The Great Gatsby, with the recent new film, is "in Fashion. How about the names from it though? The book actually has a plethora of names, as the narrator (Nick Carraway) decides at one point to list ALL of the people who are at one of Gatsby's parties. I don't think I can possible expound on every name, but I would like to list as many of them here as possible, and comment on some that interest me.
The Main Players
Nick Carraway
Jordan Baker - I have always liked the name Jordan, which is odd since typically I am not attracted to unisex names. Seeing this in the novel, which is set in the 1920s, made me curious about how long exactly it has been unisex. Looking up the data, it would appear that choosing to name a female Jordan was quite risque when the book was written (1925). Jordan did not appear in the top 1000 names for girls until the 1970s, and it wasn't until the 80s that the name became very popular for boys or girls. I don't think its coincidence that the name's rise for both genders coincides with Michael Jordan's rise to fame.
Jay Gatsby - An adventurous parent or literature lover could go for the name Gatsby. The sound itself is quite pleasing, the question is if that is a character you would want to honor!
Daisy Buchanan - A cute flower name that has stayed in the middle of the charts for sometime. With Lily so popular right now (currently 16th), and other flower names also trending (like Violet, Ivy and Iris), I am surprised Daisy is actually slowly declining (very slowly).
Tom Buchanan
Myrtle Wilson
George Wilson
Meyer Wolfsheim - Meyer would fit nicely in with the "last name as first name" trend that continues, yet it hasn't been in the top 1000 since 1928. I think its probably that Oscar Mayer brand that has done this (pronounced the same way).
Other Names
Chester Becker
Webster Civet - Webster, to me, is a great name. It immediately invokes the dictionary of the same name, and implies intelligence. It is a last-name first as well. It has never been to popular and hasn't been in the top 1000 since 942. Maybe its time to bring it back?
Willie Voltaires
Hubert Auerbach
Edgar Beaver - If Edward has been ruined for you by Twilight, but you love the name nickname Ed or Eddie, this might be a good place to look! I feel a nickname post for Eddie coming on...
Clarence Endive
Ripley Snell - I actually just met a newborn Ripley. It has never been in the top 1000 boys names. It is a last name first and is associated with "Ripley's Believe it or Not" here in the U.S. It has just the right level of quirkiness for some families. The Ripley I know is little brother to Rex. What a great sibset!
Ulysses Swett
Maurice Flink
Cecil Roebuck/Cecil Schoen
Newton Orchid
Clyde Cohen
Don S Schwartz
Arthur McCarty
G. Earl Muldoon
Ed Legros
James B. Ferret
Ernest Lilly
Gus Waize
Horace O'donavan
Lester Meyer - The name Lester used to rank pretty high on my personal list, because I saw it not as a "last name first", but rather as a place name for a river and park in my hometown. Now that I live in my hometown, the local connection doesn't seem as important. It is important, I think, to note that the names Lester and Chester both are much more popular in specific segments of the population - Amish communities.
George Duckweed
Francis Bull
Russel Betty
Henry L. Palmetto
Benny McClenahan
Jaqueline, Consuela, Gloria, Judy or June (the girls who were interchangeable) - I find it amusing that these are the names seen as interchangeable to the narrator. They don't seem all that similar! I did look into their popularity, and that is not where the similarity is coming from! Jaqueline and Consuela were virtually unheard back in that time period, while June and Gloria were quite popular. I wonder how Fitzgerald chose these names, or if he put much thought into them at all?
Faustina O'brien - While this name makes me immedietly think of the German philosopher and author Faust, it actually is a Latin name meaning fortune.
Ardita Fitz-Peters - The name Ardita is of Albanian origins and means "golden days". Ardy as a cute nickname?
Claudia Hip
So, what do you think? Any names in here interest you?
