Names from Children's Mysteries, Part II: The Boxcar Children

The Boxcar Children

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The original 1924 book by Gertrude Chandler Warner about four orphans making a home for themselves in a abandoned boxcar in the woods by a waterfall has since inspired a series of over 150 books, another eighteen by the original author herself. Generations of children have been solving mysteries along with the Aldens and I expect they will for many more. I devoured these as a kid (I especially remember how much I liked Surprise Island and The Pizza Mystery)  Below I will profile a few of the names found in the series.

Henry James Alden, eldest of the four siblings that are the titular 'Boxcar Children'. He assumes responsibility for his younger siblings after their parents' death and is usually in charge in their sleuthing in subsequent books. He is a kind and clever older brother and, to me, epitomizes boy characters of the era.

The name Henry is derived from the German name Heimrich (later Heinrich), which means home ruler. Heinrich became the French Henri and this English variant comes from the French. A variant of Heinrich is Emmerich which inspired Emory, Emerson, Amerigo, and others (Name tree at Behind the Name). Henry was ranked #43 last year in the U.S. and is in the top 100 in England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Australia.

Henry Winkler as Fonzie

Henry was usually said as Harry in medieval England and Harry is considered a diminutive of either Henry or Harold and according to History of Christian Names, Vol. II, the proper form is Harry. Name nerds will enjoy the tons of variants that can be found in the same source. I especially like Italian variants Enzio and Arrigo.

Admiral Sir Henry Morgan

Besides being a common name among French and English royal historical figures, famous Henries include writers Henry Miller, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James and actor and director Henry Winkler (you may know him as the Fonz).

If you love Henry but naysayers tell you it's too much of an "old man's name", just remind them of another famous Henry: Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (1635-1688), the 17th-century pirate more familiarly known as Captain Morgan. If that doesn't convince you that Henry is actually a very tough name, it was also the given name of mobster Henry Hill, Jr., part of the Lucchese crime family. The 1990 film Goodfellas is about Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta. Hill eventually became an informant and died at the age of 69 last year.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the 1920 film

Henry is also the first name of infamous Stevenson character, Dr. Jekyll. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a tale that's familiar to almost everyone whether they've read it or not. A friend of Henry Jekyll's begins investigating the terrible presence of Mr. Hyde in his life and eventually discovers Dr. Jekyll's terrible secret. There are countless adaptations in film and on stage not to mention the hundreds of parodies (I seem to remember an old Scooby Doo with Jekyll and Hyde in it).

Jessie (Jessica) Alden, second eldest of the four siblings that are the titular 'Boxcar Children'. She is very organized and motherly to the younger children, with something of a domestic side in earlier books.

This was a name that was actually invented by William Shakespeare-- or at least the earliest written record of the name Jessica is in his play The Merchant of Venice. It is believed Shakespeare based this name on the Ancient Hebrew Yiskah, found in the Old Testament. Yiskah, or Iscah, became Jeska in English translations and Jessica was likely conceived as an alternative spelling of this.

Heather Lind as Jessica in Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice

You can find troves of actresses, singers and athletes named Jessica and it's no surprise considering how popular it was in the last half of the 20th Century, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It's just dropped out of the top 100 in the last couple of years but still ranked at #138 last year. 

Jessica Glitter from How I Met Your Mother 

Let's talk about some other Jessicas. Personally I think this is a name that screams 80s and 90s and what better way to epitomize that than with fictional 90s Canadian sensation, Jessica Glitter! On the show How I Met Your Mother, Robin Scherbatsky had a career as a teenage popstar Robin Sparkles and starred in a space-themed math show with her best friend Jessica Glitter who had thick glasses and awesomely large hair.

Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman

The original Marvel superhero styled as Spider-Woman was named Jessica Drew. Jessica Drew got her abilities through genetic intervention from her scientist father, who injected her with an experimental serum with irradiated spider's venom to treat her when she fell ill from Uranium poisoning. She was in stasis for years and her aging slowed considerably. She has a few solo adventures as Spider-Woman before eventually becoming part of the New Avengers team.

And to bring us all the way back around to kid books, Jessica Wakefield and her twin sister Elizabeth are the main characters of Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High series and numerous spin-off series. Jessica is the complete opposite of her sensible, studious sister. She likes fashion, boys, socializing, and is the atypical popular cheerleader. The twins star in many stories from their 6th grade years all the way up to adulthood in the various series and have been a big part of countless girls' childhoods. I still vividly remember how frightening I found a set of four Sweet Valley Twins books (Too Scared to Sleep, The Beast is Watching You, The Beast Must Die, and If I Die Before I Wake) I read in elementary school. I don't think I had ever been quite so scared by a book before but that never stopped me from gobbling up more -- or even rereading these ones! 

Now maybe you love the nickname Jessie but can't stand Jessica. It is completely acceptable to just name your daughter Jessie but here are a few more options to get to that nickname: Jessamy, Jezebel, Jessa, Jesslyn, Jessamine, Jessenia and Jescha. A couple more international variants I haven't mentioned yet are Yessica, Jennica, Gessica, and Iekika.

Violet Alden, second youngest of the four siblings that are the titular 'Boxcar Children'. She is the 'artsy' one, constantly drawing and practicing violin, and is a very shy but sweet child.

Violet as a given name was very popular in 16th century Scotland and caught on as an English name in the 19th. The word violet, as used for the small purple-blue flowers, is derived from Latin viola. Viola is the root of French Violette, East European Violeta, and Polish Wiola (still pronounced like Viola).

"Violet! You're turning violet, Violet!"

One of the first things to pop into my head when I hear the name is Violet Beauregarde, from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Violet is a champion gum-chewer, a habit meant to flag her as a nasty child from the get-go. She meets the end of her tour when she tries an untested chewing gum product and blows up like a blueberry.

