What’s in a name

Authors spend a fair bit of effort coming up with names for their characters. For example, Mina Sun, star of Bloodborne Pathogens, got her name because it works as a Korean name but Mina is also a character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula…and the surname Sun for a vampire? Well, I couldn’t resist.

But what about my name? Astle is my actual family name, and it is somewhat unusual. So much so, I’ve always assumed I’m related to any Astles in Canada. Another author suggested having a pronunciation gui...