Showing posts with label literary inspirations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literary inspirations. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Literary Inspiration: The Help
Life has been busy and I have been slipping in my blogging! It happens. I just finished this post about the names from a best selling book and hit movie, The Help, about some black maids and their white employers in Civil-Rights era south. I have lots of ideas for posts, its just a matter of sitting down and hammering them out! I also thought I would mention I am having problems with the Social Security Baby Name site tonight... so no rankings. Hopefully that clears up soon. It would be nice to know how popular Stuart, Leroy, and Clyde are, and if any of these have started trending since the movie.
Girls
Eugenia - Previously mentioned on this blog as a possible way to get to the nickname Ginny, Eugenia is the feminine version of Eugene. It means noble and is of Greek Origin
Aibileen - A variation of the more common Abilene (strongly linked to the book), Abilene is a place name (both from the holy land and Texas) and also could mean "grass" in Hebrew. The variation in spelling could be interpreted to have a different pronunciation - Aib as in Abraham rather than Ab as in Abigail.
Gretchen - This is a German variant of Margaret, meaning pearl.
Kindra - An Old Norse name meaning "greatest Champion"
Mae - Short and sweet, Mae and is a variant spelling of May, a month name.
Constantine - Here is a baby name with history. Constantine the Great was a Roman emporer. The twist here is that it is a woman. I think it jumps the gender barrier easily, as there are other female names structured like this - Angeline, Christine, etc . The name meaning is obvious - Constance, loyalty. Connie for short?
Yule May - A southern-style double-barrel name with a Christmas flare.
Lulabelle - A new (to me) addition to the "belle" names, and Lulu (either as a nickname or just as part of the name) is on trend with other names making a comeback like Ethel/Ettie, Harriet/Hattie. Just today Swistle wrote about a little girl who will be called Polly!
Sugar- Its unclear if this is a nickname or a given name in the book. As a given name it would be quite cutesy and feminine.
Minny - Again, this may be a nickname, but I don't think so. Minnie is traditionally short for Melinda or Minerva.
Hilly - Possible short for Hillary? I think its cute as a stand alone name, or it fits in with other nicknames like Hattie and Millie.
Boys
Leroy - I still cant' hear this name without humming Bad Leroy Brown. But it also has a certain appeal to it.
Carlton - And this name makes me think of the character on Fresh Prince of Bellaire (a very cheesy but lovingly remembered sitcom from the 90s where Will Smith got his start). Carlton fits the "Last name as first name" sound, and the character reference feels distinguished.
Raleigh - To the American ear this is a place name pronounced as Rall rhymes with ball Lee. It has more history though, as an old English name meaning deer's meadow. Also, Sir Walter Raleigh was an explorer.
Treelore - As far as I can tell, this is word as a name, a word (or words tree lore) referring to the ancient mythical, celtic, and wiccan beliefs about trees.
Clyde - Like Leroy, another old fashioned "southern" sounding name, which could offer some current charm. It is of Scottish origin and is a place name (Clyde river, for example).
Stuart - This is an Old English occupational name (Stewart, a type of servant). Offers the nickname Stew or Stewie, which may be contaminated by Family Guy right now, but still cute.
So what do you think? Would you consider any of these names? Is there a little Abilene in your future? Or perhaps a Stuart?
Girls
Eugenia - Previously mentioned on this blog as a possible way to get to the nickname Ginny, Eugenia is the feminine version of Eugene. It means noble and is of Greek Origin
Aibileen - A variation of the more common Abilene (strongly linked to the book), Abilene is a place name (both from the holy land and Texas) and also could mean "grass" in Hebrew. The variation in spelling could be interpreted to have a different pronunciation - Aib as in Abraham rather than Ab as in Abigail.
Gretchen - This is a German variant of Margaret, meaning pearl.
Kindra - An Old Norse name meaning "greatest Champion"
Mae - Short and sweet, Mae and is a variant spelling of May, a month name.
Constantine - Here is a baby name with history. Constantine the Great was a Roman emporer. The twist here is that it is a woman. I think it jumps the gender barrier easily, as there are other female names structured like this - Angeline, Christine, etc . The name meaning is obvious - Constance, loyalty. Connie for short?
Yule May - A southern-style double-barrel name with a Christmas flare.
