When Good Names Go Generic

August 5, 2015 § 1 Comment

When a brand name becomes the generic term for an item (as in kleenex, band-aid, aspirin, etc. — you can find a bunch of them here), we call that a “proprietary eponym”. But did you know that something similar can happen to people names as well? Perhaps you are familiar with wellingtons or wellies, the rubber boots named after the Duke of Wellington, or sideburns, the distinctive style of facial hair sported by Gen. Ambrose Burnside. But are you familiar with these names, which ended up in the dictionary as stand-alone words in their own right? Be sure to click through to the article for more information!

26 First Names That Ended Up In The Dictionary

Names included are:
Abigail, Andrew, Anna, Ava, Emma, Eric, George, Harry, Helena, Henry, Isabella, Jacob, James, Jesse, John, Luke, Matilda, Molly, Rebecca, Robert, Sam, Sarah, Steven, Toby, Tony, and Victoria

Trudy

August 4, 2015 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Gertrude“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Geltrude, Geretrudis, Gerta, Gertha, Gerthe, Gerti, Gertie, Gertraud, Gertrud, Gertruda, Gertrude, Gertrudes, Gertrudis, Gerty, Gurda, Gurde, Gurt, Kerttu, Tru, Truda, Trude, Trudi, Trudie, True, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
Trudy Leffer, Nina’s librarian mother, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

WRITERS:
Trudy Dittmar (b. 1944), American essayist and nature writer.
Trudy Larkin Förster (c.1935-2005), American novelist.

Everything Old is New Again, Vol. II

July 31, 2015 § 1 Comment

As in our first installment of “Everything Old is New Again“, here you’ll find an assortment of old-fashioned baby names which are poised to make a comeback. Be the first on your block / friends list to use one! (As usual, you can click through to the article for more information about the names):

Names included are:

For girls: Adelaide, Agnes, Alice, Antonia, Aurelia, Beatrice, Betty, Clementine, Constance, Cora, CordeliaDorothy, Edith, Eleanor, Eliza, FrancesHarriet, Hattie, Hazel, Helen, Ida, India, Isadora, Josephine, Lillian, Louisa, Lucinda, Lula, Mabel, MarcellaMargaret, Margo, Marion, Mercy, Myrtle, Pearl, Penelope, Rosalind, Rosemary, Ruth, Susannah, Theodora, Winifred

For boys: Abner, Archie, Arthur, Augustine, Cormac, Cornelius, Denver, Ephraim, Ford, Francis, Frank, Gordon, Gus, Guy, Harris, Harry, Lawrence, Louis, Magnus, Martin, Milton, Nigel, Oscar, Otis, PatrickPaul, PhilipRay, Simeon, Stanley, Theodore, Walter

Toni

July 18, 2015 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
For girls, a shortened version of “Antonia” (a feminine form of “Anthony“, etc.). For boys, a Croatian, Finnish, or Hungarian diminutive of the same.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Antia, Antica, Antoinette, Antonela, Antonella, Antonia, Antonie, Antonietta, Antonija, Latonya, Nela, Nella, Nia, Tania, Tanja, Tanya, Teuna, Toini, Tonia, Tonie, Tonina, Tonja, Tonka, Tony, Tonya, etc.
For boys: Akoni, Anakoni, Andon, Andony, Antal, Antanas, Ante, Anthony, Anto, Antoine, Anton, Antonello, Antoni, Antonie, Antonij, Antonije, Antonio, Antonis, Antonius, Antono, Antony, Antoon, Doncho, Teun, Teunis, Theun, Theunis, Ton, Tone, Tonci, Tonino, Tonio, Tonis, Tono, Tony, Toon, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
Toni Bloom, an older girl who is also attending Camp Ava during Lily’s disastrous summer there, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

WRITERS:
Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995), American activist, author, film-maker, and professor.
Toni Braxton (b. 1967), American actress, musician, philanthropist, producer, and singer-songwriter.
Toni Childs (b. 1957), American singer-songwriter.
Toni Cucarella (b. 1959), pen name of Spanish author Lluís Antoni Navarro i Cucarella.
Toni Halliday (b. 1964), English lyricist, musician, and singer.
Toni Morrison (b. 1931), American editor, novelist, and professor.
Toni Rothmund (1877-1956), German biographer, journalist, novelist, poet, and short story writer.
Toni (T.K.F.) Weisskopf (b. 1965), American editor and publisher.
Toni Wine (b. 1947), American songwriter.

