Danish | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

David

August 22, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “beloved”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dai, Daividh, Dauid, Dave, Daveth, Davey, Davide, Davie, Davis, Davit, Davy, Daw, Dawid, Dawud, Dewie, Dewey, Dewydd, Dovid, Taavetti, Taavi, Tavi, Taffy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother David, the stonemason, 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.
– David Langston, the titular clean-living “harvester of the forest”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– David Wyburn, Esther’s cousin, who works as a clerk at Weyman & Co.’s importing-house, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

WRITERS:
– David Craig (b. 1929), pen name of Welsh novelist James Tucker, who also publishes as “Bill James” and “Judith Jones”.
– David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence (1885-1930), English critic, essayist, novelist, painter, playwright, and poet.
– David Malouf (b. 1934), Australian novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– David McCullough (b. 1933), American author, historian, and lecturer.
– David Mitchell (b. 1969), English novelist.
– David Sedaris (b. 1956), American author and humorist.
– David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), American essayist, novelist, professor, and short story writer.
– David Walliams (b. 1971), English activist, actor, children’s book writer, and comedian.

Philip

August 21, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Philippos”, meaning “friend of horses”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Felip, Felipe, Filib, Filip, Filippos, Filippus, Flip, Phil, Phillip, Philippe, Philippos, Pilib, Pip, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Philip Canning, the narrator of “The Portrait” (1885), from Stories of the Seen and Unseen by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant.
– Rev. Mr. Philip Elton, the handsome and seemingly-agreeable vicar of Highbury, who turns out to be rather conceited and inconsiderate, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Philip Frederick Ottenburg (called “Fred“), the dynamic young brewing heir who launches Thea’s operatic career, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), American essayist, novelist, philosopher, and short story writer.
– Philip Freneau (1752-1832), American editor, poet, and polemicist.
– Philip Latham (1902-1981), pen name of American astronomer and science fiction author Robert S. Richardson.
– Philip Pullman (b. 1946), British fantasy author and playwright.
– Philip Roth (b. 1933), American novelist.
– Philip Van Doren Stern (1900-1984), American author, editor, and historian.

Kenneth

August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of either “Coinneach”, meaning “handsome”, or “Cinaed”, meaning “born of fire”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cainneach, Coinneach, Cinaed, Cionaodh, Ken, Kennet, Kennie, Kennith, Kenny, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kenneth is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).

WRITERS:
– Kenneth Anderson (1910-1974), English adventure writer.
– Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), Scottish writer.
– Kenneth Horne (1900-1975), English writer and playwright.
– Kenneth Millar (1915-1983), Canadian-American crime author who published under the pen name “Ross Macdonald”.
– Kenneth Morris (1879-1937), Welsh author and theosophist.
– Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957), American author and journalist.
– Kenneth Tynan (1927-1980), English critic and writer.

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.

Sylvia

August 16, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Silvia”, feminine form of the Latin name “Silvius”, meaning “of the forest”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Silva, Silvia, Silvie, Silviya, Silvy, Syl, Sylva, Sylvi, Sylvie, Sylwia, Szilvia, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sylvia (Sylvie) Lamonte (called “Syl“), the “little dryad that had slipped from some rose-tree’s bark” who Doctor Tom cures, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Sylvia Plath (1932-1963), American poet, novelist, and short story writer.
– Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978), English novelist and poet.
– Sylvia Wright (1917-1981), American editor, humorist, and writer.

Syl

August 16, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Sylvia“, “Sylvie“, etc. meaning “of the forest”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Silva, Silvia, Silvie, Silviya, Silvy, Sylva, Sylvi, Sylvia, Sylvie, Sylwia, Szilvia, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Little Syl (Sylvie) Lamonte, the “little dryad that had slipped from some rose-tree’s bark” who Doctor Tom cures, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

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.

Arthur

August 13, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Possibly Celtic, meaning “noble” or “king”, or “bear-hero”, or from Norse, meaning “Thor’s eagle”, or from a Roman last name. No one really knows. Your guess is as good as mine. Unless you are very, very bad at guessing, in which case, mine might be a little bit better.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Art, Artair, Arther, Arthie, Arthy, Artie, Arto, Artur, Arturo, Arty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rev. Mr. Arthur Villars, guardian to both Evelina and her mother, Caroline, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.

WRITERS:
– Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), English writer, inventor, and explorer.
– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Scottish author.
– Arthur Miller (1915-2005), American essayist and playwright.
– Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944), English critic and writer.
– Arthur Ransome (1884-1967), English author and journalist.
– Arthur Stone (1931-2015), pen name of American crime author Ann Rule, who also published as “Andy Stack” and “Chris Hansen”.
– Arthur Stringer (1874-1950), Canadian novelist, screenwriter, and poet.