Lulabelle - A new (to me) addition to the "belle" names, and Lulu (either as a nickname or just as part of the name) is on trend with other names making a comeback like Ethel/Ettie, Harriet/Hattie. Just today Swistle wrote about a little girl who will be called Polly!
Sugar- Its unclear if this is a nickname or a given name in the book. As a given name it would be quite cutesy and feminine.
Minny - Again, this may be a nickname, but I don't think so. Minnie is traditionally short for Melinda or Minerva.
Hilly - Possible short for Hillary? I think its cute as a stand alone name, or it fits in with other nicknames like Hattie and Millie.
Boys
Leroy - I still cant' hear this name without humming Bad Leroy Brown. But it also has a certain appeal to it.
Carlton - And this name makes me think of the character on Fresh Prince of Bellaire (a very cheesy but lovingly remembered sitcom from the 90s where Will Smith got his start). Carlton fits the "Last name as first name" sound, and the character reference feels distinguished.
Raleigh - To the American ear this is a place name pronounced as Rall rhymes with ball Lee. It has more history though, as an old English name meaning deer's meadow. Also, Sir Walter Raleigh was an explorer.
Treelore - As far as I can tell, this is word as a name, a word (or words tree lore) referring to the ancient mythical, celtic, and wiccan beliefs about trees.
Clyde - Like Leroy, another old fashioned "southern" sounding name, which could offer some current charm. It is of Scottish origin and is a place name (Clyde river, for example).
Stuart - This is an Old English occupational name (Stewart, a type of servant). Offers the nickname Stew or Stewie, which may be contaminated by Family Guy right now, but still cute.
So what do you think? Would you consider any of these names? Is there a little Abilene in your future? Or perhaps a Stuart?
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Literary Inspiration: Girl with a Pearl Earring
I recently finished reading Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. It is set in 17th Century Holland and is historical fiction about the girl who is the subject of the painting that shares its title with the book. I was fascinated by the main characters name, and pleased by some of the minor characters, so I thought I would feature it on the blog. It became even more fascinating when I realized that over half the names in the book are real people, and that I was dealing with part of a real-life massive sibling set! Ready for this? It could get long....
Fictional Characters
The main character is named Griet, pronounced "greet". The name seemed very unique and I was curious where it came from. Some googling revealed its a nickname for Margriet, the dutch version of Margaret. The meaning is pearl. I think Margriet is charming spin on the popular English name . and Griet could be a unique nickname.
Griet's sister in the book is named Agnes. I most closely associate the name Agnes with a folk song called "Lovely Agnes", which is a very positive association for me. Agnes is Greek in origin and means "pure and holy". The most obvious nickname, Aggie, is a common nickname for the beautiful stones called agates in my neck of the woods. I feel like Agnes fits in well with a lot of other rising old-school names like Ester, Ethel, Harriet, and Stella.
Griet and Agnes also have a brother named Frans. Frans is a variant of Francis, which is Latin and means "frenchman" or "free man". There are a number of other similar variants of the name Francis like Frantz, Franzen, and Franchesco. Frans seems a bit foreign and mysterious, but still familiar like Hans. I think this could have a lot of appeal.
Griet is courted by a butcher's son, Pieter. This is a Dutch/German spelling of the name Peter (same pronunciation). With parents loving unique spellings its a nice option. Peter is a Greek name meaning rock.
Griet works with another made named Tanneka. I have been unable to track any history or origin to this. It feels like a variation on Anneka or perhaps Danica. I am going to go with Danica because its Danish in origin. It means "morning star'.
Historical Figures
The book includes many members of Johannes Vermeer's family. Johannes (pronounced yo-hon-es) is a variation of John, and means "god is gracious". It is a slightly longer and softer version than Johann (like Johann Sebarstian Bach). The Germanic J (sounding like Y), might cause some pronunciation issues, but not so many its unusable. The last name,. Vermeer, could also make an interesting boy's name, particularly if you are fond of Vermeer's work.
