1940s | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Katy

August 14, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Kate“, 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, Katie, Katka, Katri, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katy (Katherine) Bennet, who is ridiculous because she is wise, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Katy Mears, Molly’s best friend, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Katy Malony, the Irish chambermaid who works for Aunt Cathy, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.

WRITERS:
– Katy Butler (b. 1949), American journalist and author.

Patrick

August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Patricius”, meaning “of noble birth”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Paddy, Padraic, Padraig, Padrig, Pat, Pate, Patric, Patrice, Patricius, Patrik, Patrizio, Patryk, Patsy, Patty, Pherick, Rick, Rickie, Ricky, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Patrick, one of the servants in the Lorton household, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Patrick Carman (b. 1966), American writer.
– Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962), English novelist and playwright.
– Patrick F. McManus (b. 1933), American humorist and writer.
– Patrick O. McGuire (1926-2002), pen name of English crime fiction author and screenwriter James Mitchell, who also wrote under the pen name “James Munro”.
– Patrick Robinson (b. 1940), English novelist and columnist.
– Patrick Taylor (b. 1941), Irish novelist.
– Patrick White (1912-1990), Anglo-Australian novelist.

Mark

August 14, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Variant of “Marcus“, from a Roman last name derived from Mars, the god of war.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Marc, Marcas, Marco, Marcos, Marcus, Marek, Markie, Marko, Markos, Markus, Marky, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mark Burney, Prescott Burney’s father, an investor in the Good Luck silver mines, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Mark Tourin, Marty’s older brother, who aspires to be just like Howard Cosell, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

WRITERS:
– Mark O’Brien (1949-1999), American activist, journalist, and poet.
– Mark Rutherford (1831-1913), pen name of English civil servant, translator, and writer William Hale White.
– Mark Twain (1835-1910), pen name of American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
– Mark Van Doren (1894-1972), American poet, writer, and critic.

Richard

August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “strong ruler” or “brave power”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dickey, Dickie, Dickon, Dickson, Dicky, Dicun, Dix, Dixon, Rhisiart, Ric, Ricard, Ricardo, Rich, Richie, Rick, Rickey, Rickie, Ricky, Rico, Ritchie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Richard, a cousin of the two Miss Steele’s, who stay with his family in their London home in Bartlett’s Buildings, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Sir Richard Blewitt, a local magistrate in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Richard de Lindsay, one of Sir Peter and Lady Constance’s two sons, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Mr. Richard Lorton, whose failure to teach his youngest daughter to curb her chattering results in much trouble for the whole family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Richard Mason (called “Dick“), Bertha Mason’s brother, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

WRITERS:
– Richard Allen (1922-1993), pen name of Anglo-Canadian pulp novelist James Moffat, who also published under the pen names of “Etienne Aubin” and “Trudi Maxwell”.
– Richard Bach (b. 1936), American writer.
– Richard Cargoe (1911-1983), pen name of Cornish biographer, historian, lecturer, novelist, poet, and professor Robert Payne, who also used the pen names “Howard Horn”, “John Anthony Devon”, “Robert Young”, and “Valentin Tikhonov”.
– Richard Hugo (b. 1947), pen name of English author Jim Williams, who also publishes as “Alexander Mollin”.
– Richard Lovelace (1618-1657), English poet.
– Richard Matheson (1926-2013), American author and screenwriter.
– Richard Price (b. 1949), American novelist and screenwriter.
– Richard Pryor (1940-2005), American actor, comedian, critic, director, and writer.
– Richard Raine (1923-2006), pen name of English author Raymond Sawkins, who also wrote under the pen names “Colin Forbes”, “Harold English”, and “Jay Bernard”.
– Richard Russo (b. 1949), American author and screenwriter.
– Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816), Irish playwright and poet.
– Richard Wilbur (b. 1921), American poet.
– Richard Wright (1908-1960), American writer and poet.

