Maggie
August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Margaret“, from Greek via Latin, meaning “pearl”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maarit, Madge, Mae, Maisie, Maisy, Maggi, Maggy, Mamie, Maret, Margaux, Marge, Margie, Margit, Margo, Margot, Margy, Marji, May, Meg, Megeen, Megan, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Midge, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Maggie, a maidservant in the Hurstwood household in Chicago, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Maggie Bradford, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Maggie Evans, a local Moonstone girl, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Maggie Rosenfeld, Johnny’s mother, who works as a washerwoman for the ladies who live on the Street, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Maggie Schwitter, Mr. Schwitter’s insane wife, whose continued existence bars her husband and Tillie from being able to wed and find happiness in each other, in K.
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.
Walter
August 5, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “powerful warrior” or “ruler of the army”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gautier, Gualtiero, Valter, Waldhar, Wally, Walt, Walther, Wat, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Walter Scape, who is “withdrawn from Eton and put into a merchant’s house” after his 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:
– Walter of Swinbroke (died c. 1360), English chronicler, also known as Geoffrey the Baker.
– Walter Besant (1836-1901), English historian and novelist who sometimes published in collaboration with James Rice.
– Walter Ericson (1914-2003), pen name of American novelist and television writer Howard Fast, who also wrote under the pen name “E.V. Cunningham”.
– Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864), English writer and poet.
– Walter Pater (1839-1894), English writer and critic.
– Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet.
Joan
August 4, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Usually used as the English form of “Johanne”, the Old French feminine version of “John“, meaning “Jehovah has been gracious”. Sometimes used as a masculine variant of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Chevonne, Gia, Gianna, Giannina, Giovanna, Giovannetta, Hanna, Hanne, Ioanna, Ivana, Jana, Janina, Janine, Janne, Jannicke, Jean, Jeanne, Jenna, Jo, Joanie, Joann, Joanna, Joanne, Joetta, Johanna, Jojo, Jolene, Joleen, Jonelle, Jonette, Joni, Jonna, Juana, Juanita, Nana, Sheena, Shevaun, Shona, Siobhan, Sinaid, Vanna, Yoana, etc.
For boys: Eoin, Evan, Ewan, Gianni, Giannino, Giovanni, Hankin, Hans, Ian, Iain, Ioannes, Ivan, Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacky, Jan, Janko, Jannick, Jean, Jeannot, Jenkin, Jens, Jo, Joan, Jock, Johan, Johannes, Johnnie, Johnny, Jon, Jonas, Jonel, Jonny, Joop, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Yan, Yannick, Yochanon, Yon, Yvan, Vanya, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Joan Gobble, an arthritic old woman Lady Margaret goes on a charitable visit to, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Hon. Joan Johnes, who marries Lord Steyne’s son, George, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
WRITERS:
– Joan Didion (b. 1934), American essayist, memoirist, and novelist.
– Joan Austral Fraser (1918-2001), Australian novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name “Amy Witting”.
Fred
August 4, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Frederick“, meaning “peaceful ruler”. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Alfred“, “Manfred”, “Wilfred”, etc., or, for girls, for names like “Frederica” or “Winifred”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Freda, Freddi, Freddie, Frieda, Fritzi.
For boys: Fred, Fredde, Freddie, Fredo, Fritz.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickname for Frederick (b. 1916), the eighth of the dozen Gilbreth children whose upbringing is related in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948) and Belles on Their Toes (1950), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
– Fred, a rather snobbish and foppish young man in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Fred (called “Freddy“) Allen, whose wife is a friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, and frequently serves as chaperone for their parties, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Fred (Frederick Augustus) Bullock, the young man Maria Osborne hopes to marry in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Fred (Philip Frederick) Ottenburg, the dynamic young brewing heir who launches Thea’s operatic career, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Fred Thompson (1884-1949), English writer and librettist.
– Fred Urquhart (1912-1995), Scottish short story writer.
Lawrence
August 4, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Laurence”, a Latin place name related to “laurel”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Enzo, Larkin, Larrie, Larry, Lars, Lasse, Lassi, Laurance, Lauren, Laurence, Laurent, Laurie, Lauritz, Lawrance, Lawrie, Loren, Lorencio, Lorens, Lorenzo, Lorin, Lorrin, Rance, Rens, Renzo, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rev. Lawrence Grills, the clergyman Becky references when trying to conciliate Lady Southdown in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Lawrence Jones, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Rev. Lawrence Veal, who is engaged to educate young Georgy Osborne, in Vanity Fair.
WRITERS:
– Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990), English dramatist, novelist, poet, and travel writer.
Ralph
August 4, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From Old Norse by way of Anglo-Saxon, meaning “wolf counsel”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Radulf, Rafe, Ralf, Ralphie, Ralphy, Raoul, Raul, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ralph Plantagenet Mango, a little boy whose bout with the measles received far less attention from the local doctor than little Georgy Osborne’s case, a testament to the popularity of their respective mothers, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
AUTHORS:
– Ralph Ellison (1914-1994), American writer and critic.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American essayist, poet, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 