Johannes is married to Catharina, which is derived from the very similar Catherine. Origins are Greek and these names mean "pure". I have heard Katerina and Catherine, but I have not seen the in-between option of Catherina, which has both the soft "th" sound and the soft a ending. It is very beautiful. Nickname options could be Cathy, Ari, or Rina (along with the less obvious options like Cat, Kitty).
Now here is the crazy part. Catharina and Johannes had 10 children! Not all of them are featured in the book, but the real life sibset was: Maria, Elisabeth, Cornelia, Aleydis, Beatrix, Johannes, Gertruyd, Franciscus, Catharina, and Ignatius. What a mix of "common" names (Maria, Elisabeth), old fashioned (but possibly new again?) names (Cornelia, Beatrix, Gertruyd, Franciscus) and unique names (Aleydis and Ignatius).
I feel like Beatrice and Beatrix are ripe for a rise. They have that classic feel to them like other names growing in popularity- Harriet, Eleanor, Mathilda, and the adorable nickname options of Bea for the reserved or Trixie for the playful (to match the nicknames Hattie, Ellie, and Tilly for example). Beatrix means "voyageur through life" and is Latin in origin.
I also have been growing fond of Cornelia, since it featured in my Thanksgiving post. It means horn. I like then nickname Neila.
With a discussion of Francis up above, I don't think Franciscus needs more discussion.
Gertruyd, a variation on Gertrude, is probably the least likely to rise from this bunch IMO, but still possible. Trudy is another nickname and a more modern variant. Gertruyd means "good spear" in old German.
Ignatius is actually a Harry Potter name, so I would have gotten to it eventually. It is most likely derived from Latin and means burning fire (like "to ignite"). Possible nicknames or variations are Iggy, Ignace, or Inigo (Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die!)
Aleydis is more mysterious. There is a saint Aleydis, patron saint of the blind and paralyzed. I am unsure of the pronunciation of this name, but it is a variation of Adelaide, another old gorgeous name ripe for rise. Adelaide means "noble and kind".
Author's Variation
Then there are the "common" names. Maria and Elisabeth. I have a feeling that the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring is a nameaholic, because these names were just too ordinary for her! In the book, she named these two girls Maertga and Lisbeth. Perhaps she just meant Lisbeth as a nickname for the true Elisabeth (a beautiful nickname or alternate name!), but Maertga is not just a nickname for Maria. Actually, Maertga does appear in Vermeer's family tree- it is his aunt! I cannot find any record on what this name means or its derivation.
What do you think? If you made it through the post, do any of the names from this book strike your fancy? I know a couple of the will stick with me!
Fictional Characters
The main character is named Griet, pronounced "greet". The name seemed very unique and I was curious where it came from. Some googling revealed its a nickname for Margriet, the dutch version of Margaret. The meaning is pearl. I think Margriet is charming spin on the popular English name . and Griet could be a unique nickname.
Griet's sister in the book is named Agnes. I most closely associate the name Agnes with a folk song called "Lovely Agnes", which is a very positive association for me. Agnes is Greek in origin and means "pure and holy". The most obvious nickname, Aggie, is a common nickname for the beautiful stones called agates in my neck of the woods. I feel like Agnes fits in well with a lot of other rising old-school names like Ester, Ethel, Harriet, and Stella.
Griet and Agnes also have a brother named Frans. Frans is a variant of Francis, which is Latin and means "frenchman" or "free man". There are a number of other similar variants of the name Francis like Frantz, Franzen, and Franchesco. Frans seems a bit foreign and mysterious, but still familiar like Hans. I think this could have a lot of appeal.
Griet is courted by a butcher's son, Pieter. This is a Dutch/German spelling of the name Peter (same pronunciation). With parents loving unique spellings its a nice option. Peter is a Greek name meaning rock.
Griet works with another made named Tanneka. I have been unable to track any history or origin to this. It feels like a variation on Anneka or perhaps Danica. I am going to go with Danica because its Danish in origin. It means "morning star'.
