Barb
July 12, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Barbara“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Babs, Barbara, Barbary, Barbera, Barbie, Barbra, Barby, Bobbie, Bobby, Varvara, Varvora, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aunt Barb, Norm’s wife, considered by his family to be a “worthless gold-digger”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Norm
July 12, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Norman“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Normand, Normand, Normant, Normie
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Uncle Norm, youngest brother of Rosie, Len, and Gabe Shaine, whose choice of wife distances him from his family, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Norm Foster (b. 1949), Canadian playwright.
– Norm Ledgin (b. 1928), American author and journalist.
Len
July 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Leonard”, from the Germanic for “brave lion”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lenart, Lennart, Lennie, Lenny, Leo, Leon, Leonard, Leonardo, Leonhard, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Len Shaine, Gabe and Rosie’s brother, and Lily’s enigmatic uncle, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Len Deighton (b. 1929), English artist, historian, novelist, and writer.
– Len Fox (1905-2004), Australian activist, author, journalist, and painter.
– Len Peterson (1917-2008), Canadian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.
– Len Roberts (1947-2007), American poet.
Morris
July 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Medieval English variation of “Maurice”; ultimately from Latin, meaning “dark-skinned”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maurey, Mauri, Maurice, Mauricio, Maurie, Mauritius, Maurits, Mauritz, Maurizio, Mauro, Maurus, Maury, Maurycy, Meuric, Meurig, Mo, Moe, Morey, Moric, Moris, Moriz, Morr, Morrie, Morrissey, Morrison, Morry, Morse, Mory, Moss, Muirie, Muiris, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Morris Snezak, co-owner (with his wife, Anna) of AnaMor Towers apartments, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Aaron
July 7, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew name “Aharon”, possibly meaning “light” or “mountain”; or perhaps of Egyptian origin, meaning unknown.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aaren, Aharon, Aran, Arin, Aron, Arran, Arrin, Arron, Eran, Erin, Eron, Haroon, Haroun, Harun, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aaron Hassan, Susan’s older brother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Gabe
June 11, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Gabriel”, from the Hebrew “Gavri’el”, meaning “man of God” or “God is my strength”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cebrail, Dzhabrail, Gabby, Gabey, Gabi, Gabie, Gabor, Gabriel, Gabriele, Gabrien, Gavrail, Gavrel, Gavriel, Gavril, Gavriil, Havryil, Jabrel, Jibril, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gabe Shaine, Rosie’s younger brother, a librarian who moves in to help raise Lily, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Gabe Hudson (b. 1971), American educator, novelist and writer.
Curly
June 11, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Unknown; possibly a nickname for someone with curly hair, or perhaps derived from the Gaelic last name “Curley”, ultimately meaning “in the shape of the god of thunder”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Curley, Curlie, Kerley.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Curly, a local tennis champ who dates Lily’s mother, Rosie, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
Rosie
June 10, 2015 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Rosey ” / “Rosy“; diminutive of “Rose“, “Rosa“, names beginning with “Ros-“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rohese, Rohesia, Ros, Rosa, Rosabel, Rosaleen, Rosalie, Rosalind, Rosaline, Rosamond, Rosamonde, Rosamund, Rosanne, Rose, Roselin, Roselind, Rosella, Roselle, Rosemond, Rosemund, Rosetta, Rosette, Rosey, Rosina, Rosine, Rosita, Roslyn, Rosy, Royse, Roz, Roza, Rozelle, Rozie, Rozy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rosie Pearl, Lily’s adored mother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Rosie Boycott (b. 1951), English activist and journalist.
– Rosie Harris (b. 1925), pen name of Welsh romance author Marion Rose Harris.
– Rosie Malek-Yonan (b. 1965), Assyrian activist, actress, author, and director.
– Rosie O’Donnell (b. 1962), American actress, author, comedian, and media personality.
– Rosie Rushton (b. 1946), English novelist and non-fiction writer.
– Rosie Scott (b. 1948), Australian-New Zealander novelist.
– Rosie Thomas (b. 1947), pen name of Welsh journalist and romance author Janey King.
– Rosie Goldschmidt (R.G.) Waldeck (1898-1982), German-American author also known as “Rosa Waldeck”.
Susan
June 10, 2015 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
An English variation of “Susanna”, from the Hebrew “Shoshannah”, meaning “lily” or “rose”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sanna, Sanne, Sawsan, Shoshana, Shoshannah, Sooki, Sookie, Sooky, Sousanna, Su, Sue, Susana, Susanita, Susann, Susanna, Susannah, Susanne, Suse, Susey, Susi, Susie, Susy, Sukey, Suki, Sukie, Suzan, Suzana, Suzann, Suzanna, Suzannah, Suzanne, Suze, Suzelle, Suzette, Suzey, Suzi, Suzie, Suzy, Zana, Zanna, Zooey, Zooie, Zsazsa, Zsuzsa, Zsuzsanna, Zsuzsi, Zsuzsu, Zu, Zula, Zuza, Zuzana, Zuzanka, Zuzanna, Zuzi, Zuzia, Zuzka, Zuzu, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Susan Hassan, one of Lily’s best friends, and a natural enemy of her other best friend, Diana, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Susan Coolidge (1835-1905), pen name of American children’s book writer Sarah Chauncey Woolsey.
– Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), American actress, journalist, novelist, and playwright.
– Susan Eloise (S.E.) Hinton (b. 1948), American children’s book writer, novelist, and screenwriter.
QUOTATIONS:
– From the popular ballad “Black Ey’d Susan, or Sweet William’s Farewell“, by John Gay, first published in 1730: “The noblest captain in the British fleet, / Might envy William’s lips those kisses sweet. / ‘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: / . . . ‘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. / ‘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.’”
Nan
June 9, 2015 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Ann” / “Anne“, or shortened version of “Nancy“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ann, Anne, Annie, Anny, Nainsi, Nancie, Nancy, Nana, Nance, Nandag, Nanette, Nanice, Nanine, Nannie, Nanny, Nanse, Nansi, Nansie, Nansy, Nenci, Nensi, Neske, Nest, Nesta, Nina, Ninette, Ninon, Nona, Nonna, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nan Duval, Diana’s younger sister, who lost an eye in a dart accident, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
QUOTATIONS:
– From The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602), Act IV scene 4, by William Shakespeare: “My Nan shall be the Queen of all the fairies, / Finely attired in a robe of white.”
WRITERS:
– Nan Agle (1905-2006), American children’s book writer.
– Nan Chauncy (1900-1970), Anglo-Australian children’s book writer.
– Nan Cohen (b. 1968), American poet.
– Nan Fairbrother (1913-1971), English lecturer and writer.
– Nan McDonald (1921-1974), Australian editor and poet.
– Nan C. Robertson (1926-2009), American author, educator, and journalist.
– Nan (Anna) Shepherd (1893-1981), Scottish novelist and poet.
– Nan Bentzen Skille (b. 1945), Norwegian biographer and editor.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 