Christopher
September 16, 2014 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Christophoros”, meaning “bearer of Christ”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chip, Chris, Christie, Christoffel, Christoffer, Christophe, Christophoros, Christy, Cris, Cristobal, Cristoforo, Hristo, Hristofor, Kester, Kit, Kris, Kristof, Kristoffer, Kristofor, Kristopher, Krsto, Krystof, Krzys, Krzysiek, Krzysztof, Risto, Toph, Topher, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christopher Badcock (called “Kit“), the innocent farmer whose young child is murdered while his wife, Margery, is carried off by the Doones, the final outrage which causes the locals to rise up against this scourge in their midst, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Christopher Fry (1907-2005), English poet and playwright.
– Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011), Anglo-American author, debater, journalist, and polemicist.
– Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), English novelist.
– Christopher Koch (1932-2013), Australian novelist.
– Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), English dramatist, poet, and translator.
– Christopher Morley (1890-1957), American essayist, journalist, novelist, and poet.
– Christopher Nolan (1965-2009), Irish author and poet.
Charlie
September 15, 2014 § 7 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Charley“, 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, Charles, Charley, Chas, Chaz, Chick, Chip, Chuck, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charlie (Charleworth) Doone, who tries to compete with Carver for Lorna’s hand, though she despises them both for their violence and cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Charlie (Charles) Drouet, 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).
Charleworth
September 15, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possible variation of “Charlesworth”, an English place name meaning “jagged or jaw-like enclosure”, or “Charlton”, an English place name meaning “Charles’ town”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chalesworth, Charlie, Charles, Charley, Charleston, Charlesworth, Charlton, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Charleworth Doone (called “Charlie“), who tries to compete with Carver for Lorna’s hand, though she despises them both for their violence and cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Carver
September 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Old English last name, meaning “wood carver” or “stone carver”, or Anglo-Norman, meaning “ploughman”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Kerver, Keruer.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Carver Doone, the vengeful and wicked villain who earns his name from his cruelty, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Cordelia
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
From “Cordeilla”, a Celtic name, meaning unknown.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cordeilla, Cordie, Cordula, Cordy, Delia, Della, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Cordelia Burr, an ungainly lass with a sore heart, in need of comfort and friendship, in “A Little Boarding-School Samaritan”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Celine
August 25, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
French feminine form of “Caelinus”, meaning “heaven”, or a diminutive of “Marceline”, from Mars, the Roman god of war, or a variation of “Selene”, the name of a Greek moon goddess.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Caelina, Celena, Celene, Celina, Lena, Lina, Marcelina, Marceline, Marcellina, Marcelyn, Selena, Selene, Selina, Seline, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Céline Varens, the French opera-dancer who was Mr. Rochester’s one-time mistress, and mother of Adèle, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.
Carlotta
August 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Italian version of “Charlotte“, a feminine form of “Charles“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carla, Carlota, Carola, Carole, Carolina, Caroline, Charla, Charlene, Charline, Charlize, Charlotta, Charlotte, Karla, Karola, Karolina, Let, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Lotty, Séarlait, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Carlotta Harrison, a nurse at Dr. Max’s hospital, with the kind of jealous and vengeful personality that destroys lives, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Christine
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Variation of “Christina”, from “Christiana”, the feminine form of “Christian”, meaning, you know, “a Christian”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chris, Chrissie, Chrissy, Christa, Christel, Christelle, Christen, Christi, Christiana, Christiane, Christie, Christin, Christina, Christy, Cris, Crissi, Crissie, Crissy, Crista, Cristen, Cristi, Cristiana, Cristiane, Cristie, Cristin, Cristina, Cristine, Cristy, Crys, Cryssi, Cryssie, Cryssy, Crysta, Crysten, Crysti, Crystie, Crystin, Crystina, Crystine, Crysty, Ina, Kia, Kiki, Kilikina, Kirsi, Kirsteen, Kirsten, Kirsti, Kirstie, Kirstin, Kirstine, Kirsty, Kjersti, Kris, Krissi, Krissie, Krissy, Krista, Kristen, Kristi, Kristiana, Kristiane, Kristie, Kristin, Kristina, Kristine, Kristjana, Kristy, Kristyna, Krisztina, Krysia, Krystiana, Krysten, Krystina, Krystine, Krysty, Krystyna, Krystyne, Stina, Teena, Tina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Christine Lorenz, Sidney’s friend, who chooses to become a “bird in a gilded cage” and lives to regret it, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Christine Angot (b. 1959), French writer, novelist, and playwright.
– Christine Arnothy (b. 1930), French writer.
– Christine Brooke-Rose (1923-2012), English writer and critic.
– Christine de Pisan (1364-c.1430), French author and poet.
– Christine Marion Fraser (1938-2002), Scottish author.
– Christine Harris (b. 1955), Australian author.
– Christine Nöstlinger (b. 1936), Austrian writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 