Historical Figures
The book includes many members of Johannes Vermeer's family. Johannes (pronounced yo-hon-es) is a variation of John, and means "god is gracious". It is a slightly longer and softer version than Johann (like Johann Sebarstian Bach). The Germanic J (sounding like Y), might cause some pronunciation issues, but not so many its unusable. The last name,. Vermeer, could also make an interesting boy's name, particularly if you are fond of Vermeer's work.
Johannes is married to Catharina, which is derived from the very similar Catherine. Origins are Greek and these names mean "pure". I have heard Katerina and Catherine, but I have not seen the in-between option of Catherina, which has both the soft "th" sound and the soft a ending. It is very beautiful. Nickname options could be Cathy, Ari, or Rina (along with the less obvious options like Cat, Kitty).
Now here is the crazy part. Catharina and Johannes had 10 children! Not all of them are featured in the book, but the real life sibset was: Maria, Elisabeth, Cornelia, Aleydis, Beatrix, Johannes, Gertruyd, Franciscus, Catharina, and Ignatius. What a mix of "common" names (Maria, Elisabeth), old fashioned (but possibly new again?) names (Cornelia, Beatrix, Gertruyd, Franciscus) and unique names (Aleydis and Ignatius).
I feel like Beatrice and Beatrix are ripe for a rise. They have that classic feel to them like other names growing in popularity- Harriet, Eleanor, Mathilda, and the adorable nickname options of Bea for the reserved or Trixie for the playful (to match the nicknames Hattie, Ellie, and Tilly for example). Beatrix means "voyageur through life" and is Latin in origin.
I also have been growing fond of Cornelia, since it featured in my Thanksgiving post. It means horn. I like then nickname Neila.
With a discussion of Francis up above, I don't think Franciscus needs more discussion.
Gertruyd, a variation on Gertrude, is probably the least likely to rise from this bunch IMO, but still possible. Trudy is another nickname and a more modern variant. Gertruyd means "good spear" in old German.
Ignatius is actually a Harry Potter name, so I would have gotten to it eventually. It is most likely derived from Latin and means burning fire (like "to ignite"). Possible nicknames or variations are Iggy, Ignace, or Inigo (Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die!)
Aleydis is more mysterious. There is a saint Aleydis, patron saint of the blind and paralyzed. I am unsure of the pronunciation of this name, but it is a variation of Adelaide, another old gorgeous name ripe for rise. Adelaide means "noble and kind".
Author's Variation
Then there are the "common" names. Maria and Elisabeth. I have a feeling that the author of Girl with a Pearl Earring is a nameaholic, because these names were just too ordinary for her! In the book, she named these two girls Maertga and Lisbeth. Perhaps she just meant Lisbeth as a nickname for the true Elisabeth (a beautiful nickname or alternate name!), but Maertga is not just a nickname for Maria. Actually, Maertga does appear in Vermeer's family tree- it is his aunt! I cannot find any record on what this name means or its derivation.
What do you think? If you made it through the post, do any of the names from this book strike your fancy? I know a couple of the will stick with me!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Literary Inspiration: To Say Nothing of the Dog
My next book for Literary Inspirations is To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. I know its not very famous, not very many people have read it, but it is highly entertaining. It is a comedic time-travel mystery. The main characters are traveling from 2057 to 1888. It is full of a mix of quirky and Victorian era names, and it is the place I first saw what remains to this day one of my favorite girls names.
Characters
Ned Henry - Ned is a classic nickname for Edward, meaning 'wealthy gueard'. With Theodore/Ted/Teddy on the rise, I would not be surprised if Ned follows suit. Henry has a classic feel and is already on its way to the top.
Verity Kindle - A classic virtue name, meaning of course truth. My husband dislikes it because of something called a "Verity Index", but I think its brilliant and love the meaning. My husband hates it due to something in computer world (People Soft specifically I believe?) called a "verity index". I do not think the vast majority of the population would make this link. I would also suggest Kindle as a nice name if it had not been corrupted by the branding of the popular E-Reader.