Endangered or Extinct First Names

May 31, 2015 § 1 Comment

Here we have a couple of articles talking about first names which are disappearing (click here for some articles on endangered or extinct last names). Maybe it’s time to stage a renaissance? At the very least, these are some good resources for anyone looking for a name which has classic appeal, but is nevertheless unique in today’s world. As always, click through to the articles to see rankings, popularity peaks, and other information on the names!

25 Names That Are Going Extinct

“We started by crunching the numbers to find a list of baby names that were at least somewhat popular in 1950 (more than 1,000 per 1 million babies). Next, we tracked which of those names had nearly vanished by 2013.”

Baby Names on the Verge of Extinction

“These 15 names were given to only five babies each in 2013, the lowest number counted by the Social Security Administration. Once usage dips below that, they become the dodo birds of baby names.”

Cecil, Bertha and Gertrude — Britain’s ‘Endangered’ Names Revealed

“Many of the nation’s most traditional names are at risk of dying out according to a report released today by family history website Ancestry, which reveals forenames that have virtually disappeared over the last 100 years and many more that have become ‘endangered’.”

Baby Names on the [Australian] Extinction List

“Mums and dads, will you take one for the country and name your kids any of these to keep them from extinction?”

Names that made the various lists:

For boys: Arnold, Bernard, Bill, Bruce, Cecil, Clarence, Clifford, Cyril, Donald, Elmo, Ernest, Fred, Gary, Harold, Herbert, Horace, Ian, Icarus, Inigo, Leslie, Llewellyn, Neil, Nigel, Norman, Percy, Remus, Roland, Rowland, Sherwood, Sydney, Trevor, Waldo, Walter, Willie

For girls: Alpha, Ann, Barbara, Barbra, Bertha, Blodwen, Carol, Cathy, Cheryl, Claudine, Debbie, Debra, Dianne, Dolores, Doris, Dorothy, Edna, Ethel, Eveline, Fanny, Freda, Gail, Gertrude, Gladys, Glenda, Gwendoline, Helen, Hilda, Irene, Jackie, Jane, Janet, Janis, Jeanne, Jennie, Jill, Judith, Kay, Leslie, Lilian, Lizzie, Lynda, Marcia, Margaret, Margery, Marjorie, Marion, Marsha, Mary, Maud, Maureen, Mildred, Muriel, Nanette, Nellie, Pamela, Phyllis, Rhoda, Rhonda, Roberta, Sandra, Sandy, Sheba, Sheryl, Sondra, Sue, Thisbe, Vickie, Wanda, Winifred, Zelma

Most Popular Baby Names, 2014 (Canadian Edition)

May 24, 2015 § Leave a comment

Wondering which names made the top ranking for last year, eh? Wonder no more. The linked article lists ’em all, from #1 to #100. Did your name make the cut?

Top 100 Baby Names in Canada 2014

In alphabetical order (you’ll have to click through to the article for the rankings!), the names are:

For boys: Aaron, Adam, Aiden, Alex, Alexander, Alexis, Andrew, Anthony, Antoine, Austin, Benjamin, Bentley, Blake, Brayden, Caleb / Kaleb, Cameron, Carter, Charles, Chase, Christopher, Cole, Colton, Connor, Cooper, Daniel, David, Declan, Dominic, Dylan, Edward, Eli, Elijah, Elliot, Emmett, Ethan, Evan, Felix, Gabriel, Gavin, Grayson / Greyson, Hayden, Henry, Hudson, Hunter, Isaac, Jace / Jase, Jack, Jackson / Jaxon / Jaxson, Jacob, James, Jayden, Jeremy, John, Jonathan, Jordan, Joseph, Joshua, Justin, Landon, Leo, Levi, Liam, Lincoln, Logan, Luca, Lucas / Lukas, Luke, Marcus, Mason, Mateo, Mathis, Matthew, Max, Michael, Muhammad, Nathan, Nathaniel, Nicolas / Nicholas, Noah, Nolan, Oliver, Owen, Parker, Riley, Ryan, Ryder, Samuel, Sebastian, Simon, Theo, Thomas, Tristan, Tyler, Victor, Vincent, William, Wyatt, Xavier, Zachary / Zackary, Zack