In researching this post I came across the extraordinary story of another Violet; Violet Constance Jessop (1887-1971), a ship's nurse and stewardess, that survived not one but three shipwrecks between 1911 and 1916. In 1911 she was a crew member aboard the RMs Olympic when the it collided with the HMS Hawke, and though Hawke nearly capsized neither ship sank and Olympic was able to get back to Southampton. Just over six months later in April of 1912 she joined the crew of another famous ship, the RMS Titanic.  

Violet Constance Jessop

''I was ordered up on deck. Calmly, passengers strolled about. I stood at the bulkhead with the other stewardesses, watching the women cling to their husbands before being put into the boats with their children. Some time after, a ship's officer ordered us into the boat (boat 16) first to show some women it was safe."

Remarkably, after escaping one tragic sinking, four years later she was aboard HMHS Britannic when it hit a mine (or was a struck by torpedo, it's not entirely clear) in the Aegean Sea and there was an explosion on the starboard side of the ship during breakfast. Britannic sank in just 55 minutes and Violet Jessop was forced to leap overboard. She was sucked under the keel and hit her head before being rescued and credits her thick hair in helping save her life.

Lincoln at Gettsyburg, Violet Oakley mural

Another interesting namesake is Violet Oakley (1874-1961), American painter and first female artist to receive a large public commission in America. She had Quaker ideals, feeling the importance of equality and tolerance, and she brought Quakerism into her murals. See more of her works here, here, here, and here (the last one is flickr so you may have to sift through but there are some wonderful photos of her murals so it's well worth the browse).

Violet ranked #89 in the U.S. last year. Some international variants I haven't mentioned yet are Violetta, Violante, Vyolette, Violantha, Wioletta, Orvokki, . Possible nicknames for Violet are Vi, ViVi, or Lettie.

Benny (Benjamin) Alden, youngest of the four siblings that are the titular 'Boxcar Children'. He is very young in the books and full of the inquisitiveness of kids of his age as well as having a very mild mischievous streak. He's also always hungry! 

Benjamin is a very old name derived from Hebrew Binyamin meaning "son of my right hand". Interestingly, as it is the name of the youngest Alden child, the idiom "Benjamin of the family" refers to the youngest son. This saying comes from the Biblical Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons. Benjamin was #16 last year. You have to hand it to hand it to Miss Warner for choosing timeless names -- all four are currently in the top 200 in the U.S.

Bench in Smithfield, Virginia

Violet Oakley murals put me in a bit of an patriotic mood (also this posts on the 4th!) so first I'd like to spotlight Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) in this profile. At the age of 17 Benjamin Franklin ran away from home and though runaways generally had no place in society, the very act being illegal, he found work in printing presses and eventually became an apprentice. He borrowed money to set up his own printing business and so diligently did he work that he attracted government jobs and became successful businessman.

Bringing in those Benjamins

It's impossible to enumerate his many accomplishments in just a paragraph but it's awe-inspiring how much he achieved from such humble beginnings as running away to seek his fortune. He founded institutions, studied storms and concluded their paths could be plotted, studied science and made major breakthroughs in electricity in particular (most of know of that business with the key), was a prolific writer from a young age, invented the Franklin stove amongst other things, dabbled in music, and even had over 200 synonyms for being drunk. This Founding Father was a true polymath and is rightfully considered one of the most famous Americans in history. 

Andy, April, and Ben from Parks and Recreation

Ben Wyatt is a character from the popular television show Parks and Recreation, married to the show's main character Leslie Knope. In a town full of quirky characters, Ben has a relative calm to his personality. He is often the character it falls on to look appropriately long-suffering or baffled by his friends' eccentric antics and strange admissions. He is the down-to-earth character that audiences can find most relatable. His character develops a lot through the show, the straight-laced, uptight auditor eventually learning to loosen up a bit.

Benjamin Nushmutt

Benjamin Nushmutt is the new student in Mrs. Jewls' class on the 30th floor in Wayside School is Falling Down. Wayside School is a quirky school built thirty stories high with one classroom per floor and filled with wacky characters. Benjamin Nushmutt is very shy and nervous and dislikes adults asking his name because they always ask him to repeat himself. Mrs. Jewls for some reason thinks his name is Mark Miller and, too afraid to correct her, he spends the majority of the book pretending that is his name. Mark Miller actually attends class on the 19th story. There is no 19th story.

Some other Ben names I love are Benito, Benno, Benedetto, Benaiah, Benvolio, Benjy, Benedict, and Benvenuto.

   
 
Cover of The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, image from http://www.goodreads.com/
Photograph Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli, image taken from http://open.salon.com/blog/mike_calahan/2013/02/18/aaay_its_fonzie_day
Colorized woodcut of Henry Morgan, image from http://www.famous-pirates.com/
Photo of Broadway Production of Merchant of Venice, http://www.broadway.com/shows/merchant-venice/
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) movie still, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011130/
Jessica Glitter gif, http://robin-scherbatsky.tumblr.com/
Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) © Marvel, image from http://marvel.wikia.com/
Photograph of violets,thegreeneye on http://www.deviantart.com/
Violet Beauregarde still from Willy Wonka & the Chocolat Factory (1971), http://sideshowgoshko.blogspot.com/2011/07/take-that-violet-beauregarde.html 
Photograph of Violet Jessop, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Jessop
Violet Oakley mural, http://www.americanillustration.org/artists/oakley/oakley.html  
Photograph of Benjamin Franklin bench in Smithfield, VA, http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7M4D_Ben_Franklin_Statue_bench_Smithfield_Va
Parks and Recreation gif, http://astillandquietconscience.blogspot.com/2013/06/character-appreciation-post-ben-wyatt.html
Chapter illustration from Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar, http://wayside.wikia.com/