James Peddick - Another classic English name, James means 'he who supplants". Not exactly a nice name, but the historical weight outweighs the old Hebrew meaning I believe. James is of course one of the twelve disciples in the bible, a royal name of England, and used often in popular culture (think James Bond). I actually recently discovered the Scottish version of James in the movie Brave and then again somewhere else (ever notice how once you hear a name you start hearing it multiple places). Anyways, the Scottish version is Hamish.
Finch - In the book, Finch is a assistant in 2057, turned butler in 1888. Finch comes off as a classic Butler name. It could be seen either as "last name as first name" or as a nature name, as in the songbird.
Tocelyn Merring - I am having no luck identifying the origins of this quirky first name, Jocelyn with a T. The character goes by the nickname "Tossie," which has some minimal usage in the United State, but it is quite possible that Connie Willis made this name up and that it is even meant to be comedic (Tossie does evoke notions of tossing something out). Jocelyn is a Germanic tribal identification name. Mering could be a nice "last name as first name" type for a little boy.
Terence St. Trewes - Terence is derived from the Latin name Terentius, who was a poet of ancient Rome. It turns out that there is actually no Saint named Trewes, in fact the word appears to refer to a part of Medieval underwear, so I would suggest avoiding it. Did I mention is a comedic novel?
William Patrick Callahan (Baine) - Enough names for you? All three names are great. William and Patrick are both classic, while Callahan offers a nice "last name as first name" option with nickname Cal. The character's nickname Baine means "pale bridge", though I can't help but think of the word bane, meaning "cause of distress or annoyance".
T.J. Lewis - I am a big fan of initial nicknames, so of course I love T.J. I would prefer it stayed as an initial based nickname (how about a Theodore Joseph? Tristan Jude? Thames Jarret? Terence Jerome?), but if a person really loved it they could spell it out Teejay. Lewis is a nice alternate spelling to the classic Louis, that gives it s different feel. Lewis means "famous battle" and is an old German surname.
Elizabeth Bittner - Elizabeth is of course a classic name with biblical and royal reference. It means "God's promise".
Princess Arjumand - Ok, so in the book this is a cat. But the cat is an important character (to say nothing of the dog... hahahahaha!!) Arjumand is a famous historical Indian name, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was made (as a tomb).
Cyril - The dog. A greek name meaning lordly or masterful.
Place Names
Thames - Pronounced Tames, the Thames is the biggest river in the U.K. To use this name in the UK would probably be like naming a child Mississippi here, but I think for an American it has a nice sound, similar to James but with a twist.
Coventry - Coventry is a district in England. To an American ear, it evokes a cozy country feeling. It has a nice flow, with the popular feminine Y ending.
Oxford - Again, if you used this in the UK, it would be liked naming a kid Harvard. A bit pretentious? But in America, it has a nice ring.
Other references
Connie Willis - Of course you could take the author's name as inspiration! In this case, Connie is short for Constance (another virtue name!) meaning consistency, loyalty. Willis could easily be made a first name, an Old English derivative of William.
Jerome K Jerome - the title of the book is inspired by a novella of similar humor called Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) - I love the name Jerome, meaning "sacred name"
Characters
Ned Henry - Ned is a classic nickname for Edward, meaning 'wealthy gueard'. With Theodore/Ted/Teddy on the rise, I would not be surprised if Ned follows suit. Henry has a classic feel and is already on its way to the top.
Verity Kindle - A classic virtue name, meaning of course truth. My husband dislikes it because of something called a "Verity Index", but I think its brilliant and love the meaning. My husband hates it due to something in computer world (People Soft specifically I believe?) called a "verity index". I do not think the vast majority of the population would make this link. I would also suggest Kindle as a nice name if it had not been corrupted by the branding of the popular E-Reader.
James Peddick - Another classic English name, James means 'he who supplants". Not exactly a nice name, but the historical weight outweighs the old Hebrew meaning I believe. James is of course one of the twelve disciples in the bible, a royal name of England, and used often in popular culture (think James Bond). I actually recently discovered the Scottish version of James in the movie Brave and then again somewhere else (ever notice how once you hear a name you start hearing it multiple places). Anyways, the Scottish version is Hamish.
