1920s | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Tom

July 30, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Thomas“, Greek form of the Aramaic for “twin”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Tam, Thom, Toma, Tomas, Tommie, Tommy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tom, Maggie Bradford’s cousin, who calls her a “chit of a girl”, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Tom, one of the servants at Randalls, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Tom, one of Susy’s brothers, whose kite-flying she finds distracting, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Cousin Tom, who teases Molly Gair about her love of fine dresses, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Tom Branghton, the loutish son of Madame Duval’s (and Evelina’s) cousins, the crude, ill-mannered Branghton clan, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Tom Cinqbars, subject of one of Rawdon’s sporty stories in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Tom Colt, the “young pup” who hopes to steal Alice away from Jim, in “The Tragedy of the Unexpected”, from Nora Perry’s The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (published in 1880, but set in the 1870s).
– Tom (Thomas) Creighton (b. 1843), Jethro’s older brother, who, at just 18 years of age, runs off to join the Union Army, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Tom Drinker, one of Johnny’s acquaintances, an apprentice at one of the shops on the wharf, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Tom Eaves, a city man full of gossip about Lord Steyne, in Vanity Fair.
– Tom (Thomas) Faggus, the roguishly charming highwayman whose relation to the Ridd family gives them both prestige and trouble, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Tom Fleming, Ally’s uncle, who ought to have paid more attention, in “Ally”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Tom Grieves, the handyman who works for the Gilbreth family in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948) and Belles on Their Toes (1950), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
– “Doctor Tom” (Dr. Thomas Harrison), who specializes in mending children’s hurt limbs, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Tom Joy, Berry’s brother, who fortunately takes after his father, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Tom Lloyd, Marge and Elsie’s cousin, an amateur artist, in “The Egg-Boy” from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Tom Marin, a neighbor from Rose Hill who comes to help the Creightons with their barn-raising, in Across Five Aprils.
– Tom Moody, Sir Huddleston Fuddleston’s huntsman, in Vanity Fair.
– Tom Posky, one of the soliders of the regiment in Vanity Fair.
– Tom Raikes, one of Becky’s more forward conquests, in Vanity Fair.
– Tom Raymond, Will Wentworth’s good-natured chum, in “That Little Smith Girl” from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Tom Rivington, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, George Rivington’s brother, in A Little Country Girl (1885).
– Tom Stubble, a young ensign under Capt. William Dobbin’s command in Vanity Fair.
– Tom Tufto, a relative of Sir George Tufto’s in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
Try this link for a starter list of writers named “Tom”.

QUOTATIONS:
– “Tom” and “Tommy” are fairly common names used in nursery rhymes such as “Tom, Tom, the piper’s son”
– In “Tom, Dick or Harry“, a song from the 1948 Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter, Bianca and her suitors sing of her eagerness to wed: “I’m a maid who would marry / And would take with no qualm / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Harry, Dick or Tom. / I’m a maid mad to marry / And will take double-quick / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Tom, Harry or Dick!”

Robert

July 30, 2014 § 12 Comments

ORIGIN:
Anglo-Saxon, meaning “bright flame”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bob, Bobbie, Bobby, Rab, Raibeart, Rob, Robb, Robbie, Robby, Roberto, Robi, Robin, Rupert, Ruprecht, etc. I guess even Bobert, if you really wish it.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Robert (called “Bob“, b. 1920), the eleventh 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.
– Robert, the pageboy at Jim and Ned’s place, in “The Tragedy of the Unexpected”, from Nora Perry’s The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (published in 1880, but set in the 1870s)
– Sir Robert, an uncle to Edward, Fanny, and Robert Ferrars, who was responsible for Mrs. Ferrar’s decision to send Edward to Mr. Pratt’s for a private education, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Lord Robert of Amhurste (called “Robin” by his twin sister, Margaret), a brave and generous young man, 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.
– Sir Robert Bampfylde, the litigious gentleman whose lawsuits led to Tom Faggus’ ruin and subsequent adoption of the highwayman’s life, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Rev. Robert Brocklehurst, the formidable and hypocritical supervisor of Lowood Institute, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Middle name of John Robert Creighton (b. 1837), Jethro’s oldest brother remaining at home, “more impatient, quicker to anger” than his beloved brother Bill, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Robert Ferrars, Edward’s favored younger brother, “silly and a great coxcomb”, in Sense and Sensibility.
– Robert Furnival, old Lady Mary’s lawyer, who pesters her to write her will before it is too late, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.
– Robert Leaven, the man Bessie Lee marries, who works as porter at Gateshead and lives in the lodge, in Jane Eyre.
– Robert Martin, a sensible, respectable, intelligent young gentleman-farmer, who hopes to marry Harriet Smith, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Robert Racket (called “Robin“), a handsome and charming lad who steals the hearts of cousins Keren Lemon and Ruth Visor, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales.
– Robert Siddell, one of Uncle Gabe’s two favorite students at his Jewish vocational school, chosen as a blind date for teenaged Lily, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

WRITERS:
Go here for a list of probably close to a thousand writers named “Robert”, if you’d like to know what sort of illustrious literary company this name keeps.

