalist.
– Inez Hogan (1895-1973), American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Inez Holden (1903-1974), English journalist, socialite, and writer.
– Inez Haynes Irwin (1873-1970), American activist, author, and journalist who sometimes published as “Inez Haynes Gillmore”.
Benjamin
May 24, 2015 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew name “Binyamin”, meaning “son of the south” or “son of the right hand”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ben, Beniamin, Beniamino, Benj, Benja, Benji, Benjie, Benjy, Bennie, Benny, Benyamen, Beryamen, Binyamin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benjamin Hardin Creighton (b. 1832), oldest of the Creighton children, “left for Californy 1849”), in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Middle name of Matthew Benjamin Creighton, Ellen’s husband and Jethro’s father, a well-respected farmer of integrity and compassion, in Across Five Aprils.
– Benjamin Norton, the president of the trolley company Hurstwood attempts to work for, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), English novelist and politician.
– Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), American activist, author, diplomat, inventor, politician, publisher, scientist, and statesman.
Orrin
May 24, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Oran” / “Orin”, from Irish, meaning “little pale green one”, or of “Oren”, from Hebrew, meaning “pine tree”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Odran, Odrhan, Oran, Oren, Orin, Orren, Orrie, Orry, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Orrin Cushing, a friend of Lola’s who tries to strike up a flirtation with Carrie, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
Lola
May 24, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Dolores”, meaning “sorrowful”. May also be used (in a roundabout sort of way) as a diminutive of “Dorothy” or “Mary“, through the “Doll” / “Moll” / “Poll” / “Loll” rhyming tradition.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Loleta, Lolette, Lolicia, Lolita, Loll, Lollie, Lolly
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lola Osborne, Carrie’s friend and fellow actress, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Lola Anglada (1893-1984), Spanish illustrator and writer.
– Lola Ridge (1873-1941), Irish-American anarchist, editor, and poet.
– Lola Rodríguez de Tió (1843-1924), Puerto Rican activist and poet.
– Lola Lemire Tostevin (b. 1937), French Canadian poet, novelist, and translator.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 