Finch - In the book, Finch is a assistant in 2057, turned butler in 1888. Finch comes off as a classic Butler name. It could be seen either as "last name as first name" or as a nature name, as in the songbird.
Tocelyn Merring - I am having no luck identifying the origins of this quirky first name, Jocelyn with a T. The character goes by the nickname "Tossie," which has some minimal usage in the United State, but it is quite possible that Connie Willis made this name up and that it is even meant to be comedic (Tossie does evoke notions of tossing something out). Jocelyn is a Germanic tribal identification name. Mering could be a nice "last name as first name" type for a little boy.
Terence St. Trewes - Terence is derived from the Latin name Terentius, who was a poet of ancient Rome. It turns out that there is actually no Saint named Trewes, in fact the word appears to refer to a part of Medieval underwear, so I would suggest avoiding it. Did I mention is a comedic novel?
William Patrick Callahan (Baine) - Enough names for you? All three names are great. William and Patrick are both classic, while Callahan offers a nice "last name as first name" option with nickname Cal. The character's nickname Baine means "pale bridge", though I can't help but think of the word bane, meaning "cause of distress or annoyance".
T.J. Lewis - I am a big fan of initial nicknames, so of course I love T.J. I would prefer it stayed as an initial based nickname (how about a Theodore Joseph? Tristan Jude? Thames Jarret? Terence Jerome?), but if a person really loved it they could spell it out Teejay. Lewis is a nice alternate spelling to the classic Louis, that gives it s different feel. Lewis means "famous battle" and is an old German surname.
Elizabeth Bittner - Elizabeth is of course a classic name with biblical and royal reference. It means "God's promise".
Princess Arjumand - Ok, so in the book this is a cat. But the cat is an important character (to say nothing of the dog... hahahahaha!!) Arjumand is a famous historical Indian name, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was made (as a tomb).
Cyril - The dog. A greek name meaning lordly or masterful.
Place Names
Thames - Pronounced Tames, the Thames is the biggest river in the U.K. To use this name in the UK would probably be like naming a child Mississippi here, but I think for an American it has a nice sound, similar to James but with a twist.
Coventry - Coventry is a district in England. To an American ear, it evokes a cozy country feeling. It has a nice flow, with the popular feminine Y ending.
Oxford - Again, if you used this in the UK, it would be liked naming a kid Harvard. A bit pretentious? But in America, it has a nice ring.
Other references
Connie Willis - Of course you could take the author's name as inspiration! In this case, Connie is short for Constance (another virtue name!) meaning consistency, loyalty. Willis could easily be made a first name, an Old English derivative of William.
Jerome K Jerome - the title of the book is inspired by a novella of similar humor called Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog) - I love the name Jerome, meaning "sacred name"
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Literary Inspirations: Pride and Prejudice
Now that you know how I feel about Name Inspirations, I can move onto another new series - Literary Inspirations. In these posts I will expound upon one book or author to get some name inspiration. My first book is one close to my heart (of course! Blogging is a selfish enterprise!). Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, and Pride and Prejudice is clearly her most popular and most relevant novel. (If this were a book blog, perhaps I would expound on why I say its the most relevant and not necessarily the best, but it is not a book blog, so lets move onto names).
When it comes to Jane Austen, we are mostly talking about old, traditional English names which can have a lot of charm. For girls, we first have the five sisters of the Bennett Family - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine (Kitty), and Lydia. Then, their friends and correspondences: Charlotte, Caroline, Georgiana, and Anne. Of these names, the ones that stick out to me personally the most are Jane and Georgiana.
In fact, Georgiana has recently become one of my favorite girls names! Its soft and rolls so nicely off the tongue. It is very traditional and fits in with current trends, but its not being used and has not been in the top 1000 names since 1952. A little Georgiana could go by Georgie, Giana, Ana or even Gigi (a nickname that I pretty much hated until I found this name as a source for it).
