English | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Madison

November 23, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
English last name, meaning “son of Maud“. So, given that, it’s a bit strange that people started using it for girls as well as boys.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Madi, Maddie, Maddison, Maddy, Madyson, Madisyn, etc.
For boys: Madeson, Maddeson, Maddesonne, Maddison, Maddyson, Madison, Madyson, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Madison Bowers, the best voice teacher in Chicago, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Madison Cawein (1865-1914), American poet.
– Madison Jones (b. 1925), American novelist.

A series of links to articles on British names (you can find a second installment here). Some popular, some not-so-popular, but all veddy veddy British. Click through for more info on the names themselves!

10 Extremely British Baby Names for Girls:
Ada, Agatha, Amelia, Boadicea (or Boudicca), Edith, Frideswide, Gladys, Lettice, Myrtle, Nora, and Olivia

10 British Girls’ Names That Struggled to Cross the Pond:
Bronwyn, Bryony, Cerys, Hermione, Imogen, Nichola, Nigella, Poppy, Rhiannon, and Tamsin

10 Extremely British Baby Names for Boys:
Alastair, Conall, Crispin, Duncan, Ellis, Euan, Fergus, Kenzie, Lachlan, and Piers

10 British Boys’ Names That Struggled to Cross the Pond:
Alfie, Basil, Ewan, Gareth, Hugh, Menzies, Murray, Nigel, Rupert, and St. John

Tanya

November 15, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Tatiana” or “Titania”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Taina, Tania, Tanja, Tatiana, Tatienne, Tatjana, Tiana, Tonia, Tonya, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tanya Harsanyi, Andor Harsanyi’s young daughter, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

Oscar

November 15, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Possibly from Gaelic, meaning “deer lover”, or from Old English, meaning “divine spear”, or from Old Norse, meaning “spear god” or “spear of god”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Asgar, Asgeirr, Osgar, Oskar, Oskari, Osku, Ossie, Oszkar, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Oscar, Dr. Archie’s regular waiter at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Oscar Andersen, Irene’s late husband, who was killed in an explosion, in The Song of the Lark.

WRITERS:
– Oscar Fraley (1914-1994), American author and reporter.
– Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), American librettist, lyricist, and producer.
– Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013), Cuban-American novelist.
– Oscar Levy (1867-1946), German-Jewish physician and writer.
– Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951), American author, director, and producer.
– Oscar Millard (1908-1990), English author and screenwriter.
– Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish author, playwright, and poet.

Irene

November 15, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Usually pronounced “ie-REEN”, “ie-REE-nee”, or “ee-RE-ne”; from the Greek “Eirene”, meaning “peace”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Arina, Arine, Arisha, Eireen, Eirene, Ena, Ira, Irena, Irenka, Iria, Irina, Irine, Irja, Iryna, Rene, Renee, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Irene Andersen, who rents a room in the home she shares with her mother, Mrs. Lorch, to Thea Kronborg, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Irene Ibsen Bille (1901-1985), Norwegian novelist and playwright.
– Irene Hunt (1907-2001), American children’s book writer.
– Irène Némirovsky (1903-1942), Russian novelist.

Hartley

November 15, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
From an Old English place name, meaning “hart (stag) clearing”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Hartlay, Hartlaye, Hartleigh, Hartlie, Hartly, Hertelay, Herthelay, Hertlay, Hertlegh, Hertley, Hertleye, Hertly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dr. Hartley Evans, a Chicago friend of Dr. Archie’s, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

Lily

November 15, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the lily flower, a symbol of purity. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Lillian” or “Elizabeth“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lil, Lili, Lillie, Lilly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lily Fisher, Thea’s rival in Moonstone, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Lily Hiles, the amiable and generous proprietor of Newton’s only restaurant, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Lily Pearl (sometimes also known as “Lily Moore” and “Lily Shaine”, and called “D” or “Doll” by her uncles), the young girl whose family life is recounted in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

WRITERS:
– Lily L. Allen (1867-1952), Irish author and missionary.
– Lily Braun (1865-1916), German activist and author.
– Lily Brett (b. 1946), German-Australian essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Lily Brown (b. 1981), American poet.
– Lily Dougall (1858-1923) Canadian activist and author.
– Lily Goddard (1916-2002), Austrian author and designer.
– Lily Koppel (b. 1981), American novelist and nonfiction author.
– Lily Ross Taylor (1886-1969), American academic and author.
– Lily Tuck (b. 1938), American novelist and short story writer.

Elmer

November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From the Anglo-Saxon “Adelmar”, meaning “noble” or “famous”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Adelmar, Aylmer, Edelmiro.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Elmer, Ray Kennedy’s unlucky brother-in-law, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Elmer Davis (1890-1958), American author and reporter.
– Elmer Rafael Diktonius (1896-1961), Finnish composer and poet.
– Elmer Hader (1889-1973), American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Elmer Blaney Harris (1878-1966), American author, dramatist, and playwright.
– Elmer Keith (1899-1984), American author and rancher.
– Elmer Kelton (1926-2009), American journalist and writer.
– Elmer Rice (1892-1967), American playwright.

Ray

November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Raymond”, or sometimes a diminutive of “Raphael”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rae, Raye, and that’s about it. Rai, maybe? There’s really only so many ways to make a one-syllable name.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ray Kennedy, the freight train conductor who is one of Thea’s dearest friends and most ardent admirers, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).

WRITERS:
– Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American author.

Billy

November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Like “Bill” and “Willie“, etc., a diminutive of “William“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bil, Bill, Billie, Gwil, Liam, Lyam, Pim, Vila, Vili, Viljo, Ville, Wil, Wilkie, Wilkin, Wilky, Will, Willie, Willis, Willy, Wim, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Uncle Billy Beemer, the benevolent town drunk responsible for Moonstone’s grove of cottonwoods, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Uncle Billy Jeffers, the Creighton’s neighbor down the road, who survived the War of 1812, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).

WRITERS:
– Billy Rose (1899-1966), American impresario, lyricist, and showman.
– Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967), American jazz composer, lyricist, musical arranger, and pianist.
– Billy Wilder (1906-2002), Austrian-American artist, filmmaker, journalist, producer, and screenwriter.

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