Sally

August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Sallie”, diminutive of “Sarah“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sadie, Sal, Sallie, Sairey, Sairy, Sarey, Sari, Sary, Suri, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sally, a maid in the Huckabuck household, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Sally, one of the Lexington girls clamoring to partner with Rab at the Silsbee country dance in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Sally, a servant at Barton Park, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Sally Snowe, one of Farmer Nicholas’ three lively, comely daughters, in Lorna Doone.
– Sally Ware, the friend who takes Dolly Lorton to task for her gossiping and rumor-mongering, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Charley

August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Charlie“, a diminutive or feminine form of “Charles“, meaning “man”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Carla, Carlotta, Carola, Carolina, Caroline, Charlize, Charlotta, Karla, Karola, Karolina, Let, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Lotty, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
For boys: Carl, Carlos, Carroll, Charlie, Charles, Chas, Chaz, Chick, Chip, Chuck, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charley, Red Milton’s amiable, impudent assistant at the newspaper, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Charley Aplin, a snobbish, bragging boy from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Charley Freer, a member of Jim Lorton’s boating club, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Charley Kronborg, Thea’s second-oldest brother in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Charley Chase (1893-1940), American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter.
– Charley Rogers (1887-1956), English actor, director, and screenwriter.
– Charley Rosen (b. 1941), American author and coach.
– Charley Trujillo (b. 1949), Mexican-American editor, filmmaker, novelist, and publisher.

Andrew

August 12, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Andreas”, meaning “man”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aindreas, Aindriu, Ander, Anders, Andi, Andie, Andor, Andre, Andrei, Andres, Andrea, Andreas, Andrius, Andro, Andrus, Andy, Deandre, Drew, Ondre, Ondrei, Ondreas, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother Andrew, one of the monks at St. Mark’s, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Andrew Hale, Ned’s father, a builder who frequently does business with Ethan, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

WRITERS:
– Andrew Clements (b. 1949), American children’s book writer.
– Andrew Davies (b. 1936), English novelist and screenplay writer.
– Andrew Gross (b. 1952), American novelist.
– Andrew Murray (1828-1917), South African pastor, teacher, and writer.

Denis

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Dennis“, from the medieval French version of “Dionysios”, derived from the name of the Greek god of wine, dance, revelry, and fertility.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Deion, Den, Denes, Denney, Dennis, Denny, Denys, Deon, Dion, Dionysios, Dionysius, Tenney, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Denis, one of the other pageboys Robin befriends during his stay in Sir Peter’s castle, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Denis Eady, the “rich Irish grocer” and one-time suitor of Mattie Silver, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

WRITERS:
– Denis Bond (b. 1946), English children’s book and television writer.
– Denis Diderot (1713-1784), French critic, philosopher, and writer.
– Denis Johnson (b. 1949), American writer.

Jackson

August 12, 2014 § 6 Comments

ORIGIN:
From an English last name, meaning “son of Jack“. Bet you didn’t know that.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jack, Jackie, Jacks, Jacky, Jak, Jakin, Jaks, Jax, Jaxon, Jaxson.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jackson Tainter, whose wife is a friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

WRITERS:
– Jackson Lowry (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”, “Daniel Moran”, “F.J. Hale”, “Edward S. Hudson”, “Karl Lassiter”, “Paul Kenyon”, and “Victor Appleton”.
– Jackson O’Reilly (1948-2007), pen name of American fantasy author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., who wrote under the pen names “Chang Lung”, “Reagan O’Neal”, and “Robert Jordan”.

Sue

August 12, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Susan“, “Susanna”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sooki, Sookie, Sooky, Su, Suse, Susey, Susi, Susie, Susy, Sukey, Suki, Sukie, Suze, Suzey, Suzi, Suzie, Suzy, Zooey, Zooie, Zsazsa, Zsuzsa, Zsuzsi, Zsuzsu, Zu, Zuza, Zuzi, Zuzia, Zuzu, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sue Mayo, poor little Jessie Mayo’s little sister, one of the girls Doctor Tom tells the story of Sylvie to, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Sue Tucker, a friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, and sister of Maude Tucker, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

WRITERS:
– Sue Grafton (b. 1940), American crime novelist.
– Sue Townsend (1946-2014), English writer and humorist.

QUOTATIONS:
– From the popular ballad “Black Ey’d Susan, or Sweet William’s Farewell“, by John Gay, first published in 1730: “‘If to far India’s coast we sail, / Thy eyes are seen in diamonds bright, / Thy breath is Afric’s spicy gale, / Thy skin is ivory, so white. / Thus every beauteous object that I view, / Wakes in my soul some charm of lovely Sue.'”

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