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ArchivesRe: Bram & Ean/Ian
in reply to a message by Cleveland Kent Evans
The character I am considering naming Bram is of English and Scottish descent. The character I am considering naming a variant of John is of Irish descent.
I am wondering about Bram being used as a pet form for Abram as I believe that Bram Stoker was actually named Abraham (I could be wrong) and only used Bram as his pen name. Is it possible though that others used it and it was only considered to be borne by Bram Stoker because he was the first popular individual to use it?
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"'Chevrolet,' answered Ramona. 'I named her after my aunt's car.'
The class began to laugh, especially the boys. Ramona felt confused, standing there in front of twenty-eight boys and girls who were all laughing at her."
I am wondering about Bram being used as a pet form for Abram as I believe that Bram Stoker was actually named Abraham (I could be wrong) and only used Bram as his pen name. Is it possible though that others used it and it was only considered to be borne by Bram Stoker because he was the first popular individual to use it?
____________________________________________________________
"'Chevrolet,' answered Ramona. 'I named her after my aunt's car.'
The class began to laugh, especially the boys. Ramona felt confused, standing there in front of twenty-eight boys and girls who were all laughing at her."
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Replies
Bram could be a pet form for either Abram or Abraham. Of course it's possible others used it before Bram Stoker; I think it's highly unlikely that his friends or relatives were the first people in an English speaking country to ever think of shortening Abram or Abraham to Bram. It seems like a rather obvious way to create a nickname to me. :)
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This depends on what kind of a story you are writing. There would be a great many stories where it simply would not be necessary to mention what the character's "official birth certificate" name was, and you could just have other people address him as Bram without mentioning one way or the other whether or not it was short for something else.
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