Last week I was listening to Heart Essex Radio and the realisation that many traditional names we once used are being abandoned for much more ‘funky’ ones.
For example, David, Jean, Margaret, Sally, Theresa, John and Tracy are a thing of the past and being replaced with names such as Mercedes, Chantelle and River.
This got me thinking about the names we, as writers, choose for our characters. Does the traditional ‘us’ stick with traditional names for our heroes, or like the totally normal named David and Victoria Beckham, do we take this opportunity to go a little crazy and name our little darlings Brooklyn, Cruze, Romeo and Harper?
According to the Bounty Parenting Club, children nowadays are being named purely because their parents feel the wackier the name, the more their children will stand out.
I gues that does have an element of truth to it. Afterall, look at movies such as the Step Up franchise and its leading men. Tyler, Chase and, okay, Luke (I’ll let the last one slide), are not what you would call traditional names. Or are they?
75% of parents who choose traditional names for their children, such as Jennifer and Robert believe these ‘extreme’ parents who insist names like Armani are cool are setting their children up for a school life of misery and bullying.
But, if you watch shows like Disney’s ‘Suite Life on Deck’, you’ll see characters named London, Bailey and Woody. Again, not the normal names you usually see on a school register, but also not characters who are tormented by their peers.
The 1995 film ‘Clueless’, shows the protagonist as a school girl named Cher and someone who is not only caring and popular, but also who proves to be extremely smart.
But, back to Bounty’s poll. Six in every 10 people reckon a good strong name is sensible and the best way to go, and parents which proceed to use these outrageous names are nothing by selfish and not considering their children at all.
Disagree?
Hmmm…. Bruce Willis’ portrayal of John Mclane in Die Hard. Now you don’t get much stronger than that. Well, okay, James Bond played by Daniel Craig. All traditional names which conjure up handsome features, rugged jaw line and muscles to die for – *slaps face* quick, change the subject before I pass out.
And, just to prove how wacky they are getting, here Bounty’s “Most Unusual Names of the Decade” list:
1. Shy
2. Unity
3. Bean
4. Zowie
5. Puppy
6. Ice
7. Victory
8. Porsche
9. D’Andre
10. Denim
11. Diesel
12. Armani
13. Rooney
14. Bowie
15. Cobain
16. Stone
17. Gift
18. Echo
19. Heaven
20. Maroon
So, what do you name your characters? Do you go for the traditional, strong names, or do you take a more unusual and exotic stance? Do you think that traditional names are more stronger? Do you take into consideration the era your character was born and the most popular names at that time? Do you know anyone who has named their children Romeo, Cruze or Levi? Let me know. I want to find the most wierdest name EVER!
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In my fiction, it’s a big mix, depending on the feel of the culture I’m writing (Fantasy genre), the character, and their backstory.
Of course, my children are named Ariadne and Phoenix, so maybe I don’t have a leg to stand on here?
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I actually really like Phoenix, maybe because of River Phoenix. How do you pronouce the first name? At quick glimps I keep reading it as Adrienne. I wanted to call my daughter Taylor Jane, after singer Taylor Dayne. But being totally traditional I names my kids Megan and Jamie.
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Commonly we just call her Ari (ar-ee) but the pronunciation is ar-ee-ah-dnee. The last syllable is the strangest. It’s also a potential ‘ancestor’ to Arianna and its related names.
(Yes, both parents are writers of a stripe, why do you ask?)
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Ah, now that does sound a pretty name. And, Stripe?
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My ex writes, but doesn’t really look at it as a potential profession, just a hobby. So my children are the offspring of two writers.
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Ariadne is traditional. So is Phoenix. Isn’t Ariadne is from Greek myth, isn’t she? Ariadne’s strings? Phoenix, I also consider traditional.
Then, who am I to speak? I was named Marilag, the ancient word for beautiful in Tagalog. People used to joke around that I’ll name my kids Guwapo (handsome), Pangit (ugly), etc. I’m thinking of doing that since it’s sort-of a tradition in my family. I have an aunt named Mahal (expensive), another named Amihan (breeze), and another named Pag-asa (hope). My grandparents prefer to name their offsprings Tagalog names instead of the traditional English and Spanish names that Pilipinos are named for.
So I guess it’s perspective.
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Hi Marilag. Wow, that’s some list of names. Makes mine seem boring now.
I do know ‘Donna’ means ‘Lady’, or at least that’s what my fridge magnet says. It does seem a tad odd that ‘Donna’ and ‘Lady’ are used in the same sentence when talking about me. Truth is, I was named after one of TV’s original Beverley Hillbillies. (Now that’s more like it) 😀
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Ariadne is Greek. Glad someone knows!
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Tyler, Chase, and Luke are very common names from my day and age in the American Southwest. So are Shane, Ty, Justice, and Jim Bob.
With characters in books, I will not read a book that has names I cannot pronounce quickly and easily in my mind. That applies to places, too.
The oddest character name I have in my WIP is Spooge. He is a gigalo at a brothel, and he’s named after the gruel that is the mainstay of one faction of characters. It would be indelicate of me to explain why he is named after the gruel.
Thanks for your fun blog, Donna. 🙂
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Hey girlie. If I’d been a boy, I was going to be called Shane. And I agree with you on the hard names in books.
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Hi Donna,
Great post. I tend to use traditional names in my fiction, but I did use an odd name once in a short story. I named the character Prestige Bentley. My inspiration? I worked with a designer a while back, and yes, his middle name was Prestige, last name Bentley. His parents must have wanted a laugh. Or a Prestige Bentley!
Still, I wouldn’t dream of giving my child an odd name. I named my boy William.
Elpi
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Ha ha ha, what a great story. Okay, I have to ask. What was the real Prestige Bentley’s first name?
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Charles!
(Oh, dear!)
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Lol, Well all could be forgiven if he’s good looking 🙂
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I recently completed a novel with a character who is named Lucky Nova (by his country music superstar father) and he despises it. I’m very curious about this topic which is why I chose to write about it. Typically, I give my characters pretty average, believable names. Great Post!
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I’ve always liked the name ‘Lucky’. Not for my own kids, but it fits as a characters. It reminds me of the first Jackie Collins novel I read many moons ago. 🙂
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I think a name, whether you’re applying it to characters or children, should mean something. Whether you want to go the traditional route or the exotic. My characters’ names mean something 99% of the time. For example, the male protagonist in my current WIP is named David. In this case I wasn’t naming him based on the actual meaning of the name, but because the name David conjures the image of a protector and great warrior in my mind.
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Ah, now this does have some truth to it. I’ve named a character (in my next book) Jason Wade, after the Lifehouse singer. I saw him sing live at the Sheppard Bush Empire (is it still called that?) last year, and fell in love, lol. But, my current novel has characters named Nate and Roman. I know absolutely nobody called Nate and Roman – the names just ‘fit’.
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Glad to know I’m a great warrior.
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Good post, Donna. I’m definitely of the John, Bill, Mary & Sue school of thout on names. I have picked the surname Farkenfinkle for a district attorney who’s the antagonist in my WIP, but usually it’s Smith and Johnson, etc.
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Same here. Most unusual surname to date is Holbrook 🙂
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