The name fits, but the timing doesn’t

It’s the first Wednesday of the month again, time for a post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

I’m in mourning. They killed my hero’s name!

No, nobody died, but in the novella I’m currently working on, I wanted to name my hero Cedric. I like the name. The story takes place during Regency, and I think I read one or two Regency novels with a male character named Cedric, so I didn’t worry. Then I read this post from Interesting Literature. [] They write that the name Cedric only became popular after 1819:

“The name Cedric has its origins in Sir Walter Scott’s cavalier attitude to Anglo-Saxon. When researching for his classic novel Ivanhoe (1819), set during the twelfth century and featuring the character of Robin Hood, Scott came across the genuine Saxon name Cerdic and transposed the third and fourth letters. Thus Cedric was born.”

Imagine my frustration. How do I name my character now? Cedric was my final choice; I’ve already tried and discarded several other names for him. None fit the guy better than Cedric, but I can’t use the name that wasn’t used at the time of the novel. That would contradict historical accuracy. Talk about insecurities.

The only good thing that came out of this fiasco is that I read their post before I did any serious writing on the novella, before I posted even the first chapter on Wattpad for anyone to see. At least, nobody would know about my possible blunder now. I’ve been warned in time. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

I need a name for my male protagonist, pronto. He is a viscount with an independent mind and a caustic tongue, in a bit of a bind with the high society. He is not imbued with an abundance of tact and doesn’t suffer fools either. Help, please. I need a name.