Daniel

July 30, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “God is my judge”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dan, Danilo, Dannie, Danny, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Daniel (b. 1917; sometimes called “Dan“), the ninth 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.
– Daniel Byrne, a local man who offers to help get Mattie packed up and on her way out of town, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

WRITERS:
– Daniel Defoe (1660-1730), English author and satirist.
– Daniel Keyes (1927-2014), American author.
– Daniel Moran (b. 1947), pen name of American fantasy, science fiction, and Western author Robert E. Vardeman, who has also published under the pen names “Cliff Garnett”, “Edward S. Hudson”, “F.J. Hale”, “Jackson Lowry”, “Karl Lassiter”, “Paul Kenyon”, and “Victor Appleton”.
– Daniel Stern (1928-2007), American novelist.

QUOTATIONS:
– In The Merchant of Venice (1596), by William Shakespeare, the character of Shylock implies that he hopes for a wise resolution in the difficult case at hand: “A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel! / O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!”

Charles

July 28, 2014 § 10 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the German “Karl”, meaning “man”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carl, Carlos, Carroll, Charlie, Charley, Chas, Chaz, Chick, Chip, Chuck, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charles Bingley, the amiable young gentleman whose pending residence at Netherfield Park kicks off the events of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– Charles Stuart “Barebones” Crawley was a twig on the Crawley family tree in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Charles H. Drouet (sometimes called “Charlie“), the traveling salesman who first offers Carrie a way out of her poverty, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Charles Lambert, who encourages his children in the lovely tradition of inviting someone in need to join them for Thanksgiving dinner every year, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Lord Charles Radnor, Lady Elizabeth’s brother, who leaves her the care of his son, Ernie, to be raised with her daughters, in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Mr. Charles Raggles, the former butler to Miss Crawley who later becomes Rawdon and Becky’s landlord, much to his disadvantage, in Vanity Fair.
– Charles Raggles is also the name of Mr. Raggles’ son, sent to boarding school on the strength of his father’s presumed prosperity as landlord, in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
– Charles Bukowski (1920-1944), German-American novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English writer and social critic.
– Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), English writer, poet, mathematician, logician, deacon, and photographer who wrote under the pen name “Lewis Carroll”.
– Charles Frazier (b. 1950), American historical novelist.
– Charles Hamilton (1876-1961), English writer.
– Charles R. Jackson (1903-1968), American author.
– Charles Johnson (1679-1748), English playwright and tavern keeper.
– Charles Lamb (1775-1834), English essayist and writer.
– Charles Morris (1833-1922), American journalist, novelist, and historical author.
– Charles Reade (1814-1884), English novelist and dramatist.
– Charles Shaw (1900-1955), Australian journalist and novelist.
– Charles Burr Todd (1849-1928), American historian.
– Charles Williams (1886-1945), English critic, novelist, playwright, poet, and theologian.
– Charles Williams (1909-1975), American crime writer.
– Charles Norris (C.N.) Williamson (1859-1920), British author who often collaborated with his wife, Alice Muriel Williamson.

William

July 28, 2014 § 12 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Germanic “Wilhelm”, meaning “will-helmet”. Which you probably could not have guessed was what “Wilhelm” meant. Yep. That is your shocked face.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bil, Bill, Billie, Billy, Gillermo, Guglielmo, Guillaume, Guillem, Guillermo, Gwil, Gwilim, Gwillym, Gwilym, Illiam, Liam, Lyam, Pim, Ulick, Uilleag, Uilleam, Uilliam, Vila, Vilhelm, Vili, Viliam, Vilim, Viljem, Viljo, Ville, Villem, Vilmos, Wil, Wilhelm, Wilkie, Wilkin, Wilky, Willem, Williamon, Willie, Willis, Willy, Wim, etc. Not Billiam, though. Well, I mean, I guess Billiam. If you really, really want it so.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– William (called “Bill“, b. 1912), the sixth 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.
– William, a local boy Robin went to school with, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– William the Farrier, a blacksmith under Sir Peter’s employ in The Door in the Wall.
– William, one of Sir John and Lady Middleton’s children, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Mr. William Collins, the obsequious cousin/suitor, in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– William Coxe (or Cox), a “pert young lawyer” Emma briefly considers as a possible match for her beloved Harriet Smith, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– William Taylor Creighton (called “Bill“; b. 1838), Jethro’s favorite older brother, “a big, silent man who was considered ‘peculiar’ in the neighborhood”, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– William Dobbin, the plain yet generous soldier and friend who pines after Amelia in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Sir William Dobbin is the father of Capt. Dobbin in Vanity Fair.
– Sir William Howe, governor and military commander of the New England province, who is responsible for many of the parties and dances Sibyl attends in Tory society, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– William Larkins, Mr. Knightley’s farm manager in Emma.
– Sir William Lucas, the kindly (if slightly foolish) country squire in Pride and Prejudice.
– William Wise, a woodworker under Sir Peter’s employ in The Door in the Wall.

