N | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Naomi

August 25, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “pleasant”

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Na’omi, Noemi, Noemia, Noémie, Noemin, Nohemi, Nomi, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Naomi Brocklehurst, the lady who built the new part of Lowood Institute, and whose son overlooks and directs the school, in Jane Eyre, 1847, by Charlotte Bronte.

WRITERS:
– Naomi Alderman (b. 1974), English author.
– Naomi Jacob (1884-1964), English actress, author, and broadcaster.
– Naomi Klein (b. 1970), Canadian activist and author.
– Naomi Lewis (1911-2009), English anthologist, author, critic, essayist, and poet.
– Naomi Mitchison (1897-1999), Scottish novelist and poet.
– Naomi Shihab Nye (b. 1952), Palestinian-American novelist, poet, and songwriter.
– Naomi Ragen (b. 1949), American-Israeli activist, author, and playwright.
– Naomi Wolf (b. 1962), American activist and author.

Nanfan

August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
One of those “last names as first names” that were once a quite popular way for a mother’s maiden name to be passed on to her sons, “Nanfan” was the name of a Cornish village.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Honestly, no idea.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nanfan Speckle, a local tanner, who is suggested to (and summarily rejected by) Keren Lemon as a possible husband, in “The Farrier Lass o’ Piping Pebworth” (written in 1887, set circa 1600), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.

Nancy

August 17, 2014 § 6 Comments

ORIGIN:
Medieval diminutive of “Annis”, or of “Ann” / “Anne” (via “Nan“).

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ann, Anne, Annie, Anny, Nainsi, Nan, Nancie, Nana, Nance, Nandag, Nanette, Nanice, Nanine, Nannie, Nanny, Nanse, Nansi, Nansie, Nansy, Nenci, Nensi, Neske, Nest, Nesta, Nina, Ninette, Ninon, Nona, Nonna, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aunt Nancy, who might be a fallback matron for Hope should something happen to Mrs. Bell, in “What Hope Bell Found in Her Stocking”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Nancy Creighton, John’s quiet and withdrawn wife, “amiable, but aloof to the friendly Creightons” in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Nancy (Annie) Ridd (sometimes called “Nanny“), John’s favorite sister, a sweet little homemaker, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
– Nancy (Anne) Steele, Lucy’s well-intentioned but empty-headed ninny of an older sister, a woman of “vulgar freedom and folly”, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).

WRITERS:
– Nancy Boyd (1892-1950), pen name of American poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay.
– Nancy Cato (1917-2000), Australian activist and writer.
– Nancy A. Collins (b. 1959), American horror novelist.
– Nancy Farmer (b. 1941), American author and children’s book writer.
– Nancy Garden (1938-2014), American author.
– Nancy Holder (b. 1953), American novelist.
– Nancy Huston (b. 1953), Canadian essayist and novelist.
– Nancy Kress (b. 1948), American sci-fi writer.
– Nancy Milford (b. 1938), American biographer.
– Nancy Meyers (b. 1949), American director, producer, and screenwriter.
– Nancy Mitford (1904-1973), English biographer, journalist, and novelist.
– Nancy Oliver (b. 1955), American playwright and screenwriter.
– Nancy Pickard (b. 1945), American crime novelist.
– Nancy Brooker Spain (1917-1964), English broadcaster, columnist, and journalist.
– Nancy Springer (b. 1948), American author.
– Nancy Werlin (b. 1961), American author.
– Nancy Willard (b. 1936), American novelist, poet, and children’s book writer and illustrator.

QUOTATIONS:
– From “Wages“, by Norman Rowland Gale: “Because I bowed / content, I fancy, / He gave me you / for wages, Nancy!”

Nickie

August 15, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Nicky” / “Nikki”, diminutive of “Nicholas” or “Nicole”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Cole, Colette, Coleen, Coline, Lina, Nica, Nichola, Nichole, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolette, Nicolina, Nicoline, Nicky, Nika, Nikka, Nikki, Nikkole, Nikol, Nikola, Nikole, Nikoleta, etc.
For boys: Cai, Claus, Colas, Col, Cole, Colet, Colin, Collin, Kai, Kay, Klaas, Klaus, Nels, Nic, Nichol, Nichols, Nick, Nicky, Nico, Nicol, Niek, Niels, Nils, Nik, Nika, Nikki, Niko, Nixon, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickie Boler, a boy “who was always well read on all sorts of queer old facts”, a founding member of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats, in “The Kit-Kat Club”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Ned

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Edward“, “Edmund”, “Edwin“, “Edgar”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ed, Edd, Eddi, Eddie, Eddy, Nedd, Neddie, Neddy, Ted, Tedd, Teddie, Teddy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ned Hale, Ruth Varnum’s fiancé (and later husband), whose romance fares far better than does Ethan’s, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
– Ned Hamlyn, the friend and fellow boarder who helps Jim to set right the mess he has impulsively made of his situation, in “The Tragedy of the Unexpected”, from Nora Perry’s The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (published in 1880, but set in the 1870s).

WRITERS:
– Ned Buntline (1821-1886), pen name of American journalist, publicist, publisher, and writer Edward Zane Carroll (E.Z.C.) Judson, Sr.
– Ned Calmer (1907-1986), American author and journalist.
– Ned Fairchild (b. 1929), pen name of American songwriter Nelda Fairchild.
– Ned Marin (1896-1955), American producer and screenwriter.
– Ned Miller (b. 1925), American singer and songwriter.
– Ned O’Gorman (1929-2014), American author, educator, and poet.
– Ned Rorem (b. 1923), American composer and diarist.
– Ned Sherrin (1931-2007), English author, broadcaster, and director.
– Ned Vizzini (1981-2013), American novelist.
– Ned (Edward) Ward (1667-1731), English publican and satirist.
– Ned Washington (1901-1976), American lyricist.

Nabby

August 7, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Abigail”, from Hebrew, meaning “my father is joy”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Abegail, Abi, Abigail, Abigayle, Abbey, Abbi, Abbie, Abby, Avigail, Avi, Gail, Gaila, Gala, Gale, Gayla, Gayle, Tabbie, Tabby, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aunt Nabby, who looks after Ruth and Sammy Bowen in “Water Lilies” 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.

Nathan

August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Hebrew, meaning “gift”. Sometimes used as a shortened form of “Nathaniel” or even “Jonathan“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Nat, Natan, Natanael, Natanaele, Natanail, Nataniel, Nate, Nathanael, Nathanahel, Nathaniel, Nath, Nathe, Natty, Nethanel, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nathan Baxter, the carpenter Almira Miller hopes to marry, in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Nathan Hale Creighton (called “Nate“; 1848-1852), one of the three young Creighton boys who died of “paralysis” the year Jethro was born, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).

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