Monday, April 16, 2012

N = Name

N is for Name
(A-Z Theme: Changes through history)

Name (n): a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known.

Ahh, but what's in a name? I believe lots. Names have changed through history, some evolved, other completely disappeared, and other make comebacks once in a while. A name in a novel can have a great meaning. For example, in my current WIP I use Ty as short for Tybalt. Anyone who's read Rome & Juliet will know to equate that name with betreyal. Will the character live up to it? Most likely yes:)

Following is a list of names which have lasted through decades and are still popular today:

Male:

John
William
James 
George
Charles
Joseph
Frank
Harry
Henry
Edward

Female:
 
Mary
Elizabeth
Anna
Margaret
Emma
Rose
Ethel
Florence
Ida
Helen


Juliet: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."  W. Shakespeare

Do you have a favorite name? Is there a history why your name was chosen?

7 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

My character's name? I used the one I'd selected over thirty years ago but no idea from where it originated.

Cassie Mae said...

Cassie is my favorite name. But I think I'm biased. ;)

Annalisa Crawford said...

Character names pop into my head, along with set personalities. When I had to change a name recently it really messed with my head for a while - I'd already written the story, but suddenly some things felt wrong and needed changing!

Jaycee DeLorenzo said...

I named my daughter Persephone. Um, yeah, I like Greek Mythology. LOL.

Carrie-Anne said...

My taste in names tends towards the classical eccentric and classical unusual (e.g., Octavia, Lysander, Wolfgang, Felix, Ezra, Calliope, Desdemona, Justine, Fiammetta, Leopold, Benvolio). My favorite male name is Samuel, and my favorite female name is Anastasia (Ahn-nah-STAH-zee-yah, not that hideous Anglo mangling Ann-a-STAY-zha).

My real name is Anna Ursula, chosen after two of the characters in D.H. Lawrence's novel The Rainbow. I never liked my real forename, since it's so common and overused. I've grown to prefer the European and Latin American pronunciation, since it has a bit more personality with a long A.

Erin M. Hartshorn said...

Surges in popularity of names also can lead to problems. There is, for example, the "Tiffany Problem," as coined by Jo Walton. (http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10407) Basically, it's a real medieval name, but if you use it in that context, most modern readers will think you're wrong.

A favorite name? Not really.

Erin

Anonymous said...

I was born with the name Kimberly and I hate it just so much. I changed it to a more suitable name for me Emma I love it just the same!