G | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Gregory

October 3, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From the Greek “Gregorios”, via the Latin “Gregorius”, meaning “watchful” or “alert”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Goyo, Greagoir, Greg, Grega, Greger, Gregg, Grégoire, Gregor, Gregorio, Gregorios, Gregorius, Greer, Greig, Grigol, Grigor, Grigore, Grigori, Grigoriy, Grigory, Griogair, Grisha, Grzegorz, Hryhoriy, Reijo, Reko, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gregory, the gardener, one of the servants who was supposed to look after Robin while his parents were away, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.

Gronus

September 16, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Gronus” is a name of unknown origin and meaning, but possibly related to the French “grenus”, meaning “grainy”, or archaic French slang for “whiskers” or “moustaches”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . I don’t know. I really, really don’t know.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Gronus Batchildor, one of the local gentry who rile up 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).

Gwenny

September 13, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Variation of “Gwen”, or diminutive of “Gwendoline” / “Gwendolyn”, “Guenivere”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gwen, Gwennie, Gwin, Gwinne, Gwinnie, Gwinny, Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne, Gwynnie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gwenny Carfax, Lorna’s stout-figured and stout-hearted Cornish servant and friend, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

Giacinta

August 26, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Italian feminine form of “Hyacinthus”, from the name of the hyacinth flower.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gia, Hyacintha, Hyacinthe, Jacinda, Jacinta, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Giacinta, the “unprincipled and violent” Italian woman Mr. Rochester took as a mistress following Céline Varens’ betrayal, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

Georgy

August 25, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Georgie“. Diminutive of “Georgia”, “Georgina“, “Georgiana“, “Georgette”, etc. Or, diminutive of “George“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Geena, Gena, Geordie, Georgeanna, Georgia, Georgiana, Georgie, Georgina, Georgine, Georgette, Gigi, Gina, etc.
For boys: Gino, Giorgio, Giorgino, Geordie, Georg, George, Georges, Georgios, Georgi, Georgie, Jordi, Jordy, Jorge, Jorgen, Jorgie, Jorgy, Jori, Jory, Jurgen, Yorgos, Yuri, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Georgy (Georgiana) Reed, one of Jane’s spoiled, mean-spirited cousins, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

Grace

August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Latin “gratia”, meaning, well, “grace”, this was one of the “virtue” names created and embraced by the Puritans.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gracie, Gracelyn, Gray.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Grace, Jenny’s older sister, also Katy Bennet’s cousin, who does not realize little Katy is not ridiculous, after all, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Grace Howe, Major Wade’s greatest comforter before his capture and execution as a rebel, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Grace Irving, a “fallen woman” Sidney nurses in the hospital, in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
– Grace Johnston, Mrs. “Livery” Johnson’s spoiled daughter, who is set up to be a rival for Thea, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Grace Poole, the hired nurse whose presence at Thornfield mystifies and frightens Jane, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

WRITERS:
– Grace Greenwood (1823-1904), pen name of American activist, journalist, and poet Sara Jane Clark.
– Grace Paley (1922-2007), American activist, poet, teacher, and writer.

Gorham

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Gorham” was an Old English place name, meaning “muddy farmland”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
None that I’m aware of . . .

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gorham Allerton, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

Gertrude

August 11, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “spear of strength” or “spear-maiden”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Gert, Gertie, Gertrud, Gerty, Trudi, Trudie, Trudy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gertrude Gray, the middle of the Gray girls, prettiest and most popular of the three, but most prone to hardness and snobbishness, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

WRITERS:
– Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), American novelist, poet, and playwright.

Georgie

August 11, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Georgy“. Diminutive of “Georgia”, “Georgina“, “Georgiana“, “Georgette”, etc. Or, diminutive of “George“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Geena, Gena, Geordie, Georgeanna, Georgia, Georgiana, Georgina, Georgine, Georgette, Georgy, Gigi, Gina, etc.
For boys: Gino, Giorgio, Giorgino, Geordie, Georg, George, Georges, Georgios, Georgi, Georgy, Jordi, Jordy, Jorge, Jorgen, Jorgie, Jorgy, Jori, Jory, Jurgen, Yorgos, Yuri, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Georgie Gray, the oldest of the Gray girls, a bit dreamy and weak and too easily led astray, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

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).

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