David
August 22, 2014 § 4 Comments
ORIGIN:
From Hebrew, meaning “beloved”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dai, Daividh, Dauid, Dave, Daveth, Davey, Davide, Davie, Davis, Davit, Davy, Daw, Dawid, Dawud, Dewie, Dewey, Dewydd, Dovid, Taavetti, Taavi, Tavi, Taffy, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Brother David, the stonemason, one of the monks at St. Mark’s in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– David Langston, the titular clean-living “harvester of the forest”, in The Harvester (1911) by Gene Stratton Porter.
– David Wyburn, Esther’s cousin, who works as a clerk at Weyman & Co.’s importing-house, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– David Craig (b. 1929), pen name of Welsh novelist James Tucker, who also publishes as “Bill James” and “Judith Jones”.
– David Herbert (D.H.) Lawrence (1885-1930), English critic, essayist, novelist, painter, playwright, and poet.
– David Malouf (b. 1934), Australian novelist, playwright, and short story writer.
– David McCullough (b. 1933), American author, historian, and lecturer.
– David Mitchell (b. 1969), English novelist.
– David Sedaris (b. 1956), American author and humorist.
– David Foster Wallace (1962-2008), American essayist, novelist, professor, and short story writer.
– David Walliams (b. 1971), English activist, actor, children’s book writer, and comedian.
Jock
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Scottish version of “Jack“, a diminutive of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Jack, Jackie, Jackin, Jacks, Jacky, Jak, Jake, Jakey, Jakie, Jakin, Jaks, Jankin, Jax, Jenkin, Jockie, Jocko, Jocky, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jock Crumpet, Nurse Crumpet’s husband in “Nurse Crumpet Tells the Story” (written in 1887, set circa 1630s-1669), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
Dagonet
August 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Possibly from the Old English “daeg”, meaning “day”, or related to “dagon”, meaning “big fish”, or to “dague”, meaning “dagger”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Daegan, Dagan, Dagen, Dagget, Dagnet, Dagney, Dagon, Daguenet.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sir Dagonet Balfour, of Balfour Hall, who wishes to make Keren Lemon a lady, 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.
Margaret
August 22, 2014 § 15 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the Latin “Margarita”, derived from the Greek word “margarites”, meaning “pearl”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Greet, Griet, Greta, Gretchen, Grete, Gretel, Grethe, Gretta, Maarit, Madge, Mae, Mag, Maggi, Maggie, Maggy, Maighread, Mairead, Maisie, Maisy, Mame, Mamie, Mared, Maret, Marga, Margaid, Margalo, Margareeta, Margareta, Margaretha, Margarethe, Margaretta, Margarit, Margarita, Margaux, Marge, Marged, Margery, Margherita, Margie, Margit, Margy, Margo, Margot, Margreet, Margrethe, Margriet, Margrit, Marguerita, Marguerite, Marita, Marjeta, Marji, Marjorie, Marjory, Marketa, Marketta, Marsaili, May, Mayme, Maymie, Meg, Megan, Megeen, Megen, Meggie, Meggy, Mererid, Merete, Meta, Metta, Midge, Mim, Mimi, Mimsie, Mimsy, Mysie, Peg, Pegeen, Peggie, Peggy, Peigi, Reeta, Rita, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Margaret of Amhurste, Lord Robert’s brave and strong-willed twin sister, who saves the wild, cavalier Lord Denbeigh, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Margaret Dashwood, the third Dashwood sister, “a good-humoured well-disposed girl; but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne’s romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life”, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Margaret Pelham (called “Peggy“), a simply-dressed, sweet girl who experiences a case of mistaken identity, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
WRITERS:
– Margaret Atwood (b. 1939), Canadian activist, critic, essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Margaret Blake (1921-1995), pen name of English mystery and romance author Barbara Margaret Trimble, who also published under the pen names “Barbara Gilmour” and “B.M. Gill”.
– Margaret Major Cleaves (b. 1946), American romance author who also publishes under the pen name “Ann Major”.
– Margaret Gibson (b. 1944), American poet.
– Margaret Gibson (1948-2006), Canadian novelist and short story writer.
– Margaret Millar (1915-1994), American-Canadian mystery author.
– Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), American novelist.
– Margaret Oliphant (1828-1897), Scottish novelist and historical writer.
– Lady Margaret Seymour (1540-????), English writer.
– Margaret Truman (1924-2008), American historian, novelist, and singer.
– Margaret Wilson (1882-1973), American novelist.
Kerr
August 17, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From a Scottish place name, meaning “rough, wet ground”. Lovely.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Carr, Carre, Ker.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kerr is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
Kenneth
August 17, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Anglicized version of either “Coinneach”, meaning “handsome”, or “Cinaed”, meaning “born of fire”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cainneach, Coinneach, Cinaed, Cionaodh, Ken, Kennet, Kennie, Kennith, Kenny, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Kenneth is one of the names K. Le Moyne considers utilizing as his alias in K. by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1914).
WRITERS:
– Kenneth Anderson (1910-1974), English adventure writer.
– Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), Scottish writer.
– Kenneth Horne (1900-1975), English writer and playwright.
– Kenneth Millar (1915-1983), Canadian-American crime author who published under the pen name “Ross Macdonald”.
– Kenneth Morris (1879-1937), Welsh author and theosophist.
– Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957), American author and journalist.
– Kenneth Tynan (1927-1980), English critic and writer.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 