Katie
August 18, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Katy“, etc., a diminutive of “Catherine” / “Katherine“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Cat, Cate, Catey, Cathi, Cathy, Catie, Cato, Caty, Catya, Kady, Kaia, Kaity, Kaja, Kat, Kata, Kate, Katey, Kathi, Kathie, Kathy, Katka, Katri, Katy, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katie, housemaid at Mrs. Page’s boarding-house, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Katie Stewart (1934-2013), English cooking writer and columnist.
Tillie
August 18, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Tilly“, 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, Tilly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tillie, Mrs. Rosenfeld’s niece who works in the dining room at Mrs. McKee’s boarding-house, and who is courted by the already-married Mr. Schwitter, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Tillie Kronborg, Thea’s eccentric aunt and biggest fan, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Tillie Olsen (1912-2011), American activist and writer.
Ed
August 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Edward“, “Edgar”, “Edwin“, “Edmund”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Edd, Eddi, Eddie, Eddy, Ned, Nedd, Neddie, Neddy, Ted, Tedd, Teddie, Teddy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ed Turner, the neighbor whose farm Rob Taylor tried to escape to when he and Mary Creighton were pursued by Travis Burdow, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Dr. Ed Wilson, who sacrificed wealth and home life so his brilliant younger brother Max could get an education and a career, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Kerr
August 17, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From a Scottish place name, meaning “rough, wet ground”. Lovely.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carr, Carre, Ker.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kerr is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
King
August 17, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Old English word “cyning”. Three guesses what it means. Yep. It means “king”. Surprising, no?
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
None, really, unless we count synonyms, like “Royal”, or similar place names, like “Kingston”.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– King is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Kenneth
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of either “Coinneach”, meaning “handsome”, or “Cinaed”, meaning “born of fire”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cainneach, Coinneach, Cinaed, Cionaodh, Ken, Kennet, Kennie, Kennith, Kenny, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kenneth is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Kenneth Anderson (1910-1974), English adventure writer.
– Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), Scottish writer.
– Kenneth Horne (1900-1975), English writer and playwright.
– Kenneth Millar (1915-1983), Canadian-American crime author who published under the pen name “Ross Macdonald”.
– Kenneth Morris (1879-1937), Welsh author and theosophist.
– Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957), American author and journalist.
– Kenneth Tynan (1927-1980), English critic and writer.
Palmer
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
An English last name, meaning “pilgrim”, derived from the Latin word for “palm tree”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Not sure that there are any, really.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Palmer Howe, Christine Lorenz’s “wild” fiancé, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Christine
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Variation of “Christina”, from “Christiana”, the feminine form of “Christian”, meaning, you know, “a Christian”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chris, Chrissie, Chrissy, Christa, Christel, Christelle, Christen, Christi, Christiana, Christiane, Christie, Christin, Christina, Christy, Cris, Crissi, Crissie, Crissy, Crista, Cristen, Cristi, Cristiana, Cristiane, Cristie, Cristin, Cristina, Cristine, Cristy, Crys, Cryssi, Cryssie, Cryssy, Crysta, Crysten, Crysti, Crystie, Crystin, Crystina, Crystine, Crysty, Ina, Kia, Kiki, Kilikina, Kirsi, Kirsteen, Kirsten, Kirsti, Kirstie, Kirstin, Kirstine, Kirsty, Kjersti, Kris, Krissi, Krissie, Krissy, Krista, Kristen, Kristi, Kristiana, Kristiane, Kristie, Kristin, Kristina, Kristine, Kristjana, Kristy, Kristyna, Krisztina, Krysia, Krystiana, Krysten, Krystina, Krystine, Krysty, Krystyna, Krystyne, Stina, Teena, Tina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christine Lorenz, Sidney’s friend, who chooses to become a “bird in a gilded cage” and lives to regret it, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Christine Angot (b. 1959), French writer, novelist, and playwright.
– Christine Arnothy (b. 1930), French writer.
– Christine Brooke-Rose (1923-2012), English writer and critic.
– Christine de Pisan (1364-c.1430), French author and poet.
– Christine Marion Fraser (1938-2002), Scottish author.
– Christine Harris (b. 1955), Australian author.
– Christine Nöstlinger (b. 1936), Austrian writer.
Sid
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Sidney“, meaning “wide island”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cyd, Cydne, Cydnie, Cydney, Sid, Sidelle, Sidonia, Sidonie, Sidne, Sidnie, Syd, Sydelle, Sydne, Sydney, Sydnie, Sydonia, Sydonie, etc.
For boys: Sid, Syd, Sydney, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sid (Sidney) Page, a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Sid Chaplin (1916-1986), English writer.
– Sid Fleischman (1920-2010), American writer.
– Sid Smith (b. 1949), English novelist and journalist.
Sidney
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From an English place name, meaning “wide island”. Possibly an elision of the name of the French town, Saint Denis. But probably not.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cyd, Cydne, Cydnie, Cydney, Sid, Sidelle, Sidonia, Sidonie, Sidne, Sidnie, Syd, Sydelle, Sydne, Sydney, Sydnie, Sydonia, Sydonie, etc.
For boys: Sid, Syd, Sydney, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sidney Page (called “Sid“), a brave, selfless young woman who wishes to become a nurse, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Sidney Lanier (1842-1881), American author, musician, and poet.
– Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007), American writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 