Edna
August 2, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly an Anglicized version of the Gaelic “Eithne”, meaning “kernel”, or from Hebrew, meaning “pleasure” or “rejuvenation”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aithne, Edena, Ednah, Eithne, Ena, Enya, Ethna, Ethne, Etna, Idina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Edna (or Esther or Etka) Kroll Shaine — “Esther in Hebrew, Edna in English, and Etka in Russian” — Lily’s increasingly-senile grandmother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Edna Anhalt (1914-1987), American screenwriter.
– Edna Buchanan (b. 1938/39), American crime author, journalist, and novelist.
– Edna Ferber (1885-1968), American novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– Edna (E.) Mayne Hull (1905-1975), Canadian science fiction author.
– Edna Iturralde (b. 1948), Ecuadorian children’s book author.
– Edna Lewis (1916-2006), American author and chef.
– Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), American poet and playwright who also published under the pen name “Nancy Boyd”.
– Edna O’Brien (b. 1930), Irish memoirist, novelist, playwright, poet, and short story writer.
– Edna Osser (1919-2005), American songwriter.
– Edna Staebler (1906-2006), Canadian author and journalist.
Galahad
July 23, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A name of unknown origin used in the Arthurian romances (written in Norman French), and associated with the ideals of “purity” and “nobility”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Um . . . Gal, maybe? Eh, maybe not . . .
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Galahad, the rumored brother of Guinevere, one of the “irregular” children at Lily’s school, presumed to come from a “very well-educated if not sanitation-minded home”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Guinevere
July 23, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
French version of the Welsh “Gwenhwyfar”, meaning “smooth and white” or “white-cheeked”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gaenor, Gaynor, Genevra, Geneva, Ginevra, Guenevere, Guenievre, Guinever, Gwen, Gwenevere, Gwenhwyfar, Gwenni, Gwennie, Gwenny, Gwenyver, Janelle, Jen, Jena, Jenae, Jenelle, Jenessa, Jeni, Jenifer, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenny, Jinelle, Jin, Jinessa, Jini, Jinifer, Jinni, Jinnie, Jinny, Yenifer, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Guinevere, one of the “irregular” children at Lily’s school, presumed to come from a “very well-educated if not sanitation-minded home”, where she is rumored to have a brother named Galahad, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Guinevere Turner (b. 1968), American actress and screenwriter.
Linda
July 22, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Meaning “soft” or “tender”, a diminutive of names ending with “-linda” or “-linde”: e.g., “Belinda”, “Melinda”, “Rosalinda”, “Sieglinda”, etc. Also associated with the Spanish word, meaning “pretty”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lin, Lindall, Lindell, Lindie, Lindsay, Lindsey, Lindsie, Lindy, Linette, Linn, Linne, Linnet, Linnette, Linnie, Linsay, Linsey, Linsie, Lyn, Lyndee, Lyndi, Lyndie, Lyndsay, Lyndsey, Lyndsie, Lynette, Lynn, Lynna, Lynne, Lynnette, Linza, Lynda, Lynzee, Lynzie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Linda, 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).
– Linda, one of the other “irregular” children at Lily’s school, so deemed because of her pink plastic prosthetic arm, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Steven
July 21, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Medieval English version of “Stephen”, or a Dutch variant of “Stefan”, both from the Greek name “Stephanos”, meaning “crown.”
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Esteban, Estebe, Estavan, Esteve, Estevo, Estevon, Estienne, Etienne, Eztebe, Fane, Istvan, Pista, Pisti, Staffan, Stavros, Ste, Steafan, Steaphan, Steenie, Stefan, Stefano, Stefanos, Stefans, Stefanus, Steffen, Stefon, Step, Stepan, Stepane, Steph, Stephan, Stephanas, Stephane, Stephanos, Stephanus, Stephen, Stephenson, Stesha, Steponas, Stevan, Steve, Stevenson, Stevie, Stevo, Stevon, Stevyn, Stipan, Stipe, Stipo, Stiofan, Stjepan, Tapani, Tahvo, Teppo, Tipene, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Steven, one of the other “irregular” children at Lily’s school, so deemed due to an accidental sterilization causing him to grow increasingly effeminate, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Frankie
July 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Frank” / “Francis” or, for girls, “Frances“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Chica, Cissie, Cissy, Fan, Fannie, Fanny, Fran, Franca, Franci, Francie, Francka, Franka, Frankie, Franky, Frannie, Franny, Franzi, Paca, Paquita, Sissie, Sissy, etc.
