Sven
May 10, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the Old Norse “Sveinn”, meaning “boy”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Soini, Svein, Sveinn, Svend, Svens
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sven Hanson, Carrie’s solemn and austere brother-in-law in Chicago, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Sven Agessen (b. 1140-50-death unknown), Danish historian and writer.
– Sven Delblanc (1931-1992), Swedish academic, author, professor, and translator.
– Sven G. Eliassen (b. 1944), Norwegian historian.
– Sven Elvestad (1884-1934), Norwegian author and journalist, who published mystery stories under the pen name “Stein Riverton”.
– Sven Hassel (or Hazel; 1917-2012), pen name of Danish novelist Børge Willy Redsted Pedersen.
– Sven Hedin (1865-1962), Swedish explorer, geographer, illustrator, photographer, topographer, and travel writer.
– Sven Lidman (1882-1960), Swedish dramatist, novelist, poet, and preacher.
– Sven Lidman (1921-2011), Swedish lexicographer and writer.
– Sven Lindqvist (b. 1932), Swedish author and historian.
– Sven Methling, Jr. (1918-2005), Danish director and screenwriter.
– Sven Moren (1871-1938), Norwegian activist, author, children’s book writer, farmer, playwright, poet, and politician.
– Sven Rosén (1708-1750), Swedish theologian and writer.
– Sven Stolpe (1905-1996), Swedish critic, journalist, scholar, translator, and writer.
Cad
May 10, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Caddie”, “Carrie”, “Caroline”, “Catrin”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cady, Caddie, Caddy, Calleigh, Callie, Cari, Carla, Carrie, Carry, Kallie, Kari, Karla, Karrie, Karry, Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kerry, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cad (Caroline) Meeber (usually called “Carrie“; “Miss Madenda” in her acting career), the titular self-interested dreamer of Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
Some Formerly-Popular Baby Names for Girls
January 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
Here is an article about some names that were once top of the list in popularity for baby girls, but have since gone nearly extinct. What do you think? Is it time to resurrect some of these old-fashioned names? (Note: If you’re looking for good names for characters, remember that the young adults of any particular decade would be likely to have a popular baby name of ~20 years earlier. So, say, an Ethel born in the 1890s would be a “new woman” of the WWI years, or even a “flapper” of the 1920s!)
Bertha (popular in the 1880s)
Betty (popular throughout the 1930s)
Doris (popular in the 1930s)
Dorothy (popular in the 1920s)
Edna (popular from the 1880s through to the 1920s)
Ethel (popular in the 1890s through the early 1900s)
Florence (popular from the 1880s-1930s)
Gladys (popular around the 1890s-1910s)
Ida (popular in the 1880s)
Mildred (popular in the 1910s-1920s)
Minnie (popular in the late 1800s)
Tammy (popular in the 1960s)
Baby-Naming Trends of the Past
January 8, 2015 § Leave a comment
What’s that they say?
“Everything old is new again.”
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
“History repeats itself.”
“What goes around, comes around.”
It all seems so appropriate for the subject of naming trends. We even have an early 19th century preference for “K” names to thank for making “Katherine” (and it’s nickname, “Katie” / “Katy“) more common than “Catherine“!
Click through to the article for more baby-naming trends that aren’t as modern as we might think!
Nikos
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A shortened version of the Greek “Nikolaos”, meaning “victory of the people”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cai, Caj, Claes, Claus, Col, Colas, Cole, Colet, Colin, Collin, Kai, Kaj, Kay, Klaas, Klaes, Klas, Klaus, Kolya, Miklos, Mikolas, Miksa, Mykola, Neacel, Nels, Nic, Niccolo, Nichol, Nicholas, Nichols, Nick, Nickie, Nickolas, Nicky, Nico, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolas, Nicolaas, Nicolaos, Nicolau, Nicolaus, Nicolo, Nicos, Niek, Niels, Nigul, Nik, Nika, Nikko, Niklas, Niklaus, Niko, Nikola, Nikolai, Nikolaj, Nikolajs, Nikolaos, Nikolas, Nikolaus, Nikolay, Nikoloz, Niksa, Nikusha, Nils, Nixon, Nykko, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nikos, the great wizard who tried his best to teach Schmendrick everything he knew, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985), Greek painter and poet.
– Nikos Gatsos (1911-1992), Greek lyricist, poet, and translator.
– Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (1906-1994), Greek academic, artist, and writer.
– Nikos Karouzos (1926-1990), Greek poet.
– Nikos Kavvadias (1910-1975), Greek poet and writer.
– Nikos Nicolaides (1884-1956), Greek painter and writer.
– Nikos Nikolaidis (1939-2007), Greek director, producer, and writer.
– Nikos Tsiforos (1916-1970), Greek director and screenwriter.
