For Jane Austen, Edmund was a name the represented heroism and chivalry, Maria signified heartlessness and Richard was a joke. She had a weakness for Emma and a passion for Frederick which endured from her earliest years until she bestowed it on her last, and most romantic, hero.Unlike most novelists of her period, in naming her characters Jane Austen confined herself to the names found in everyday life, choosing them to fit not only their personalities but their place in society. While the classic English names are her staple, she also drew on the Old Testament for her low-born characters and eighteenth-century creations for the would-be fashionable.In this study of a hitherto neglected area of the novelist’s art, Maggie Lane looks at the history of English nomenclature up to Jane Austen’s time and at the naming patterns and practices current in her society, including who was entitled to use the Christian name of whom. A section on Jane Austen’s own taste in names is followed by an alphabetical listing of all the Christian names used in her mature fiction, with their history, social status and associations.'Jane Austen and Names' is a must-read for anyone interested in the great novelist. Praise for Maggie Lane:'This book will enrich our interpretation of Jane Austen's fiction, for Ms Lane makes us look afresh at the use of food as symbol and metaphor.’ Jane Austen Society Newsletter Maggie Lane is the author of many books on Jane Austen including 'Jane Austen's Family', 'Jane Austen's England', 'Jane Austen and Food', 'Understanding Austen' and the forthcoming 'Growing Older with Jane Austen'. She also lectures and writes for the journals of the Jane Austen Societies of the UK, US and Australia and is Consultant Editor of Regency World magazine.Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher.