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.
Josie
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Josey”, etc., a diminutive of “Josephine”, a feminine form of “Joseph“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Giosetta, Jo, Joetta, Joleen, Jolene, Joey, Josée, Josette, Josey, Josi, Josiane, Josy, Posie, Posey, Seph, Sephi, Sephie, Sephy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Josie Kelley, Matty’s sister, and another of the shopgirls in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Matty
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Mattie“, “Maddie”, etc.; diminutive of of “Matilda“, “Martha“, etc., or of “Matthew”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matt, Matti, Mattie, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patti, Pattie, Patty, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.
For boys: Mat, Matt, Mattie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Matty Kelley, one of the shopgirls in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Windlow
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possibly a variation of “Winslow”, an old English place name meaning “friend’s hill”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Winnie, Winny, Windslow, Winselow, Winsloe, Winslow, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Windlow Aplin, who was given his mother’s maiden name as a first name, a snobbish, bragging boy from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Flo
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Florence” or “Flora”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Fflur, Fiorenza, Fleur, Floor, Flora, Flore, Floreen, Floella, Florence, Florene, Florentia, Floretta, Florette, Floris, Florrie, Flossie, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Flo (Florence) Aplin, a snobbish, bragging girl from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
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.
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).
Eph
August 29, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Ephraim“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Efraim, Efrain, Efrayim, Efrem, Ephraim, Evron, Jevrem, Yefrem, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Eph (Ephraim) Merridew, Sibyl’s brother, a headstrong young man allied with the Rebel troops, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
Ephraim
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Hebrew name “Efrayim”, meaning “very fruitful”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Efraim, Efrain, Efrayim, Efrem, Eph, Evron, Jevrem, Yefrem, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ephraim, one of the Boston children roused to their chores at the start of Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
– Ephraim Lapham, the aging silversmith Johnny is apprenticed to in Johnny Tremain.
– Dr. Ephraim Merridew, Sibyl’s father, prevented from joining the Rebel cause by business in Barbados, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Ephraim Merridew (called “Eph“), Sibyl’s brother, a headstrong young man allied with the Rebel troops, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
Sibyl
August 29, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Sybil”, from the Greek “Sibylla”, meaning “prophetess”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cybill, Sibella, Sibilla, Sibylla, Sibylle, Sybella, Sybil, Sybila, Sybilla, Sybille, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sibyl Merridew, a pretty little Rebel in Tory’s clothing, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 