M | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Marcus

May 24, 2015 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
From a Roman last name derived from Mars, the god of war.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Marc, Marcas, Marco, Marcos, Marek, Mark, Markie, Marko, Markos, Markus, Marky, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Marcus Jenks, a New York theatrical agent, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).

What Would Your Name Be If You Were Born in a Different Time?

May 13, 2015 § Leave a comment

This article contains a fun little interactive experience, using Social Security data, to determine where your name ranked in popularity in the year you were born, and determining what name held the same rank for every decade from now, all the way back to the 1890s.

As an example, yours truly might have been bestowed the following sobriquets through the decades:
1890s – Adelaide Amelia
1900s – Birdie Lizzie
1910s – Amanda Rosie
1920s – Leola Jennie
1930s – Winifred Vera
1940s – Bettye Clara
1950s – Iris Norma
1960s – Cheri Maureen
1970s – Christie Kristine (were all the names in the 1970s just variations on “Christine“?)
1980s – Kelley Beth
1990s – Cara Crystal
2000s – Guadalupe Kelly
Today – Lilly Annabelle

“Find Out What Your Name Would Be If You Were Born Today“

Mac

May 12, 2015 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Mack”, a shortened version of various Gaelic or Celtic surnames beginning with “Mc-” or “Mac-“, meaning “son of”, or used as a generic term for “man”. Also sometimes used as a diminutive for “Magnus”, “Malcolm”, “Max“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mack, Mackie, Macky, Max, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mac Lewis, a fellow Elk in Drouet’s lodge who does “heavy dramatics” and offers to help put together the lodge’s theatrical fundraiser, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).

Some New Names for a New Millennium

May 12, 2015 § Leave a comment

The article linked in this post talks about some names that just plain weren’t on the radar before the year 2000, but which shot up in popularity after the turn of the millennium. Names that made the cut include:

For girls: Adalyn, Arabella, Arya, Brynlee, Isla, Jaylah, Khloe, Londyn, Lyla, Mila, Nevaeh, Norah, Paisley, and Vivienne
For boys: Beckett, Bentley, Brantley, Cash, Gael, Jax, Karter, King, Kingston, Maddox, Riker / Ryker, and Zayden

For more information on these names, where they ranked, when they hit the big time, and some commentary on the contributing trends, click through to the article!

Minnie

May 10, 2015 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Wilhelmina” (the feminine form of “Wilhelm”, which is the Germanic version of “William“), or a Scottish variation of “Mary“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Mame, Mamie, Manon, Mari, Mary, Mayme, Mien, Mimi, Mina, Minette, Minna, Minni, Minnith, Mira, Miri, Miriam, Mitzi, Vilma, Wilhelmina, Willa, Willie, Willy, Wilma, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Minnie Hanson, Carrie’s married older sister in Chicago, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).

The Decade’s Trendiest Baby Names

April 24, 2015 § Leave a comment

Following is a link to an article about the 15 trendiest baby names in the U.S. (those which have shown the fastest increase in popularity). If you’re looking to stay on top of fashion, or are hoping to avoid blending in with the crowd, this is some handy information, here.

Names included on the list are: Aria / Arya, Aubree (alternate spelling of “Aubrey”), Bentley, Easton, Harper, Jase (shortened version of “Jason”), Jaxson (alternate spelling of “Jackson“), Khloe (alternate spelling of “Chloe”), Lincoln, London, Mila, Paisley (side note: I cannot believe people actually name their children after a print fabric!), Penelope, Scarlett, Violet

Click through for more information (like when the names first hit the charts, and how long their rise to popularity has been coming):
“Today’s Trendiest, Fastest Rising Baby Names“

Some Declining U.S. Baby Names

April 24, 2015 § Leave a comment

Here you’ll find a link telling you all about the decade’s 15 fastest-declining baby names (names which are falling out of favor the quickest.) Will these be the next generation’s old-fashioned duds, like “Wilbur” and “Mildred” are today?

Names included are: Amanda, Amber, Danielle, Erin, Haley / Hayley, Jada, Jenna, Jennifer, Jessica, Jordan, Leslie, Marissa, Megan, Seth, and Shelby
Honorable mention: Cody, Courtney, Devin, Sean, and Trevor

Click through for more info about the names (like when they first became popular, and how high in the rankings they reached before their fall from grace):
“The Decade’s Fastest Dropping Baby Names“

Everything Old is New Again

April 5, 2015 § 2 Comments

I’ve long been of the opinion that there are many classic names that are long since due for a revival. I’d like to see more Olivers and Theodores and Maudies and Candaces and even Victorias running around. Apparently, I’m not the only one, as these links illustrates (click through for the whys and wherefores):

For girls: Adeline, Alice, Alma, Amelia, Aubrey, Blanche, Clara, Cora, Edith, Effie, Evelyn, Florence, Hattie, Hazel, Leah, Lillian, Lucy, Maggie, Naomi, Nora, Olive, Ruth, Sadie, and Stella
For boys: Alfred, Bernard, Charlie, Eli, Everett, Henry, Harold, Henry, Isaac, Jack, Jasper, Leo, Max, Oliver, Oscar, Owen, Raymond, Samuel, Silas, and Warren

What other names do you think should make a comeback?

More Than 100 Years of the Most Popular Girls’ Names in the U.S.

March 19, 2015 § Leave a comment

The video shown in the linked article is a fascinating graphic representation of the most popular girls’ names in the U.S., year by year, since 1880, and includes interesting statistical analysis as well as historical context. A running list shows the top ten for each year, and how they change, while the bubble graph includes all of the most popular names for the year. Click through the link to see what names ranked where in popularity:

The names which have made the top three since 1880 include:

Alexis, Amanda, Amy, Anna, Ashley, Barbara, Betty, Brittany, Deborah, Debra, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Emily, Emma, Hannah, Heather, Helen, Isabella, Jennifer, Jessica, Karen, Kimberley, Linda, Lisa, Madison, Margaret, Mary, Melissa, Michelle, Olivia, Patricia, Ruth, Samantha, Sarah, Shirley, Sophia, and Susan

What do you think? Did your name make the list, and if so, where and when? Any particular trends that caught your eye? (For me, I think it was interesting to see Emma make it back onto the top three after a hundred years or so! Everything old is new again, I suppose.)

Some Names for Girls Inspired by Amazing Women from History

March 7, 2015 § Leave a comment

Names that made the list are:

Beatrice, Charlotte, Christina, Clara, Cleopatra, Daphne, Diana, Dorothy, Harriet, Mercy, Pearl, and Rose.

Want to know which Charlotte, Diana, Rose, etc. they’re talking about? Click through the following link to find out more about these wonderful women and why they’d be great choices to name your girl (person, pet, or character) after! And feel free to share any additions you’d make to the list!

12 Baby Girl Names Inspired By Groundbreaking Women

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