WRITERS:
– William Blake (1757-1827), English painter, poet, and printmaker.
– William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), American poet, journalist, and editor.
– William Congreve (1670-1729), English poet and playwright.
– William Douglas (c. 1672-1748) Scottish poet.
– William Ellis (c. 1700-1758), English farmer and agricultural writer.
– William Ellis (1794-1872), English missionary and author.
– William Faulkner (1897-1963), American writer and Nobel Prize laureate.
– William Gilbert (1544-1603), English physicist, natural philosopher, and writer.
– Sir William Schwenck (W.S.) Gilbert (1836-1911), English dramatist, librettist, and poet.
– William Hazlitt (1778-1830), English writer.
– William Kennedy (b. 1928), American writer and journalist.
– William (W.) Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), English playwright, novelist, and short story writer.
– William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English poet, playwright, and actor.
– William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863), English novelist.
– William J. Whalen (1926-2008), American writer and educator.
– William Hale White (1831-1913), English civil servant, translator, and writer who published under the pen name “Mark Rutherford”.
– William Wordsworth (1770-1850), English poet.
– William Butler (W.B.) Yeats (1865-1939), Irish poet and playwright.

QUOTATIONS:
– From the popular ballad “Black Ey’d Susan, or Sweet William’s Farewell“, by John Gay, first published in 1730: “‘O Susan, Susan, lovely dear, / My vows shall ever true remain; / Let me kiss off that falling tear, / We only part to meet again. / Change, as ye list, ye winds; my heart shall be / The faithful compass that still points to thee. / ‘Believe not what the landsmen say, / Who tempt with doubts thy constant mind: / They’ll tell thee, sailors, when away, / In every port a mistress find. / Yes, yes, believe them when they tell thee so, / For thou art present wheresoe’er I go. / . . . ‘Though battle call me from thy arms, / Let not my pretty Susan mourn; / Though cannons roar, yet safe from harms, / William shall to his dear return.'”

Lydia

July 28, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “a woman from Lydia”, which was an ancient country on the west coast of Asia Minor, once ruled by the famously wealthy Croesus. Perhaps not the most deeply meaningful name origin, but whatevs.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lidia, Liddy, Lidya, Lydda, Lydie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lydia Bennet, the foolish and frivolous youngest of the five Bennets in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– Lydia Creighton (b. 1834), one of “the twin girls, long since married and moved to Ohio” who are among Jethro’s far-distant older siblings, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Lydia Hancock, the aunt for whom Mr. Hancock goes to Mr. Lapham to have a silver sugar bowl made, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).

WRITERS:
– Lydia Becker (1827-1890), English activist, publisher, and scientist.
– Lydia Yudifovna Berdyaev (1871-1945), Russian poet.
– Lydia T. Black (1925-2007), American anthropologist and author.
– Lydia Cabrera (1899-1991), Cuban anthropologist and poet.
– Lydia Cacho (b. 1963) Mexican activist, author, and journalist.
– Lydia Campbell (1818-1905), Anglo-Canadian diarist.
– Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880), American activist, journalist, and novelist.
– Lydia Chukovskaya (1907-1996), Russian/Finnish author and poet.
– Lydia Davis (b. 1947), American essayist, novelist, short story writer, and translator.
– Lydia Gregory (b. 1954), pen name of American children’s book author and novelist Diane Carey, who also publishes as “D.L. Carey”.
– Lydia Grigorieva (b. 1945), Ukrainian poet.
– Lydia Hitchcock (1946-2011), pen name of English romance author Penelope Halsall, who also published as “Annie Groves”, “Caroline Courtney”, “Melinda Wright”, and “Penny Jordan”.
– Lydia Jannsen (1843-1886), Estonian poet who published under the pen name “Lydia Koidula”.
– Lydia Kwa (b. 1959), Canadian novelist, poet, psychologist, and short story writer.
– Lydia Mackenzie Falconer Miller (1812-1876), English children’s book author who also published under the pen name “Harriet Myrtle”.
– Lydia Millet (b. 1968), American novelist.
– Lydia Sargent (b. 1942), American activist, actor, author, playwright, and writer.
– Lydia Sigourney (1791-1865), American poet who published as “Mrs. Sigourney”.
– Lydia Tomkiw (1959-2007), American poet, singer, and songwriter.
– Lydia Wahlström (1869-1954), Swedish activist, author, and historian.
– Lydia Wevers (b. 1950), New Zealander critic, editor, historian, and writer.
– Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal (1866-1907), Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer.

