Elsie
August 27, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Elizabeth“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
El, Elise, Elisheva, Elissa, Eliza, Ella, Elle, Ellie, Elly, Elsa, Else, Elsy, Elsje, Elspet, Elspeth, Elyse, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Lies, Liesl, Liese, Lis, Lisa, Lisbeth, Lise, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Elsie Lambert, the oldest daughter of the family, whose generous choice leads to a reconciliation, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Elsie Lloyd, an impetuous girl whose carelessness causes trouble, in “The Egg-Boy” from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
WRITERS:
– Elsie Finnimore Buckley (1882-1959), English writer and translator.
– Elsie Johannson (b. 1931), Swedish writer.
– Elsie Lessa (1912-2000), Brazilian journalist and writer.
– Elsie Locke (1912-2001), New Zealander activist, writer, and historian.
– Elsie J. Oxenham (1880-1960), pen name of English author Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley.
Marge
August 27, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Margaret” or “Margery” / “Marjorie” / “Marjory“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maarit, Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Maggi, Maggie, Maggy, Mamie, Maret, Margaux, Margie, Margit, Margo, Margot, Margy, Marji, May, Meg, Megeen, Megan, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Midge, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marge Lloyd, Elsie’s kind and tender sister, in “The Egg-Boy” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Marge Piercy (b. 1936), American activist, novelist, and poet.
Berk
August 27, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Berkeley” / “Berkley”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bar, Barclay, Barklay, Barkley, Barklie, Barrclay, Berke, Berkeley, Berkie, Berklee, Berkley, Berky, Birk, Birkeley, Birkley, Bourke, Burk, Burke, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Berk (Berkeley) Pelham, Margaret’s older brother, “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Isabel
August 27, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
A medieval variation of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Beileag, Belina, Belinda, Belinha, Bell, Bella, Belle, Ibb, Ibbie, Ibby, Isa, Isabela, Isabell, Isabella, Isabelle, Isbel, Iseabail, Isebella, Ishbel, Isibéal, Isobel, Issie, Issy, Izabela, Izabelle, Izzie, Izzy, Sabela, Sabell, Sabella, Sabelle, Sibeal, Spela, Ysabel, Ysobel, Zabel, Zabell, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isabel Pelham, Margaret’s older sister, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Berkeley
August 27, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Anglo-Saxon place name, meaning “from the birch meadow”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bar, Barclay, Barklay, Barkley, Barklie, Barrclay, Berk, Berke, Berkie, Berklee, Berkley, Berky, Birk, Birkeley, Birkley, Bourke, Burk, Burke, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mr. Berkeley Pelham, Margaret’s uncle, who lives in Brazil, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Berkeley Pelham (called “Berk“), Margaret’s older brother, in “That Little Smith Girl” from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
Benning
August 27, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
English last name, from the Roman name “Benedictus”, meaning “blessing”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Banish, Benech, Benedict, Benedicte, Beneit, Benet, Bening, Bennet, Bennett, Benoit, Benyt, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– General Benning Wentworth, a venerable ancestor who married his kitchen maid, an act Will Wentworth takes pride in, while his cousin Fanny dislikes to speak of it, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Frances
August 27, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Francis“, from the Germanic / Old French word for “free”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chica, Cissie, Cissy, Fan, Fannie, Fanny, Fran, Franca, Franci, Francie, Francka, Franka, Frankie, Franky, Frannie, Franny, Franzi, Paca, Paquita, Sissie, Sissy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Frances Wentworth (called “Fan” or “Fanny“, Will’s conceited, snobbish cousin in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), English author and playwright.
– Frances (Fanny) Burney (1752-1840), English diarist, novelist, and playwright.
– Frances Cornford (1886-1960), English poet.
– Frances FitzGerald (b. 1940), American historian and journalist.
– Frances Scott (“Scottie”) Fitzgerald (1921-1986), American journalist and writer.
– Frances Marion (1888-1973), American author, journalist, and screenwriter.
– Frances Osborne (b. 1969), English biographer and novelist.
– Frances Eleanor Trollope (1835-1913), English novelist.
– Frances Milton Trollope (1779-1863), English novelist and writer.
– Frances Vane, Viscountess Vane (c.1715-1788), English memoirist and socialite.
Dora
August 27, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Dorothy“, “Isadora”, “Theodora”, “Dorcas“, “Doris”, “Dolores”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dede, Dee, Ditte, Dittie, Ditty, Dodie, Dody, Doll, Dollie, Dolly, Dolores, Dorcas, Doreen, Dorelle, Dorene, Dorete, Doretta, Dorie, Dorinda, Dorine, Doris, Dorit, Dorita, Doro, Dorota, Dorothea, Dorothy, Dorte, Dorthe, Dory, Dosia, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Feodora, Isadora, Isidora, Teodora, Theodora, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Great Aunt Dora, Etka’s kid sister, “maybe the most affectionate woman who ever lived”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Dora Robson, a good-humored, slightly snobbish Boston girl in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Dora Acuña (1903-1987), Paraguayan journalist and poet.
– Dora (Doralina) Alonso (1910-2001), Cuban journalist and writer.
– Dora Birtles (1903-1992), Australian novelist, poet, short story author, and travel writer.
– Dora d’Istria (1828-1888), pen name of Hungarian activist and writer, the duchess Helena Koltsova-Massalskaya.
– Dora Gabe (1886-1983), Bulgarian essayist, poet, short story writer, translator, and travel writer.
– Dora Read Goodale (1866-1953), American poet and teacher.
– Dora (Dorothy) Greenwell (1821-1882), English poet.
– Dora Heldt (b. 1961), German novelist.
– Dora Maar (1907-1997), Argentinian muse, painter, photographer, and poet.
– Dora Malech (b. 1981), American poet.
– Dora (Dorothy) Montefiore (1851-1933), Anglo-Australian activist, poet, and writer.
– Dora Levy Mossanen (b. 1945), American novelist.
– Dora Pavel (b. 1946), Romanian journalist, novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Dora Russell (1894-1986), English activist and writer.
– Dora Oake Russell (1912-1986), Canadian editor, educator, and writer.
– Dora Jessie Saint (1913-2012), English novelist who published under the pen name “Miss Read”.
– Dora Sigerson Shorter (1866-1918), Irish poet and sculptor.
– Dora (Theodora) van der Meiden-Coolsma (1918-2001), Dutch children’s book author and columnist who also published under the pen name “Constanze Hazelager”.
– Dora Van Gelder (1904-1999), Dutch-American occultist, theosophist, and writer.
– Dora Wasserman (1919-2003), Ukrainian actress, director, and playwright.
Tilly
August 27, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Tillie“, diminutive of “Matilda“, meaning “strength in battle” or “mighty battle-maid”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Malta, Mathilda, Mathilde, Matilda, Matilde, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tilly Drake, a girl someone played a mean trick on the year before Marian’s much-talked-of party, in “An April Fool”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Tilly Morris, a kind-hearted, level-headed New York girl in “That Little Smith Girl” from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
WRITERS:
– Tilly Aston (1873-1947), Australian activist and writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 