English | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Walter

August 5, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “powerful warrior” or “ruler of the army”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gautier, Gualtiero, Valter, Waldhar, Wally, Walt, Walther, Wat, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Walter Scape, who is “withdrawn from Eton and put into a merchant’s house” after his father’s failure in the firm of Fogle, Fake, and Cracksman, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

WRITERS:
– Walter of Swinbroke (died c. 1360), English chronicler, also known as Geoffrey the Baker.
– Walter Besant (1836-1901), English historian and novelist who sometimes published in collaboration with James Rice.
– Walter Ericson (1914-2003), pen name of American novelist and television writer Howard Fast, who also wrote under the pen name “E.V. Cunningham”.
– Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864), English writer and poet.
– Walter Pater (1839-1894), English writer and critic.
– Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), Scottish novelist, playwright, and poet.

Bessy

August 5, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Bessie“, a diminutive of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bess, Bessie, Betje, Bette, Betsy, Bettie, Bettina, Betty, Bettye, Buffy, Let, Lettie, Letty, Pet, Pettie, Tess, Tessie, Tessy, Tetty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bessy is the name Mr. Sedley uses for his wife after her death (although earlier she is called “Mary“), in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Osborne

August 5, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Variant of the English last name “Osborn”, meaning “divine bear” or “godly strength”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Asbjorn, Esben, Osbeorn, Osbern, Osborn, Osbourn, Osbourne, Oz, Ozzie, Ozzy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Osborne Todd, Mr. Osborne’s godson and friend, schoolmate, and hanger-on to Georgy Osborne, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

WRITERS:
– Osborne Henry Mavor (1888-1951), Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and surgeon, who wrote under the pen name “James Bridie”.

Bedwin

August 5, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
An English last-name-as-first-name, deriving from Welsh “Bedwyn”, meaning “birch”, or Arabic “Bedouin”, meaning “nomad” or “wanderer”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bedouin, Bedwyn. . . um . . . Beddy?

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Bedwin Sands, the “elegant dandy and Eastern traveler” who manages Becky’s famous presentation of charades at a party given at Gaunt House, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Horace

August 5, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
English / French version of the Latin “Horatio” / “Horatius”, derived from the word for “hour”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Horacio, Horatio, Horatius, Orazio, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Horace Fogey, one of Becky’s high society friends in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Sir Horace Fogle, a former partner in Fogle, Fake, and Cracksman, who manages to escape his firm’s failure smelling like a rose, though it ruins Mr. Scape, in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
– Horace (65 BC-8 BC), English name for the Roman lyric poet, satirist, and critic.
– Horace Gregory (1898-1982), American poet and literary critic.
– Horace Smith (1779-1849), English poet and parodist.
– Horace Walpole (1717-1797), English writer and politician.

Georgina

August 5, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Georgiana“, one of the many feminine variants of “George“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Geena, Gena, Georgeanne, Georgette, Georgia, Georgiana, Georgie, Georgine, Gigi, Gina, Giorgia, Giorgina, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Georgina Frederica, Lady Fitz-Willis, one of the “best” society dames to befriend Becky through Lord Steyne’s patronage, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Washington

August 4, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
An English place name, meaning “town belonging to Wassa (the intelligent one)’s people”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Wash, I suppose?

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mrs. Washington White is a friend of Becky’s who must be cut after the clever little adventuress is presented at court, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Joan

August 4, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Usually used as the English form of “Johanne”, the Old French feminine version of “John“, meaning “Jehovah has been gracious”. Sometimes used as a masculine variant of “John“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Chevonne, Gia, Gianna, Giannina, Giovanna, Giovannetta, Hanna, Hanne, Ioanna, Ivana, Jana, Janina, Janine, Janne, Jannicke, Jean, Jeanne, Jenna, Jo, Joanie, Joann, Joanna, Joanne, Joetta, Johanna, Jojo, Jolene, Joleen, Jonelle, Jonette, Joni, Jonna, Juana, Juanita, Nana, Sheena, Shevaun, Shona, Siobhan, Sinaid, Vanna, Yoana, etc.
For boys: Eoin, Evan, Ewan, Gianni, Giannino, Giovanni, Hankin, Hans, Ian, Iain, Ioannes, Ivan, Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacky, Jan, Janko, Jannick, Jean, Jeannot, Jenkin, Jens, Jo, Joan, Jock, Johan, Johannes, Johnnie, Johnny, Jon, Jonas, Jonel, Jonny, Joop, Jovan, Juan, Juanito, Nino, Sean, Shane, Shawn, Yan, Yannick, Yochanon, Yon, Yvan, Vanya, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Joan Gobble, an arthritic old woman Lady Margaret goes on a charitable visit to, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Hon. Joan Johnes, who marries Lord Steyne’s son, George, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

WRITERS:
– Joan Didion (b. 1934), American essayist, memoirist, and novelist.
– Joan Austral Fraser (1918-2001), Australian novelist and poet who wrote under the pen name “Amy Witting”.

Marianne

August 4, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
French diminutive of “Marie“, from “Maria“. Also a combination of “Marie” / “Mary” and “Anne” / “Ann“, or an alternate spelling of “Marian“.

VARIANTS and NICKNAMES:
Manon, Marian, Mariana, Marie, Marieanne, Marielle, Mariette, Marion, Marise, Mary, Maryann, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marianne Clarke, scandalously spotted entering the “petits appartements of Lord Steyne” in company with an unnamed Duke in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Marianne Dashwood, the emotionally-wrought, passionately romantic second Dashwood sister, “generous, amiable, interesting: she was every thing but prudent”, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).

WRITERS:
– Marianne Moore (1887-1972), American poet and writer.

Molly

August 4, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Polly“, a diminutive of “Mary“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maille, Malle, Manon, Moll, Molle, Mollie, Pol, Pola, Poll, Pollie, Polly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Molly, an old serving-woman who works for the Ridd’s, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Molly, the cook in the Crawley-Sharp household, who little Master Rawdon loved because she “crammed him with ghost stories at night, and with good things from the dinner”, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Molly Barnet, “a hospital nurse with a heart”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– “Major” Molly Elliston, whose determination to keep a promise helps save a garrison, in “Major Molly’s Christmas Promise” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Molly Gair, a resourceful and diligent young lady, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Molly Grue, the “drab” who knows quite a lot about unicorns, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
– Molly Jameson, Ruth’s aunt, who has borne all that she can bear, in The Harvester.
– Molly (Maria) Mirvan, Evelina’s dearest friend, with whom she enters into London society, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Molly (Mary) Porter, a shopgirl Anna Winslow helps in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Molly Price, one of the guests the Lambert children invite for dinner, in “The Thanksgiving Guest”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.

WRITERS:
– Molly Childers (1875-1964), Irish activist and writer.
– Molly Holden (1927-1981), English poet.
– Molly Ivins (1944-2007), American writer, political critic, and humorist.
– Molly Kazan (1906-1963), American dramatist and playwright.
– Molly Keane (1904-1996), Irish novelist and playwright.
– Molly Lefebure (1919-2013), English writer.
– Molly Elliot Seawell (1860-1916), American historian and writer.
– Molly Weir (1910-2004), Scottish actress and memoirist.

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