Many Dickensian characters have become iconic.
Some -- Scrooge, Dodger, Fagin -- have even become definitive archetypes. Charles Dickens based many of his characters directly from real life, and their whimsical names often became a part of the characters' description and representation of their persona.
Here are first names borne by characters in the works of Dickens:
| Abel Adolphus Alexandre Alfred Allan Anthony Arthur Augustus Barnaby Bayham Benjamin Bentley Bob Bradley Caleb Charles Charley Chevy Christopher "Kit" Cyrus Daniel David Ebenezer Edmund Edward "Tip" Edwin Elijah Ephraim Ernest Eugene Francis Frank Fred Frederick Gabriel Geoffrey George Ham Hannibal Harold Harry Henry Herbert Hugh Jack Jacob |
James Jarvis Jefferson Jeremiah Job Joe John Jonas Joseph Joshua Josiah Julius Lawrence Leicester Luke Mark Martin Matthew Melvin Michael Montague Mortimer Mulberry Nathaniel Ned Neville Newman Nicholas Noah Ned Nicodemus "Noddy" Oliver Paul Peter Philip "Pip" Prince Ralph Reginald Reuben Riah Richard "Dick" Roger "Rogue" Sampson Samuel Seth Silas |
Simon Septimus Solomon Stephen Sydney Théophile Thomas "Tom" Tim Tony Toby Tracy Uriah Vincent Wackford Walter Watt Wilkins William Zephaniah
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Abbey Ada Affery Agnes Alice Amy Anne Annie Arabella Arethusa Barbara Bella Belle Belinda Bertha Betsy "Bet" Betty Biddy Camilla Caroline "Caddy" Cecilia "Sissy" Charity "Cherry" Charlotte "Charley" Clara Clarissa Clemency Cleopatra Cornelia Dolly Dora Edith Emily Emma Estella Esther Fanny Flora Florence "Floy" Georgiana Grace Harriet Helena Henrietta Honoria Hortense Isabella |
Jane Janet Jenny Judy Julia Kate Kitty Laura Lavinia Lillian Lizzie Louisa "Loo" Lucie Lucretia Madeline Maggy Margaret "Meg" Marion Martha Mary Matilda May Mercy "Merry" Milly Molly Morleena Nancy Nelly Nell Ninetta Peg Pleasant Polly Rachael Rosa Rose Ruth Sarah "Sairey" Sarah "Sally" Sophia Sophie Sophronia Sophy Susan Tilly Volumnia
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Dickens not only created interesting names for his characters, he also coined fanciful nicknames for his children:
Charles Culliford Boz Dickens
Mary "Mamie" Angela Dickens "Mild Glo'ster"
Catherine "Katey" Elizabeth Macready Dickens "Lucifer Box"
Walter Savage Landor Dickens "Young Skull"
Francis "Frank" Jeffrey Dickens "Chickenstalker"
Alfred D'Orsay Tennyson Dickens "Sampson Brass" and "Skittles"
Sydney Smith Haldimand Dickens "The Ocean Spectre" and "The Admiral"
Henry Fielding Dickens "Mr H"
Dora Annie Dickens
Edward Bulwer Lytton Dickens "Plorn"