For girls: Abigail, Adele, Addison / Addyson, Alexa, Alexandra, Alexis, Alice, Alicia, Alyssa, Amelia, Anna, Annabelle, Aria, Arianna, Aubrey, Audrey, Ava, Avery, Beatrice, Brooke, Brooklyn, Camille, Charlie, Charlotte, Chloe, Claire, Clara, Coralie, Elizabeth, Ella, Emily, Emma, Eva, Eve, Evelyn, Faith, Florence, Gabriella, Gabrielle, Georgia, Grace, Hailey, Hanna / Hannah, Harper, Isabella, Isabelle, Isla, Ivy, Jade, Jasmine, Jessica, Julia, Juliette, Justine, Lauren, Layla, Lea / Leah, Leanne, Leonie, Lillian, Lily, Lucy, Mackenzie, Madison, Maelie, Maeva, Maika, Marianne, Maya / Mia / Mya, Megan, Melodie, Mila, Morgan, Naomi, Natalie, Nevaeh, Nora, Oceane, Olivia, Paige, Peyton, Rachel, Romy, Rosalie, Rose, Rowan, Ruby, Sadie, Samantha, Sarah, Savannah, Scarlett, Sofia / Sophia, Sofie / Sophie, Stella, Sydney, Taylor, Victoria, Violet, Zoe / Zoey

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, LeahLillian, LucyMaggie, Naomi, Nora, Olive, Ruth, Sadie, and Stella
For boys: Alfred, Bernard, Charlie, Eli, Everett, Henry, Harold, Henry, Isaac, Jack, Jasper, Leo, Max, OliverOscar, Owen, Raymond, SamuelSilas, and Warren

What other names do you think should make a comeback?

By Any Other Name: Behind the Initials

February 26, 2015 § Leave a comment

In this post, you’ll find a link to an article about the real names of some authors who are more well known by their initials, as well as some explanations as to why they may have preferred not using their given names. Click through for their stories (the one about C.S. Lewis is especially charming)! The authors included are:

A.A. (Alan Alexander) Milne, known for the Winnie the Pooh series.
C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, known for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters.
E.E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings, known for his poetry, such as “i carry your heart with me(i carry it in“.
E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) White, known for Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, as well as for being the “White” in Strunk & White’s Elements of Style.
F. (Francis) Scott Fitzgerald, known for The Great Gatsby .
H. P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft, known for his horror stories, especially “The Call of Cthulu“.
H.G. (Herbert George) Wells, known for The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, and The War of the Worlds.
J.M. (James Matthew) Barrie, known for Peter Pan.
J. (Joanne) K. Rowling, known for the Harry Potter series.
J.D. (Jerome David) Salinger, known for The Catcher in the Rye.
J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien, known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
L. (Lyman) Frank Baum, known for the Wizard of Oz series.
L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery, known for the Anne of Green Gables series.
P.G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse, known for his comic fiction, such as Carry On, Jeeves.
S.E. (Susan Eloise) Hinton, known for The Outsiders.
T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot, known for his poetry, such as “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock“.
W.H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden, known for his poetry, such as “Funeral Blues“.
W.B. (William Butler) Yeats, known for his poetry, such as “The Second Coming“.

By Any Other Name: Writers Named Tom

February 9, 2015 § 1 Comment

There are hundreds of writers named “Tom“, and here is a list of many of them:

Tom Andrews (1961-2001), American critic and poet.
Tom Barry (1885-1931), American comedian, playwright, and screenwriter.
Tom Becker (b. 1981), English children’s book writer.
Tom Birdseye (b. 1951), American children’s book writer.
Tom W. Blackburn (1913-1992), American author, lyricist, and screenwriter.
Tom Bodett (b. 1955), American author, broadcaster, and voice actor.
Tom Bradby (b. 1967), English author and journalist.
Tom Brokaw (b. 1940), American author, broadcaster, editor, and journalist.
Tom Brown (1662-1704), English satirist and translator.
Tom Buckingham (1895-1934), American director and screenwriter.
Tom Burns (1906-1995), Anglo-Chilean editor and publisher.
Tom Clancy (1947-2013), American historian and novelist.
Tom Clark (b. 1941), American biographer, editor, and poet.
–  Tom Cutter (b. 1951), one of the many pen names of American mystery and Western author Robert J. Randisi, who also publishes as “Cole Weston”, “Joseph Meek”, “Joshua Randall”, “Lew Baines”, “Paul Ledd”, “Robert Lake”, “Spenser Fortune”, and “W.B. Longley”, among other pseudonyms.
Tom Dardis (1926-2001), American author and editor.
Tom Dawe (b. 1940), Canadian children’s book writer and poet.
Tom De Haven (b. 1949), American author, editor, journalist, and teacher.
Tom Deitz (1952-2009), American artist, educator, and fantasy author.
Tom Devine (b. 1945), Scottish historian and writer.
Tom Dolby (b. 1975), Anglo-American editor, essayist, filmmaker, journalist, and novelist.
Tom Egeland (b. 1959), Norwegian novelist.
Tom Fontana (b. 1951), American playwright, producer, and screenwriter.
Tom French (b. 1966), Irish poet.
Tom Gallacher (1934-2001), Scottish playwright.
Tom Gibson (1888-1950), American director and screenwriter.
Tom Glazer (1914-2003), American singer and songwriter.
Tom Godwin (1915-1980), American sci-fi author.
Tom Hadaway (1923-2005), English dramatist and screenwriter.
Tom T. Hall (b. 1936), American novelist, singer, songwriter, and short story writer.
Tom Harpur (b. 1929), Canadian author, broadcaster, columnist, priest, and theologian.
Tom Hayden (b. 1939), American activist, author, and politician.
Tom Healy (b. 1961), American poet, professor, and writer.
Tom Holland (b. 1968), British historian and novelist.
Tom (T.A.G.) Hungerford (1915-2011), Australian author and journalist.
Tom Jans (1948-1984), American musician, singer, and songwriter.
Tom Kettle (1880-1916), Irish barrister, economist, journalist, poet, politician, soldier, and writer.
Tom Kristensen (1893-1974), Danish critic, journalist, novelist, and poet.
Tom Kristensen (b. 1955), Norwegian novelist.
Tom Kromer (1906-1969), American novelist.
Tom Lanoye (b. 1958), Belgian columnist, novelist, playwright, and poet.
Tom Lotherington (b. 1950), Norwegian biographer, novelist, poet, and translator.
Tom (T.) Lovatt-Williams (1897-1986), English poet and writer.
Tom MacInnes (1867-1951), Canadian poet and translator.
Tom Mandel (b. 1942), American poet.
Tom Marshall (1938-1993), Canadian novelist and poet.
Tom Maschler (b. 1933), Anglo-Austrian publisher and writer.
Tom McHale (1902-1994), American novelist.
Tom McHale (1941-1982), American novelist.
Tom McGrath (1940-2009), Scottish musician and playwright.
Tom Munnelly (1944-2007), Irish folklorist and writer.
Tom Murphy (b. 1935), Irish dramatist.
Tom Naegels (b. 1975), Belgian author and journalist.
Tom Paulin (b. 1949), Irish critic and poet.
Tom Perotta (b. 1961), American novelist and screenwriter.
Tom Petty (b. 1950), American musician, producer, singer, and songwriter.
Tom Pickard (b. 1946), English filmmaker and poet.
Tom Pocock (1925-2007), English biographer, historian, and journalist.
Tom Purdom (b. 1936), American critic and author.
Tom Raworth (b. 1938), English artist and poet.
Tom Regan (b. 1938), American activist, philosopher, and writer.
Tom Robbins (b. 1932), American novelist.
Tom Schulman (b. 1950), American screenwriter.
Tom Scott (1918-1995), Scottish editor, poet, and writer.
Tom Sexton (b. 1940), American poet.
Tom Shippey (b. 1943), English author, historian, and scholar.
Tom Springfield (b. 1934), pen name of American singer and songwriter Dionysius P.A. O’Brien.
Tom Stacey (b. 1930), English novelist, publisher, and screenwriter.
Tom Stannage (1944-2012), Australian administrator, academic, and historian.
Tom Stoppard (b. 1937), Anglo-Czech playwright and screenwriter.
Tom Snow (b. 1947), American singer and songwriter.
Tom Taylor (1817-1880), English biographer, critic, dramatist, and editor.
Tom Tryon (1926-1991), American actor, author, and screenwriter.
Tom Waits (b. 1949), American actor, singer, and songwriter.
Tom Walmsley (b. 1948), Canadian novelist, poet, playwright, and screenwriter.
Tom Wayman (b. 1945), Canadian academic, poet, and writer.
Tom Whitecloud (1914-1972), American author and physician.
Tom Whitlock (b. 1954), American lyricist and songwriter.
Tom Wintringham (1898-1949), English activist, author, historian, journalist, poet, politician, and soldier.
Tom Wolfe (b. 1931), American author and journalist.

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