Miguel
November 23, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
The Spanish or Portuguese form of “Michael“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maikel, Micha, Micah, Michael, Michail, Michel, Mick, Mickey, Micky, Miguelito, Mika, Mikael, Mike, Mikel, Mikelo, Mikey, Mikhael, Mikhail, Mijo, Mikkel, Mikki, Misha, Miska, Mitch, Mitchell, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miguel Ramas, Spanish Johnny’s friend, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899-1974), Guatemalan journalist, novelist, playwright, and poet-diplomat.
– Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet.
– Miguel Delibes (1920-2010), Spanish editor, journalist, and novelist.
– Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), Spanish educator, essayist, novelist, philosopher, playwright, and poet.
– Miguel Hernandez (1910-1942), Spanish playwright and poet.
– Miguel Méndez (1930-2013), Mexican-American author.
– Miguel Mihura (1905-1977), Spanish playwright.
– Miguel Morayta (1907-2013), Spanish director and screenwriter.
– Miguel Piñero (1946-1988), Puerto Rican actor and playwright.
– Miguel Sánchez (1594-1674), Hispanic priest, theologian, and writer.
– Miguel Serrano (1917-2009), Chilean author, diplomat, explorer, and poet.
– Miguel Otero Silva (1908-1985), Venezuelan humorist, journalist, politician, and writer.
– Miguel Torga (1907-1995), pen name of Portuguese writer Adolfo Correia da Rocha.
Irene
November 15, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Usually pronounced “ie-REEN”, “ie-REE-nee”, or “ee-RE-ne”; from the Greek “Eirene”, meaning “peace”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Arina, Arine, Arisha, Eireen, Eirene, Ena, Ira, Irena, Irenka, Iria, Irina, Irine, Irja, Iryna, Rene, Renee, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Irene Andersen, who rents a room in the home she shares with her mother, Mrs. Lorch, to Thea Kronborg, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Irene Ibsen Bille (1901-1985), Norwegian novelist and playwright.
– Irene Hunt (1907-2001), American children’s book writer.
– Irène Némirovsky (1903-1942), Russian novelist.
Famos
November 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Catalan, meaning “famous”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
. . . I . . . don’t . . . know?
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Famos Serreños, Spanish Johnny’s cousin, who moves to Moonstone to work in the brickyard, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
Paulina
November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Feminine form of “Paul“, meaning “small” or “humble”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lien, Lina, Paolina, Paula, Pauleen, Paulene, Paulette, Paulien, Pauline, Pavlina, Pol, Polina, Poll, Polly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Paulina Kohler, Fritz’s wife, who “lived for her men and her garden”, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Paulina Irby (1831-1911), British activist and travel writer.
Juan
November 6, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Spanish form of “John“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ganix, Jan, Joan, Juanito, Xuan, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Juan Tellamantez (called “Spanish Johnny“), a talented guitar player, one of the Mexican workmen who befriend Thea in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Juan Andrés y Morell (1740-1817), Spanish Jesuit author, critic, humanist, and priest..
– Juan José Arreola (1918-2001), Mexican humorist and writer.
– Juan Benet (1927-1993), Spanish writer.
– Juan Ramón Jiménez (1881-1958), Spanish poet.
– Juan Antonio Llorente (1756-1823), Spanish historian and writer.
– Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena (1282-1348), Spanish writer.
– Juan Francisco Manzano (1797-1854), Cuban author.
– Juan Montalvo (1832-1889), Ecuadorian author and essayist.
– Juan Carlos Onetti (1909-1994), Uruguayan novelist and short story writer.
– Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita (ca. 1283-ca. 1350), Spanish poet.
– Juan Perez Rulfo (1918-1986), Mexican novelist and short story writer.
– Juan Luis Vives (1493-1540), Spanish humanist, scholar, and writer.
– Juan Rodolfo Wilcock (1919-1978), Argentinian critic, poet, translator, and writer.
Nita
September 16, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Anita”, “Benita“, “Juanita”, other names ending in “-nita”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Anika, Juana, Neeta, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nita (Benita) Odam, the Italian nursemaid John Ridd meets in an innyard, who is stranded in Exmoor by the Doone’s attack on her employer’s coach, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Benita
September 16, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Spanish feminine version of “Benito”, a variation of “Benedict”, meaning “blessed”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Benedetta, Benedicta, Bénédicte, Benedikta, Benedita, Bengta, Benoite, Bente, Bettina, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Benita Odam (called “Nita“), the Italian nursemaid John Ridd meets in an innyard, who is stranded in Exmoor by the Doone’s attack on her employer’s coach, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Sabina
September 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
From Latin, meaning “a Sabine woman”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sabien, Sabine, Savina, Szabina.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– “Aunt” Sabina, the woman who raised Lorna, although the coarseness and violence of living among the Doones broke her heart, in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).
Esther
August 29, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
Possibly Persian, meaning “star”, or derived from “Ishtar”, the name of the Babylonian and Assyrian mother goddess of love, fertility, and war.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Aster, Eistir, Esfir, Essi, Essie, Esta, Estee, Ester, Estera, Esteri, Eszter, Eszti, Hester, Ishtar, Istar, Yesfir, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Esther Bowdoin, whose shabby home life belies her blue-blooded ancestry and artistic heritage, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Esther (or Edna or Etka) Kroll Shaine — “Esther in Hebrew, Edna in English, and Etka in Russian” — Lily’s increasingly-senile grandmother in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
You can find a good, solid starter list of writers named “Esther” in this post.
Isabel
August 27, 2014 § 3 Comments
ORIGIN:
A medieval variation of “Elizabeth“, meaning “oath of God”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Beileag, Belina, Belinda, Belinha, Bell, Bella, Belle, Ibb, Ibbie, Ibby, Isa, Isabela, Isabell, Isabella, Isabelle, Isbel, Iseabail, Isebella, Ishbel, Isibéal, Isobel, Issie, Issy, Izabela, Izabelle, Izzie, Izzy, Sabela, Sabell, Sabella, Sabelle, Sibeal, Spela, Ysabel, Ysobel, Zabel, Zabell, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Isabel Pelham, Margaret’s older sister, in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 