But you can be more creatively inspired by Pride and Prejudice than just grabbing the female characters names! In fact, besides Georgiana, my favorite P&P inspired girls names are Darcy, after the main male character Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Pemberly, the name of Mr. Darcy's mansion. Pemberly is lovely because it is reminiscent of Kimberly, but very unique. Darcy is cute and quirky, and the reference to P&P would be very subtle, if you even chose to make the reference at all.
There is also much inspiration for boys in P&P. The main male characters include Fitzwilliam, Charles, George, and William. Once again however, I find some of the most fun names to consider are not the male characters at all (though I do like Fitzwilliam, more on that later). I love the last names! Bennett, Lucas, Forster, Collin, and Bingley. As well as place names, such as Derby (for Derbyshire), Hertford (Hertfordshire), Brighton, Rosing, and Kympton. Or, you could always just use Austen, for Jane Austen.
My favorite name fantasy for Pride and Prejudice (yes. I am a nameaholic. I have name fantasies) is boy/girl twins named Bennett and Darcy. I love this because (1) The names are the same style in my opinion and both sound modern (2) The reference to P&P is subtle enough that only those who really like the novel, and therefore would probably appreciate the reference, will catch it. (3) I like the Irony that the girl (Darcy) is named for male character Mr Darcy and the boy Bennett is named for the female character Elizabeth Bennett... Unfortunately, There are as many reasons for why this won't happen! (1) I would have to have boy/girl twins (what are the odds?) (2) My husband and (3) My son's name is Benjamin, don't think I can have a Bennett!
So what do you think, do you like ANY of the names from Pride and Prejudice? And if you do, would you use them because they are from the classic, or just because you like them?
When it comes to Jane Austen, we are mostly talking about old, traditional English names which can have a lot of charm. For girls, we first have the five sisters of the Bennett Family - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine (Kitty), and Lydia. Then, their friends and correspondences: Charlotte, Caroline, Georgiana, and Anne. Of these names, the ones that stick out to me personally the most are Jane and Georgiana.
In fact, Georgiana has recently become one of my favorite girls names! Its soft and rolls so nicely off the tongue. It is very traditional and fits in with current trends, but its not being used and has not been in the top 1000 names since 1952. A little Georgiana could go by Georgie, Giana, Ana or even Gigi (a nickname that I pretty much hated until I found this name as a source for it).
But you can be more creatively inspired by Pride and Prejudice than just grabbing the female characters names! In fact, besides Georgiana, my favorite P&P inspired girls names are Darcy, after the main male character Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Pemberly, the name of Mr. Darcy's mansion. Pemberly is lovely because it is reminiscent of Kimberly, but very unique. Darcy is cute and quirky, and the reference to P&P would be very subtle, if you even chose to make the reference at all.
There is also much inspiration for boys in P&P. The main male characters include Fitzwilliam, Charles, George, and William. Once again however, I find some of the most fun names to consider are not the male characters at all (though I do like Fitzwilliam, more on that later). I love the last names! Bennett, Lucas, Forster, Collin, and Bingley. As well as place names, such as Derby (for Derbyshire), Hertford (Hertfordshire), Brighton, Rosing, and Kympton. Or, you could always just use Austen, for Jane Austen.
My favorite name fantasy for Pride and Prejudice (yes. I am a nameaholic. I have name fantasies) is boy/girl twins named Bennett and Darcy. I love this because (1) The names are the same style in my opinion and both sound modern (2) The reference to P&P is subtle enough that only those who really like the novel, and therefore would probably appreciate the reference, will catch it. (3) I like the Irony that the girl (Darcy) is named for male character Mr Darcy and the boy Bennett is named for the female character Elizabeth Bennett... Unfortunately, There are as many reasons for why this won't happen! (1) I would have to have boy/girl twins (what are the odds?) (2) My husband and (3) My son's name is Benjamin, don't think I can have a Bennett!
So what do you think, do you like ANY of the names from Pride and Prejudice? And if you do, would you use them because they are from the classic, or just because you like them?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)