Hubert
October 4, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “bright heart” or “bright mind”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hobart, Hubertus, Hubrecht, Uberto, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother Hubert, a monk at St. Mark’s, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
WRITERS:
– Hubert Aquin (1929-1977), Canadian activist, essayist, filmmaker, and novelist.
– Hubert Howe Bancroft (1832-1918), American ethnologist and historian.
– Hubert Butler (1900-1991), Irish essayist.
– Hubert Crackanthorpe (1870-1896), English writer.
– Hubert Fichte (1935-1986), German novelist.
– Hubert Lampo (1920-2006), Flemish author.
– Hubert Harrison (1883-1927), West Indian-American activist, critic, educator, orator, and writer.
– Hubert Selby, Jr. (1928-2004), American writer.
Paul
October 3, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
Latin, from the Roman family name “Paulus”, meaning “small” or “humble”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Boulus, Bulus, Pablo, Pal, Pali, Palle, Paol, Paolo, Paulie, Paulo, Paulos, Paulus, Pauwel, Pasha, Pavel, Pavlo, Pavlos, Pavo, Pavol, Pawel, Pol, Poul, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Paul, a new boy at Lily’s school, “imported from Switzerland”, who “soon becomes the Charles Boyer of the fourth grade”, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Brother Paul, 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.
WRITERS:
– Paul Bowles (1910-1999), American author, composer, and translator.
– Paul Cain (1902-1966), pen name of American author and screenwriter George Caryl Sims.
– Paul Goodman (1911-1972), American intellectual, novelist, philosopher, playwright, poet, psychotherapist, and social critic.
– Paul Jennings (1918-1989), British humorist and writer.
– Paul Jennings (b. 1943), Australian children’s book writer.
– Paul Jordan-Smith (1885-1971), American editor, minister, scholar, and writer.
– Paul Kenyon (b. 1947), pen name of American fantasy, science fiction, and Western author Robert E. Vardeman, who has also published under the pen names “Cliff Garnett”, “Daniel Moran”, “F.J. Hale”, “Edward S. Hudson”, “Jackson Lowry”, “Karl Lassiter”, and “Victor Appleton”.
– Paul Ledd (b. 1951), one of the many pen names of American mystery and Western author Robert J. Randisi, who also publishes as “Cole Weston”, “Joseph Meek”, “Joshua Randall”, “Lew Baines”, “Robert Lake” “Spenser Fortune”, “Tom Cutter”, and “W.B. Longley”, among other pseudonyms.
– Paul Smith (1920-1997), Irish playwright and writer.
– Paul Girard Smith (1894-1968), American screenwriter.
– Paul Verlaine (1844-1896), French poet.
– Paul Zindel (1936-2003), American educator, novelist, and playwright.
Jasper
September 15, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
From Persian, meaning “treasurer”, or referring to the gemstone.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cas, Caspar, Casper, Gaspar, Gaspard, Gaspare, Gasparo, Gaszi, Jas, Jaspar, Jesper, Kaspar, Kasper, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jasper Flight, a prospector for Dr. Archie’s company, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Jasper Kebby, a local yeoman whose farm neighbors Ridd’s and Snowe’s, though is far less prosperous than either, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Si
September 13, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Silas“, “Simon“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sie, Siem, Sim, Sy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Si (Simon) Carfax, Gwenny’s father, a Cornish miner lured into Essex to work Reuben Huckabuck’s secret mine, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Simon
September 13, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Greek version of the Hebrew “Shim’on”, meaning “he has heard”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jimeno, Shimel, Shimon, Si, Sim, Siem, Siemen, Simen, Simeon, Simo, Sy, Symeon, Symon, Szymon, Ximeno, Ximun, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Simon Carfax (sometimes called “Si“), Gwenny’s father, a Cornish miner lured into Essex to work Reuben Huckabuck’s secret mine, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Simon Evans (1895-1940), Welsh broadcaster and writer.
Angela
August 30, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of the Latin “Angelus”, derived from the Greek “angelos”, meaning “messenger”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aingeal, Anda, Andela, Andelka, Andjela, Angele, Angelia, Angelien, Angelina, Angeline, Angelita, Angelle, Angie, Aniela, Anielka, Anzhela, Anzhelina, Lina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Angela Jocelyn, a bright, naive girl whose poverty makes her self-conscious, in “An April Fool”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Angela Brazil (1868-1947), English author.
– Angela Carter (1940-1992), English novelist and journalist.
– Angela Huth (b. 1938), English novelist and journalist.
– Angela Jackson (b. 1951), American poet, playwright, and writer.
– Angela Johnson (b. 1961), American poet and children’s book writer.
– Angela Thirkell (1890-1961), Anglo-Australian novelist.
Tim
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Timothy“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Timmer, Timmie, Timmy, Timo, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tim, the “prizefighter” Becky Hawkins risks her life to save, in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Tim Potter, one of the locals riled up into a mob with the intent of at least arresting, if not shooting, the pardoned and somewhat-reformed highwayman Tom Faggus, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Tim Burton (b. 1958), American artist, director, producer, poet, and writer.
– Tim O’Brien (b. 1946), American novelist.
Esther
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly Persian, meaning “star”, or derived from “Ishtar”, the name of the Babylonian and Assyrian mother goddess of love, fertility, and war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aster, Eistir, Esfir, Essi, Essie, Esta, Estee, Ester, Estera, Esteri, Eszter, Eszti, Hester, Ishtar, Istar, Yesfir, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Esther Bowdoin, whose shabby home life belies her blue-blooded ancestry and artistic heritage, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Esther (or Edna 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:
You can find a good, solid starter list of writers named “Esther” in this post.
Elise
August 28, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eilis, Eilish, Eli, Eliisa, Elisa, Eliza, Ella, Elle, Elli, Ellie, Elly, Elsa, Else, Elsje, Elyse, Elze, Ilsa, Ilse, Lies, Liesa, Liese, Liesel, Liesel, Liesje, Liisa, Liisi, Liisu, Lili, Lilli, Lilly, Lily, Lis, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liza, Lys, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Elise Wheatley, the daughter of the kind woman Polly meets at the shop, in “Polly’s Valentine” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Bert
August 27, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Albert”, “Herbert“, “Robert“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bertie, Bertil, Berto, Berty, Burt, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bert Purcel, Royal’s kid brother, in “The Egg-Boy” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Bert Rice, Anna Kronborg’s beau, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Bert Schierbeek (1918-1996), Dutch writer.
– Bert Stiles (1920-1944), American short story writer.
– Bert Sugar (1937-2012), American sports historian and writer.
– Bert Leston Taylor (1866-1921), American author, columnist, humorist, and poet.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 