Carey
August 10, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Carey” (alternately spelled “Cary”) may be from an English place name, meaning “fort”; or a Welsh place name, meaning “stony island”; or a French place name from Normandy or Burgundy; or an Irish name meaning “descended from Ciardha (the Black)”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carew, Cary, Carrey, Carye, Ceary, Crey, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Carey Kriszinski, Sheila’s overweight older brother, “forever working the meat slicer”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Carey Parrish (b. 1967), American author and writer.
– Carey Wilson (1889-1962), American producer, screenwriter, and voice actor.
Ira
August 9, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “watchful”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
I . . . got nothin’.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ira Tourin, Marty’s younger brother, “born a month prematurely, and . . . permanently trying to catch up”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Ira Aldridge (1807-1867), Anglo-American actor and playwright.
– Ira Berkow (b. 1940), American columnist, reporter, and writer.
– Ira Berkowitz (b. 1939), American crime author.
– Ira Berlin (b. 1941), American author, historian, and professor.
– Ira Cohen (1935-2011), American filmmaker, photographer, poet, and publisher.
– Ira Eisenstein (1906-2001), American author, rabbi, and theologian.
– Ira Lunan Ferguson (1904-1992), American author, essayist, and psychologist.
– Ira Joe Fisher (b. 1947), American broadcaster, educator, and poet.
– Ira Gitler (b. 1928), American historian and journalist.
– Ira Gershwin (1896-1983), American lyricist.
– Ira D. Gruber (b. 1934), American author, bibliographer, and historian.
– Ira B. Harkey, Jr. (1918-2006), American author, editor, professor, and publisher.
– Ira Ishida (b. 1960), Japanese actor, commentator, novelist, and short story writer.
– Ira M. Lapidus (b. 1937), American author, historian, and professor.
– Ira Levin (1929-2007), American dramatist, novelist, and songwriter.
– Ira Lewis (1932-2015), American actor, playwright, and writer.
– Ira Louvin (1924-1965), pen name of American musician, singer, and songwriter Ira Lonnie Loudermilk.
– Ira Sadoff (b. 1945), American critic, novelist, poet, and short story writer.
– Ira Schuster (1889-1945), American songwriter who also published under the pen name “John Siras”.
– Ira Stanphil (1914-1993), American songwriter.
– Ira Wallach (1913-1995), American novelist and screenwriter.
– Ira Wolfert (1908-1997), American reporter and writer.
Bonny
August 4, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Bonnie”, from the Scottish word, meaning “pretty”, derived from the French word for “good”. Also a diminutive of names that start with “Bon-“, such as “Bonita”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bon, Bona, Bonne, Bonni, Bonnibel, Bonnibelle, Bonnie, Bonita, Buena, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bonny, Lily’s beautiful and beloved pet cocker spaniel, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Bonny Hicks (1968-1997), Singaporean model and writer.
Igor
August 4, 2015 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Russian variation of “Ingvar”, from the Old Norse “hero” name “Yngvarr”, meaning “warrior of the god Yngvi-Freyr“; sometimes used as a variation of “George“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ingvar, Ingvarr, Yngvar, Yngvarr, Yngvi, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Igor, the (possibly false) name of more than one of Uncle Len’s mysterious friends, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Igor Akimushkin (1929-1993), Russian writer and zoologist.
– Igor M. Diakonoff (1915-1999), Russian historian, linguist, scholar, and translator.
– Igor Goldkind (b. 1960), American lecturer, poet, science fiction author, and writer.
– Igor Guberman (b. 1936), Russian-Israeli poet and writer.
– Igor Marojević (b. 1968), Serbian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and translator.
– Igor Severyanin (1887-1941), Russian poet.
– Igor Škamperle (b. 1962), Slovenian essayist, novelist, sociologist, and translator.
– Igor Štiks (b. 1977), Croatian author, editor, reporter, and scholar.
– Igor Talankin (1927-2010), Russian director and screenwriter.
– Igor Torkar (1913-2004), pen name of Slovenian poet, playwright, and writer Boris Fakin.
– Igor Yefimov (b. 1937), Russian-American philosopher, publisher, and writer who also publishes as “Andrei Moscovit”.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
Benjamin
May 24, 2015 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew name “Binyamin”, meaning “son of the south” or “son of the right hand”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ben, Beniamin, Beniamino, Benj, Benja, Benji, Benjie, Benjy, Bennie, Benny, Benyamen, Beryamen, Binyamin, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benjamin Hardin Creighton (b. 1832), oldest of the Creighton children, “left for Californy 1849”), in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Middle name of Matthew Benjamin Creighton, Ellen’s husband and Jethro’s father, a well-respected farmer of integrity and compassion, in Across Five Aprils.
– Benjamin Norton, the president of the trolley company Hurstwood attempts to work for, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
WRITERS:
– Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), English novelist and politician.
– Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), American activist, author, diplomat, inventor, politician, publisher, scientist, and statesman.
Some Formerly-Popular Baby Names for Girls
January 20, 2015 § Leave a comment
Here is an article about some names that were once top of the list in popularity for baby girls, but have since gone nearly extinct. What do you think? Is it time to resurrect some of these old-fashioned names? (Note: If you’re looking for good names for characters, remember that the young adults of any particular decade would be likely to have a popular baby name of ~20 years earlier. So, say, an Ethel born in the 1890s would be a “new woman” of the WWI years, or even a “flapper” of the 1920s!)
Bertha (popular in the 1880s)
Betty (popular throughout the 1930s)
Doris (popular in the 1930s)
Dorothy (popular in the 1920s)
Edna (popular from the 1880s through to the 1920s)
Ethel (popular in the 1890s through the early 1900s)
Florence (popular from the 1880s-1930s)
Gladys (popular around the 1890s-1910s)
Ida (popular in the 1880s)
Mildred (popular in the 1910s-1920s)
Minnie (popular in the late 1800s)
Tammy (popular in the 1960s)
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 