Irish | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Patty

August 15, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Pattie” or “Paddy”; originally a variant of “Martha” (via “Mattie” / “Matty“), now commonly used as a diminutive of “Patrick” or “Patricia”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matt, Matti, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patsy, Patti, Pattie, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, Trecia, Tresha, Tricia, Trish, Trisha, etc.
For boys: Paddy, Padraic, Padraig, Padrig, Pat, Pate, Patric, Patrice, Patricius, Patrick, Patrik, Patrizio, Patryk, Patsy, Pherick, Rick, Rickie, Ricky, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Patty, maidservant to Mrs. and Miss Bates, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Patty Dunbar, a clever, sensible girl, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and originator of the idea to have a shop and sell doll clothes to raise money for the family, in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Larry

August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Laurence” / “Lawrence“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Enzo, Larkin, Larrie, Lars, Lasse, Lassi, Laurance, Lauren, Laurence, Laurent, Laurie, Lauritz, Lawrance, Lawrence, Lawrie, Loren, Lorencio, Lorens, Lorenzo, Lorin, Lorrin, Rance, Rens, Renzo, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Larry, Dr. Archie’s servant at his medical office in Moonstone, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Larry, the name of more than one of the boys Lily dates, who perhaps not-so-coincidentally often have names which rhyme with her long-absent father, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Larry Moore, Lily’s serviceman father, a man she never knows, in Sleeping Arrangements.
– Larry Mulligan, a drunken lout who ruins Bella and Donny McGilvray’s playtime, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Larry Brown (1951-2004), American novelist and writer.
– Larry David (b. 1947), American actor, comedian, and writer.
– Larry Doyle (b. 1958), American novelist, television writer, and producer.
– Larry Gelbart (1928-2009), American writer.
– Larry McMurtry (b. 1936), American essayist, novelist, and screenwriter.

Katy

August 14, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Like “Kate“, etc., a diminutive of “Catherine” / “Katherine“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cadi, Cady, Cait, Cat, Cate, Catey, Cathi, Cathy, Catie, Cato, Caty, Catya, Kady, Kaia, Kaity, Kaja, Kat, Kata, Kate, Katey, Kathi, Kathie, Kathy, Katie, Katka, Katri, Kay, Kaya, Kaye, Kaylee, Kayleen, Kit, Kitti, Kittie, Kitty, Kylee, Kyleen, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Katy (Katherine) Bennet, who is ridiculous because she is wise, in “That Ridiculous Child”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Katy Mears, Molly’s best friend, in “Molly Gair’s New Dress”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Katy Malony, the Irish chambermaid who works for Aunt Cathy, in “Susy’s Dragon”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.

WRITERS:
– Katy Butler (b. 1949), American journalist and author.

Patrick

August 14, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Patricius”, meaning “of noble birth”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Paddy, Padraic, Padraig, Padrig, Pat, Pate, Patric, Patrice, Patricius, Patrik, Patrizio, Patryk, Patsy, Patty, Pherick, Rick, Rickie, Ricky, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Patrick, one of the servants in the Lorton household, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

WRITERS:
– Patrick Carman (b. 1966), American writer.
– Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962), English novelist and playwright.
– Patrick F. McManus (b. 1933), American humorist and writer.
– Patrick O. McGuire (1926-2002), pen name of English crime fiction author and screenwriter James Mitchell, who also wrote under the pen name “James Munro”.
– Patrick Robinson (b. 1940), English novelist and columnist.
– Patrick Taylor (b. 1941), Irish novelist.
– Patrick White (1912-1990), Anglo-Australian novelist.

Orin

August 12, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Oran” / “Orrin“, from Irish, meaning “little pale green one”, or of “Oren”, from Hebrew, meaning “pine tree”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Odran, Odrhan, Oran, Oren, Orren, Orrie, Orrin, Orry, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Orin Silver, Mattie’s ne’er-do-well father, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

Denis

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Dennis“, from the medieval French version of “Dionysios”, derived from the name of the Greek god of wine, dance, revelry, and fertility.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Deion, Den, Denes, Denney, Dennis, Denny, Denys, Deon, Dion, Dionysios, Dionysius, Tenney, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Denis, one of the other pageboys Robin befriends during his stay in Sir Peter’s castle, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Denis Eady, the “rich Irish grocer” and one-time suitor of Mattie Silver, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

WRITERS:
– Denis Bond (b. 1946), English children’s book and television writer.
– Denis Diderot (1713-1784), French critic, philosopher, and writer.
– Denis Johnson (b. 1949), American writer.

Carrol

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Carroll”, often used as a last name. Derived either from Irish, meaning “hacking with a weapon”, or related to “Carolus”, the Latin form of “Charles“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carol, Carolus, Carroll, Caryl, Cearbhall, etc.

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

Biddy

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Bridget“, an Irish name meaning “strength” or “exalted one”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bea, Bedelia, Bee, Biddie, Bidelia, Birdie, Birdy, Breda, Bride, Bridie, Brit, Brita, Britt, Britta, Gitta, Gittan, Gitte, Reeta, Rita, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Biddy Branghton, the peevish older daughter of Madame Duval’s (and Evelina’s) cousins, the crude, ill-mannered Branghton clan, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Biddy Henshawe, an aunt of Willoughby’s intended bride, Miss Sophia Grey, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Biddy Ryan, a disreputable old woman Marion Warren tries to help in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Caddy

August 6, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Caddie” / “Cadi”; diminutive of “Caroline” or “Catrin”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cady, Caddie, Calleigh, Callie, Cari, Carla, Carrie, Carry, Kallie, Kari, Karla, Karrie, Karry, Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kerry, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Caddy Kennedy, a poverty-stricken little girl Ida Standish befriends in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Norah

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Nora”; Irish diminutive of “Honora” or “Eleanor“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Eleanor, Elinor, Honor, Honora, Honoria, Honorata, Honour, Lenora, Lenore, Leonora, Nonie, Nora, Noreen, Norene, Noor, Norina, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Norah, a little girl at the Children’s Hospital who is befriended by Elizabeth Alden in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

WRITERS:
– Norah Lofts (1904-1983), English author.

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