Mary

July 28, 2014 § 18 Comments

ORIGIN:
The common Anglicized version of the Hebrew name “Miriam”, which may mean “rebellious” or “obstinate”. Or it may not. No one really knows. By now, “Mary” has more meaning due to connotation than to whatever the denotation may be.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maaike, Maia, Mair, Mairenn, Mairi, Mairin, Mairwen, Maja, Malia, Maille, Mame, Mamie, Manon, Mara, Mari, Maria, Mariah, Mariamne, Marian, Marianne, Marie, Mariele, Mariella, Marielle, Marietta, Marika, Mariona, Marise, Mariska, Marissa, Marita, Maritza, Marjo, Marjut, Marya, Maryam, Marzena, Maura, Maureen, Masha, Mele, Mere, Meri, Mia, Mieke, Miep, Mies, Mimi, Mirele, Miriam, Mitzi, Moira, Moireen, Moll, Molle, Molly, Myriam, Ona, Poll, Pollie, Polly, Ria, etc. So many variations. So, so many.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mary, Carrie’s older sister, expected to marry soon, in “Pansies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Mary (b. 1906), the second 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.
– Mary, wife of John, the manservant at Thornfield (and later, Ferndean), in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Mary, the name of a succession of inept maidservants employed by the Hurstwoods, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Lady Mary, the old woman whose laid-back approach to business nearly ruins her goddaughter, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.
– Mary, the Hungarian housemaid at Thea’s boarding house in Chicago, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Mary, the housemaid at Grandpa Bennet’s, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Mary Arkwright, the friend whose birthday party Dolly Lorton writes about in her diary, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Aunt Mary Balcarres, whose house lies opposite the College Library, in “The Library Window” (1896), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen.
– Mary Bennet, the serious and often-overlooked third Bennet daughter in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– Mary Box, a girl local to Queen’s Crawley, with a reputation for fighting with her sister, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Lady Mary Caerlyon, the unhappy wife of Lord Steyne in Vanity Fair.
– Mary Clapp (nicknamed “Polly“), daughter of the Sedley’s landlord, who bestows on Dobbin the nickname “Major Sugarplums” owing to his habit of bringing gifts for all at every visit to the house, in Vanity Fair.
– Mary Ellen Creighton (b. 1844-46), Jethro’s older sister, “pretty as Jenny, only blond and more delicate”, who was killed in a carriage accident caused by a drunken Travis Burdow in 1859, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Mary Erroll, the beautiful and elegant neighbor who captures Jack Roden’s attention, and Virginia Herrick’s enmity, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.
– Mary Fleming, Ally’s cousin, whose actions don’t always reflect her intentions, in “Ally”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Mary Garrett, one of Jane’s students at the charity school in Morton, in Jane Eyre.
– Mary Grant, Kitty’s sister in “Esther Bodn”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Mary Ingram, Blanche’s younger sister, one of the elegant people who make up Mr. Rochester’s social set, in Jane Eyre.
– Mary Jordan, an impoverished woman who turns to Philip Canning for aid, in “The Portrait” (1885), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen.
– Mary King, the young heiress who attracts Wickham’s attentions away from Elizabeth, in Pride and Prejudice.
– Mary Leslie, a little girl who needs to have a better example set for her by the older girls, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Lady Mary Mango (daughter of the Earl of Castlemouldy), to whom Amelia is favorably compared in Vanity Fair.
– Mary Marcy, a shrewd, spirited girl whose Quaker mother isn’t enough to keep her from wanting to fight back against injustice, in “An April Fool”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Mary McGuire, one of Sidney’s patients at the hospital, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Mary, Lady Middleton, Mrs. Jennings’ daughter and Sir John’s wife, an elegant, though dull, woman who has little to offer besides devotion to her children and to the politesse of hostessing, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Mary Peters, wife of local farmer Amos Peters, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– Mary Porter (called “Molly“), a shopgirl Anna Winslow helps in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls.
– Mary Rivers (later Wharton), one of St. John’s sisters, who befriend Jane after she leaves Thornfield, in Jane Eyre.
– Miss Mary Scott, the pleasant old lady who hopes to see a rare flower bloom in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls.
– Mary Sedley is Amelia Sedley’s mother (although later her husband refers to her as “Bessy“) in Vanity Fair.
– Mary Turner, Ed’s wife and Sam’s mother, in Across Five Aprils.
– Mary Vivian, Lady Mary’s goddaughter, who is nearly left destitute through simple procrastination, in “Old Lady Mary” (1884), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen.