Otto
December 3, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Variation of the Germanic “Audo” or “Odo”, meaning “wealth”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Audo, Eudes, Oddo, Ode, Odi, Odilon, Odo, Otello, Otho, Othello, Ottone, Ottorino, Rino, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Otto Ottenburg, Fred’s brewing magnate father, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865-1910), German writer.
– Otto Binder (1911-1974), American author and comic book writer.
– Otto Ludwig (1813-1865), German critic, dramatist, and novelist.
– Otto Manninen (1872-1950), Finnish poet, translator, and writer.
– Otto Rank (1884-1939), Austrian educator, psychoanalyst, and writer.
– Otto Scott (1918-2006), American author, biographer, and journalist.
– Otto Steiger (1909-2005), Swiss broadcaster and writer.
Katharine
November 24, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Katherine”, “Catherine” / “Catharine”, etc., from the Greek for “pure”. Also an alternate spelling for the German “Katharina”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Caity, Caren, Carina, Casia, Cat, Catalina, Cate, Catey, Catharine, Catherine, Cathie, Cathleen, Cathrine, Cathryn, Cathy, Catie, Cato, Catrina, Catrine, Catriona, Caty, Catya, Ekaterina, Ina, Jekaterina, Kady, Kaia, Kaisa, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaity, Kaja, Kalena, Karen, Karin, Karina, Kasia, Kat, Kata, Katalin, Kate, Katenka, Katerina, Katey, Katharina, Katherine, Kathi, Kathie, Kathleen, Kathrine, Kathryn, Kathy, Kati, Katie, Katinka, Katja, Katka, Katri, Katrina, Katrine, Katy, Katya, Kay, Kaya, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, Nienke, Nina, Rina, Riona, Tina, Tineke, Trina, Trine, Yekaterina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katharine Priest, a professional singer who hires Thea as a rehearsal accompanist in Chicago, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929), American author, editor, educator, lyricist, poet, and songwriter.
– Katharine Coman (1857-1915), American activist, economist, educator, and writer.
– Katharine Gordon (b. 1916), Scottish novelist.
– Katharine Tynan Hinkson (1861-1931), Irish novelist and poet.
– Katharine Susannah Prichard (1883-1969), Australian activist and author.
– Katharine Pyle (1863-1938), American artist, children’s book writer, and poet.
– Katharine Sergeant Angell White (1892-1977), American author and editor.
Felipe
November 24, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Spanish or Portuguese form of “Philip” / “Phillip”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Felip, Felipinho, Filib, Filip, Filipe, Filippos, Filippus, Flip, Phil, Philip, Philippe, Philippos, Phillip, Pilib, Pip, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Felipe Ramas, one of Miguel’s flirtatious cousins, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Felipe Alfau (1902-1999), Spanish-American novelist.
– Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala (ca. 1535-ca. 1616), Peruvian chronicler.
– Felipe Sassone (1884-1959), Italian-Peruvian writer.
– Felipe Trigo (1864-1916), Spanish writer.
Oscar
November 15, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly from Gaelic, meaning “deer lover”, or from Old English, meaning “divine spear”, or from Old Norse, meaning “spear god” or “spear of god”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Asgar, Asgeirr, Osgar, Oskar, Oskari, Osku, Ossie, Oszkar, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Oscar, Dr. Archie’s regular waiter at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Oscar Andersen, Irene’s late husband, who was killed in an explosion, in The Song of the Lark.
WRITERS:
– Oscar Fraley (1914-1994), American author and reporter.
– Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), American librettist, lyricist, and producer.
– Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013), Cuban-American novelist.
– Oscar Levy (1867-1946), German-Jewish physician and writer.
– Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951), American author, director, and producer.
– Oscar Millard (1908-1990), English author and screenwriter.
– Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish author, playwright, and poet.
Lily
November 15, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the lily flower, a symbol of purity. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Lillian” or “Elizabeth“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lil, Lili, Lillie, Lilly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lily Fisher, Thea’s rival in Moonstone, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Lily Hiles, the amiable and generous proprietor of Newton’s only restaurant, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Lily Pearl (sometimes also known as “Lily Moore” and “Lily Shaine”, and called “D” or “Doll” by her uncles), the young girl whose family life is recounted in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Lily L. Allen (1867-1952), Irish author and missionary.
– Lily Braun (1865-1916), German activist and author.
– Lily Brett (b. 1946), German-Australian essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Lily Brown (b. 1981), American poet.
– Lily Dougall (1858-1923) Canadian activist and author.
– Lily Goddard (1916-2002), Austrian author and designer.
– Lily Koppel (b. 1981), American novelist and nonfiction author.
– Lily Ross Taylor (1886-1969), American academic and author.
– Lily Tuck (b. 1938), American novelist and short story writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 