L | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Lizzie

August 6, 2014 § 5 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Lizzy“; diminutive of “Elizabeth“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Elise, Elissa, Eliza, Ella, Elle, Ellie, Elsa, Else, Elsie, Elsje, Elyse, Ilsa, Ilse, Isa, Let, Lettie, Letty, Liana, Libby, Liddy, Lies, Liesl, Liese, Lillie, Lilly, Lily, Lis, Lisa, Lise, Lisette, Liz, Liza, Lizette, Lizy, Lizzy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lizzie (Elizabeth) Alden, member of the Mayflower Club in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Lizzie Macdonald, a friendly and loyal saleswoman in “Becky”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Lizzie (Eliza) Ridd, John’s small, strange, and spiteful book-loving youngest sister, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

Lawrence

August 4, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Laurence”, a Latin place name related to “laurel”.

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

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Rev. Lawrence Grills, the clergyman Becky references when trying to conciliate Lady Southdown in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Lawrence Jones, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Rev. Lawrence Veal, who is engaged to educate young Georgy Osborne, in Vanity Fair.

WRITERS:
– Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990), English dramatist, novelist, poet, and travel writer.

Luke

August 2, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
English version of the Greek name “Loukas”, meaning “a person from Lucania” (an area in Italy). Often used as a shortened version of “Lucas”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lluc, Luc, Luca, Lucas, Lucky, Luka, Lukas, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother Luke, the kind and patient monk who looks after Robin and helps him to grow strong again, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Rev. Luke Waters, a Wesleyan minister befriended by Lady Southdown in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Lionel

August 2, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From the Greek, meaning “little lion”. French diminutive of “Leon”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Leo, Leon, Levon, Linal, Linel, Lionnel, Lynal, Lynel, Lyonel, Lyonnel, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lionel, one of the pageboys Robin befriends during his stay at Sir Peter’s castle, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Rev. Lionel Delamere, a friend of Miss Briggs’, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

Letitia

August 2, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Laetitia”, meaning “joy” or “happiness”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Laetitia, Latisha, Latitia, Latisha, Latizia, Leta, Letisha, Letitia, Letizia, Lettice, Lettie, Letty, Lecia, Licia, Ticia, Tish, Tisha, Tishie, Tishy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Letitia Hawky is a student Miss Pinkerton recommends to Mrs. Bute Crawley, in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).

WRITERS:
– Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802-1838), English poet and novelist.

Laura

July 31, 2014 § 6 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “laurel”. Feminine variant of “Laurence” / “Lawrence“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lallie, Lally, Lara, Laraine, Laure, Laureen, Laurel, Lauren, Laurene, Lauressa, Lauretta, Laurette, Laurey, Laurie, Laurinda, Laurine, Laurissa, Laurita, Laury, Lavra, Llora, Lollie, Lolly, Lora, Loreen, Loren, Lorene, Loretta, Lorette, Lori, Lorie, Lorinda, Lorita, Lorraine, Lorri, Lorrie, Lory, Lowri, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Laura, the fake name used by Berry Joy and Georgie Gray to play their Lonely Hearts prank, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Laura, the “fairy princess” Ted Shaffer plans to marry, in “In a Rag-Bag”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Laura Brooks (sometimes called “Brooksie”), who refuses to give up her friendship with Esther, in spite of the judgment and disdain her friends and family may heap upon her head, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Laura Delano, an invalid who sells her artwork to try and support herself and her sister, Jessie, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Laura Fleming, Ally’s cousin, who perhaps expects too much, in “Ally”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Laura Martin, a little orphan girl who worships Amelia Sedley during her time at Miss Pinkerton’s academy in Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray (published in 1847-48, but set in the 1810s-20s).
– Laura Selwyn, one of Marian’s cousins, who knows all about the trick, in “An April Fool”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.

WRITERS:
Check out this post for a starter list of writers named “Laura”.

QUOTATIONS:
– From “To My Brothers” by Norman Rowland Gale: “O brothers, who must ache and stoop / O’er wordy tasks in London-town, / How scantly Laura trips for you — / A poem in a gown!”

Libby

July 30, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Libbie”, diminutive of “Elizabeth” or “Isabel“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Libbie, Liddy, Liddie, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Libby Holton, a friend of the older Gilbreth girls in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

Lillie

July 30, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Lillian“, “Lilith”, etc., and variant spelling of “Lily“.

VARIATIONS or NICKNAMES:
Lil, Lili, Lily, Lilly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lillie (Lillian Moller) Gilbreth (b. 1878), the industrial engineer and efficiency expert whose family life is related in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948) and Belles on Their Toes (1950), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

Lillian

July 30, 2014 § 6 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternative spelling of “Lilian”, from the Latin for “lily”. Possibly also originally a diminutive form of “Elizabeth“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Leann, Leanna, Leanne, Liana, Liane, Liann, Lianna, Lianne, Lileas, Lilias, Lilian, Liliana, Lilla, Lillah, Lillia, Lillianna, Lillianne, Lilli, Lillias, Lillie, Lily, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lillian (b. 1914), called “Lill” by the family, the seventh of the dozen Gilbreth children whose upbringing is related in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948) and Belles on Their Toes (1950), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.
– Lillian Moller Gilbreth (b. 1878), called “Lillie” by her husband and family, the industrial engineer and efficiency expert whose family life is related in Cheaper By the Dozen (1948) and Belles on Their Toes (1950), written by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

AUTHORS:
– Lillian Hellman (1905-1984), American playwright and screenwriter.

Lewis

July 28, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of “Louis”, the French form of “Ludovicus”, the Latinized version of the Germanic “Ludwig”, meaning “famous warrior” or “warrior prince”. Whew.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lew, Lou, Louie, Luis, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Lewis de Bourgh, late husband of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (written in 1797, published in 1813).

AUTHORS:
– Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, English writer, poet, mathematician, logician, deacon, and photographer.

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