Isabel

August 27, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
A medieval variation of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Beileag, Belina, Belinda, Belinha, Bell, Bella, Belle, Ibb, Ibbie, Ibby, Isa, Isabela, Isabell, Isabella, Isabelle, Isbel, Iseabail, Isebella, Ishbel, Isibéal, Isobel, Issie, Issy, Izabela, Izabelle, Izzie, Izzy, Sabela, Sabell, Sabella, Sabelle, Sibeal, Spela, Ysabel, Ysobel, Zabel, Zabell, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isabel Pelham, Margaret’s older sister, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

Iztaccihuatl

August 24, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From an Aztec myth, meaning “white woman” in the Nauhuatl language.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Apparently, “Whattle”? Although, personally, I think that’s a dreadful nickname. But let’s be honest, Amélie Rives is a bit problematic as a writer not solely because she is sometimes weird with character names . . .

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Iztaccihuatl Page (called “Whattle“), a young servant at Caryston Hall, in Virginia of Virginia, written by Amélie Rives in 1888.

Isabella

August 14, 2014 § 10 Comments

ORIGIN:
Latinate version of “Isabel“, a medieval variant of “Elizabeth“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Beileag, Bell, Bella, Belle, Belina, Belinha, Ibbie, Ibby, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Isabel, Isabela, Isabele, Isabell, Isabelle, Isbel, Iseabail, Isebel, Isebela, Isebele, Isebell, Isebella, Isebelle, Ishbel, Isobel, Isobela, Isobele, Isobell, Isobella, Isobelle, Issie, Issy, Izabel, Izabela, Izabele, Izabell, Izabella, Izabelle, Izzie, Izzy, Libbie, Libby, Sabella, Sabelle, Ysabel, Zabel, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isabella Knightley (called “Bella“), the older of John and Isabella’s two daughters, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Isabella Knightley, née Woodhouse, “a pretty, elegant little woman, of gentle, quiet manners”, “a devoted wife, a doting mother”. Emma’s older sister, married to Mr. Knightley’s younger brother John, in Emma.
– Isabella McGilvray (called “Bella“), the daughter of a wash-woman and house-cleaner who lives in the tenement behind Grandpa Bennet’s house, and who Katy befriends, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Isabella Bird (1831-1904), English explorer, naturalist, photographer, and writer.

Ida

August 5, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Germanic, meaning “work” or “labor”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Idah, Ide, Idella, Idelle, Idina, Iida, etc..

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ida, daughter of the Prime Minister of Pumpernickel, where Amelia, Dobbin, Jos, and Georgy visit for a while on their Grand Tour, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Ida Standish, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Ida Pollock (1908-2013), English author who published under her own name, as well as several pseudonyms.
– Ida Tarbell (1857-1944), American author, journalist, and teacher.
– Ida B. Wells (1862-1931), American activist, editor, and journalist.

Isidor

August 2, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Variant of “Isidore”, from the Greek name “Isidoros”, meaning “gift of Isis”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Isa, Isadore, Isidro, Issy, Izzie, Izzy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isidor is Joseph Sedley’s Belgian manservant while he accompanied the regiment to war in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

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