For boys: Chica, Chico, Ferenc, Feri, Fran, Franca, Francesco, Francis, Francisco, Franciscus, Franco, Francois, Frank, Franka, Franky, Franny, Frans, Franz, Franzi, Paca, Paco, Pancho, Paquita, Paquito, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Frankie, a slightly older boy who befriends Lily at Camp Ava, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Toni
July 18, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
For girls, a shortened version of “Antonia” (a feminine form of “Anthony“, etc.). For boys, a Croatian, Finnish, or Hungarian diminutive of the same.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Antia, Antica, Antoinette, Antonela, Antonella, Antonia, Antonie, Antonietta, Antonija, Latonya, Nela, Nella, Nia, Tania, Tanja, Tanya, Teuna, Toini, Tonia, Tonie, Tonina, Tonja, Tonka, Tony, Tonya, etc.
For boys: Akoni, Anakoni, Andon, Andony, Antal, Antanas, Ante, Anthony, Anto, Antoine, Anton, Antonello, Antoni, Antonie, Antonij, Antonije, Antonio, Antonis, Antonius, Antono, Antony, Antoon, Doncho, Teun, Teunis, Theun, Theunis, Ton, Tone, Tonci, Tonino, Tonio, Tonis, Tono, Tony, Toon, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Toni Bloom, an older girl who is also attending Camp Ava during Lily’s disastrous summer there, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995), American activist, author, film-maker, and professor.
– Toni Braxton (b. 1967), American actress, musician, philanthropist, producer, and singer-songwriter.
– Toni Childs (b. 1957), American singer-songwriter.
– Toni Cucarella (b. 1959), pen name of Spanish author Lluís Antoni Navarro i Cucarella.
– Toni Halliday (b. 1964), English lyricist, musician, and singer.
– Toni Morrison (b. 1931), American editor, novelist, and professor.
– Toni Rothmund (1877-1956), German biographer, journalist, novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Toni (T.K.F.) Weisskopf (b. 1965), American editor and publisher.
– Toni Wine (b. 1947), American songwriter.
Roberta
July 18, 2015 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Robert“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Berti, Bertie, Berty, Bobbi, Bobbie, Bobby, Robertia, Robertina, Robin, Robina, Robyn, Robynne, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Roberta Zolotow, Susan’s new best friend at Camp Ava, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Roberta Flack (b. 1937/39), American musician and singer-songwriter.
– Roberta Beach Jacobson (b. 1952), American editor, humorist, and journalist.
– Roberta Kalechofsky (b. 1931), American activist and writer.
– Roberta Lannes (b. 1948), American author, essayist, poet, and writer.
– Roberta Rogow (b. 1942), American author and librarian.
– Roberta Spear (1948-2003), American poet.
– Roberta Teale Swartz (1903-1993), American academic, poet, and professor.
– Roberta (Mary Morgan) Wohlstetter (1912-2007), American historian.
Ava
July 12, 2015 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Eva”. Possibly an English variation of “Eve”, meaning “to breathe” or “to live”; or from Persian, meaning “voice” or “sound”; or from Greek, meaning “bird-like”; or a shortened version of Germanic names such as “Avis” or “Avila”, or even “Hedwig”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Avalina, Avaline, Avalyn, Avelina, Aveline, Avelyn, Aven, Aveza, Aviana, Aviance, Avice, Avila, Avis, Aviva, Chava, Chavah, Chave, Chavilah, Eabha, Eeva, Eevi, Efa, Eua, Eva, Eve, Evelia, Evie, Evika, Evita, Evvie, Evvy, Ewa, Hava, Havilah, Havva, Hawa, Ieva, Iva, Ivah, Yeva, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ava, founder and leader of Camp Ava, where Lily spends a miserable summer, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Ava (c.1060-1127), German poet, also known as “Ava of Göttweig”, “Ava of Melk”, or “Frau Ava”.
– Ava DuVernay (b. 1972), American director and screenwriter.
Manny
July 12, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Almanzo”, “Emmanuel”, “Manuel”, “Manfred”, “Manning”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Manel, Mano, Manu, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Manny Rubell, head counselor in charge of Camp Ava, where Lily spends a miserable summer, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Manny Farber (1917-2008), American critic, painter, and writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 