WRITERS:
– Mary Cowden Clark (1809-1898), English author and scholar.
– Mary Higgins Clark (b. 1927), American novelist.
– Mary Boykin Chesnut (1823-1886), American diarist and socialite.
– Mary Stewart Doubleday Cutting (1851-1924), American activist and author.
– Mary McCarthy (1912-1989), American activist, author, and critic.
– Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958), American mystery novelist.
– Mary Shelley (1797-1851), English writer.
– Mary Somerville (1780-1872), Scottish science writer and polymath.
– Mary Stewart (1916-2014), English author.
– Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), English activist, philosopher, and writer.

QUOTATIONS:
– Classic nursery rhymes such as “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” and “Mary had a little lamb“. Probably the most popular girl’s name for nursery rhymes, really. When it comes to rhyming, Mary is very ordinary.
– “Bring Flowers of the Rarest” is a hymn to the Virgin Mary, written by Mary E. Walsh in 1871: “Oh! Thus shall we prove thee / How truly we love thee, / How dark without Mary / Life’s journey would be. / O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, / Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!”

Jane

July 28, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
The feminine form of “John“, the Anglicization of “Johannes”, which is the Latin form of “Ioannes”, the Greek version of the Hebrew “Jochanan”, meaning “Jehovah has been gracious”. Whew.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chevonne, Gia, Gianna, Giannina, Giovanna, Giovannetta, Ioanna, Ivana, Jan, Jana, Janae, Janelle, Janet, Janette, Janey, Janie, Janice, Janina, Janine, Janis, Janith, Jayna, Jayne, Jean, Jenelle, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeanne, Jeannette, Jena, Jeni, Jenna, Jennie, Jenny, Joan, Joanie, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Johannah, Juana, Juanita, Nina, Nita, Seanna, Shavonne, Shayna, Sheena, Shevaun, Siana, Siobhan, Sinead, Vanna, Yana, Yoana, Yoanna, Zhana, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jane, cook for the Gray family while in Newport, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Jane, the parlor-maid in the Lorton household, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Aunt Jane, a relative of the Ridd’s, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Aunt Jane, the relative Janey Evans is named after, in “What Hope Bell Found in Her Stocking”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Jane (b. 1922), the youngest 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.
– Jane Bassett (called “Jenny“), the quiet, hard-working young lady who makes the most of her trip to Europe, and reaps the benefits, in “Poppies and Wheat”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Jane Bates, Mrs. Bates’ daughter and Miss Hetty Bates’ sister, Jane Fairfax’s mother, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Jane Bennet, the beautiful and kind-hearted eldest of the five Bennet daughters in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).
– Jane Dobbin, one of William Dobbin’s sisters in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Jane Eyre (sometimes called “Janet” by Mr. Rochester, and “Jeannette” by Adèle), the passionate, principled, independent narrator of Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
– Jane Fairfax, an elegant, accomplished, and deeply reserved young woman, Emma.
– Jane Firkin, lady’s maid to the wealthy Miss Crawley in Vanity Fair.
– Jane Leaven, Bessie’s young daughter, in Jane Eyre.
– Jane McClane, a strong and sensible older girl who has never had a Valentine, in “Polly’s Valentine” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Jane Osborne, the elder of George Osborne’s sisters in Vanity Fair.
– Jane Reed, the title character’s mother, who marries a clergyman and is disinherited by her family, in Jane Eyre.
– Lady Jane Sheepshanks, Mr. Pitt Crawley’s long-suffering fiancée in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
– Jane Andrews (1833-1887), American author and educator.
– Jane Austen (1775-1817), English novelist.
– Jane Bowles (1917-1973), American writer and playwright.
– Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), Canadian-American activist, author, and journalist.
– Jane Lane (1905-1978), pen name of English biographer and historical novelist Elaine Kidner Dakers.
– Jane Porter (1776-1850), Scottish historical novelist and dramatist.
– Lady Jane Seymour (c. 1541-1561), English writer.

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