Julia

August 12, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Julius”, a Roman name possibly derived from the Greek “Ioulos”, meaning “downy-cheeked” or “youthful”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Giulia, Giulietta, Jules, Juli, Juliana, Julianne, Julie, Juliet, Julietta, Juliette, Juliska, Juliya, Yulia, Yuliya, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Julia Bennet, Katy’s oldest sister, who lacks sympathy, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Julia Hurstwood, George Hurstwood’s beautiful-but-cold wife, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Julia Prime, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Julia Severn, a pupil at Lowood Academy, guilty of the unthinkable crime of having naturally curly hair, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

WRITERS:
– Julia Cameron (b. 1948), American writer.
– Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), American activist, poet, and writer.
– Julia Peterkin (1880-1961), American author.
– Julia Sweeney (b. 1959), American actress, comedian, and author.

QUOTATIONS:
– Probably the most famous usage of the name is “Julia“, from The Beatles’ 1968 album The Beatles (known as the White Album), which begins: “Half of what I say is meaningless / But I say it just to reach you, Julia / Julia, Julia, oceanchild, calls me / So I sing of song of love, Julia”
– “Upon Julia’s Clothes“, written in 1630 by Robert Herrick, famously begins: “Whenas in silks my Julia goes, / then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows / That liquefaction of her clothes.” Apparently, this Julia was a favorite of Herrick’s, because he wrote a ton of poetry to her. This should come in super handy to anyone who wants to romance a Julia.
– From “Upon Julia’s Riband“, by Robert Herrick: “As shows the air when with a rainbow grac’d, / So smiles that riband ’bout my Julia’s waist”
– From “The Dream“, by Robert Herrick: “Only remained a little bit, / Which will be burnt up by-and-by; / Then, Julia, weep, for I must die.”
– From “Upon Roses“, by Robert Herrick: “They blush’d, and look’d more fresh than flowers / Quicken’d of late by pearly showers / And all because they were possess’d / But of the heat of Julia’s breast”
– From “How His Soul Came Ensnared“, by Robert Herrick: “My soul would one day go and seek / For roses, and in Julia’s cheek / A richesse of those sweets she found”
– From “To Julia“, by Robert Herrick: “How rich and pleasing thou, my Julia, art / In each thy dainty and peculiar part!”
– From a different “To Julia“, by Robert Herrick: “The saints’-bell calls, and, Julia, I must read / The proper lessons for the saints now dead: / To grace which service, Julia, there shall be / One holy collect said or sung for thee.”
– From “A Ring Presented to Julia“, by Robert Herrick: “Julia, I bring / To thee this ring / Made for thy finger fit; / To show by this / That our love is / (Or should be) like to it.”
– From “His Sailing From Julia“, by Robert Herrick: “But yet for love’s sake let thy lips do this, / Give my dead picture one engendering kiss: / Work that to life, and let me ever dwell / In thy remembrance, Julia. So farewell.”
– From “The Transfiguration“, by Robert Herrick: “Immortal clothing I put on / So soon as, Julia, I am gone / To mine eternal mansion.”
– From “Cherry-Pit“, by Robert Herrick: “Julia and I did lately sit / Playing for sport at cherry-pit”
– Robert Herrick also wrote “The Candour of Julia’s Teeth“, “To Julia In The Temple“, “His Charge To Julia At His Death“, “On Julia’s Picture“, and “His Covenant; Or, Protestation To Julia“. He really dug this Julia chick.

Edith

August 11, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Old English / Germanic, meaning “rich war” or “blessed war”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eadie, Edie, Editha, Edita, Edyth, Edytha, Edythe, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Edith, Maud Hallett’s aunt, who took her to Paradise Valley one summer, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Edith Beers, the audacious and scandalous heiress who jilts her fiancé Dick Brisbane for his friend Fred Ottenburg, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Edith Elliott, Dolly’s best friend, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Edith Carter (fl. 1920s-1930s), English actress and playwright.
– Edith Hamilton (1867-1963), German-American educator and author.
– Edith (E.) Nesbit (1858-1924), English author and poet.
– Edith Pearlman (b. 1936), American short story writer.
– Edith Wharton (1862-1937), American author and designer.

QUOTATIONS:
– From “The Children’s Hour” (1859), by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “From my study I see in the lamplight, / Descending the broad hall stair, / Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, / And Edith with golden hair.”

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