Dorcas
September 12, 2015 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Greek variation of the Arabic name “Tabitha”, meaning “gazelle”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dodie, Dody, Dor, Dora, Dorri, Dorrie, Dorry, Dory, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Dorcas Lapham, Mrs. Lapham’s second-oldest daughter, “built like Madge, but not so loud-voiced, nor as roughly good-natured”, who “thirsted for elegance” and is frequently “painfully prissy [and] proper”, in Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (written in 1943; set during the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War, 1773-1775).
WRITERS:
– Dorcas Cochran Jewell (c.1903-1991), American lyricist and screenwriter.
Ava
July 12, 2015 § 6 Comments
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Eva”. Possibly an English variation of “Eve”, meaning “to breathe” or “to live”; or from Persian, meaning “voice” or “sound”; or from Greek, meaning “bird-like”; or a shortened version of Germanic names such as “Avis” or “Avila”, or even “Hedwig”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Avalina, Avaline, Avalyn, Avelina, Aveline, Avelyn, Aven, Aveza, Aviana, Aviance, Avice, Avila, Avis, Aviva, Chava, Chavah, Chave, Chavilah, Eabha, Eeva, Eevi, Efa, Eua, Eva, Eve, Evelia, Evie, Evika, Evita, Evvie, Evvy, Ewa, Hava, Havilah, Havva, Hawa, Ieva, Iva, Ivah, Yeva, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ava, founder and leader of Camp Ava, where Lily spends a miserable summer, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Ava (c.1060-1127), German poet, also known as “Ava of Göttweig”, “Ava of Melk”, or “Frau Ava”.
– Ava DuVernay (b. 1972), American director and screenwriter.
Amalthea
December 19, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of the Greek “Amaltheia”, meaning “tender goddess” (after one of the foster mothers of the god Zeus).
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Amaltheia, Thea, Theia.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Amalthea, the name Schmendrick gives to the unicorn when she is in her human form, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
Nikos
December 18, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
A shortened version of the Greek “Nikolaos”, meaning “victory of the people”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cai, Caj, Claes, Claus, Col, Colas, Cole, Colet, Colin, Collin, Kai, Kaj, Kay, Klaas, Klaes, Klas, Klaus, Kolya, Miklos, Mikolas, Miksa, Mykola, Neacel, Nels, Nic, Niccolo, Nichol, Nicholas, Nichols, Nick, Nickie, Nickolas, Nicky, Nico, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolas, Nicolaas, Nicolaos, Nicolau, Nicolaus, Nicolo, Nicos, Niek, Niels, Nigul, Nik, Nika, Nikko, Niklas, Niklaus, Niko, Nikola, Nikolai, Nikolaj, Nikolajs, Nikolaos, Nikolas, Nikolaus, Nikolay, Nikoloz, Niksa, Nikusha, Nils, Nixon, Nykko, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nikos, the great wizard who tried his best to teach Schmendrick everything he knew, in the fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle.
WRITERS:
– Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985), Greek painter and poet.
– Nikos Gatsos (1911-1992), Greek lyricist, poet, and translator.
– Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (1906-1994), Greek academic, artist, and writer.
– Nikos Karouzos (1926-1990), Greek poet.
– Nikos Kavvadias (1910-1975), Greek poet and writer.
– Nikos Nicolaides (1884-1956), Greek painter and writer.
– Nikos Nikolaidis (1939-2007), Greek director, producer, and writer.
– Nikos Tsiforos (1916-1970), Greek director and screenwriter.
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.
Gus
November 6, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Augustus”, “Angus”, “Gustave”, etc. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Constantine”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Guus, Kusti, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gus Kronborg, Thea’s oldest brother, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Gus Kahn (1886-1941), American lyricist.
– Gus Tyler (1911-2011), American activist, author, and columnist.
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.
Phoebe
September 12, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From the Greek name “Phoibe”, meaning “bright and pure” or “the shining one”, after a goddess associated with the moon.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Febe, Phebe, Pheobe, Phoibe.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Phoebe, the doddering old woman who serves as a sort of housemother at John Ridd’s school, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
WRITERS:
– Phoebe Cary (1824-1871), American poet.
– Phoebe Gilman (1940-2002), Canadian-American children’s book author and illustrator.
– Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874), American evangelist and writer.
– Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1909-1976), American mystery author who also wrote under the pen names “Freeman Dana” and “Alice Tilton”.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 