Weirdest name you gave a character and why?

[Courtney]

Here's something for the writers on the site - what are some strange names you gave characters in your books and why did you decide on that?

[Rosanna]

Another good one, Courtney!
I don't think I've ever gone too bizarre in my naming choices. My books are often based on mythological characters, so even the weird names have been heard before. And with my modern paranormals, I tend to choose names that, while not being run of the mill, are not outlandish either. I think if you get too freaky, it can get distracting for the reader.

Now if you're writing sci-fi, go nuts! LOL

[Courtney]

It shouldn't count if you have an otherworldly premise where everyone has bizarre names. Like Harry Potter - you just say "that's wizards" and start to think they sound cool.

[G.G.]

Gosh, I never liked his name (Harry Potter).

I like to believe the names I choose are 'normal', except of course, when it comes to my aliens, and then again, they are easy to pronounce and remember. I didn't want the readers to have to skip the names instead of reading them.

[Sharon]

The weirdest name I probably gave a character is Flicky, short for Felicity, and it's because she's kind of an oddball so a normal name just didn't feel right! Most of my characters have pretty ordinary names since a pet hate of mine when reading is an over-abundance of strange or hard to read names (that I have a tendency to auto-correct in my head to something less weird lol!)

[Lenore]

I named a gargoyle-esque character Oogan in my book The Four Sworn. I named him after a stoner guy I knew in high school that everyone called Doogan. Other than the name, the character is nothing like the stoner :)

[Elaina]

I have a dragon in a work in progress whose name is Orikanthalus (Orik for short). I *almost* named the female the Gaelic spelling of Ayleen but felt it would be too hard for readers - it was Eibhlilin. I'm sure they'll thank me for changing it :D

[Kyra]

Considering I write non-earth-based fantasy, most of my names are kind of weird (though a lot of them are roughly based on more familiar names). In Urdaisunia, some of the characters have long 4 or 5 syllable names, because of their culture (the names are based on ancient Sumerian names), but I shorten them to 2-syllable nicknames in the book.

My favorite just plain silly-sounding name is Teebers, a minor character in Beneath the Canyons, book 1 of my upcoming fantasy-western series. He's a miner, and that just sounded to me like an Old West miner/prospector kind of name.

[G.G.]

For me, a weird name is one that is hard to pronounce. I don't use them. I'm not saying I will never do but then, I would cut it short like Elaina did with Orik.

The most awkward ones I had to come up with came from a civilization that only uses names with 3 letters. Ril, Lun, Dih, Dal, Dax etc... At least, I didn't need too many. (And no, I didn't want any Bob or Tom! :P)

[Monique]

When I first started writing, I always used to pick the most random, fictitious names thinking it would give my story some kind of uniqueness to it. Like spelling names differently. Instead of Ashley, Ashlei. Or Danny to Danni. I thought putting an 'i' at the end would give the character some kind of edge. Or I'd use really weird names like Kora and Arrelha. I mean, it's not that weird, but it's no Anna or Bella. What I think I've come to realize is giving random or too unique of names sets the character off a little too much. Makes it feel a little made up so you can't connect with the character. Now it's different when you set your character in a whole different world like with fae or faries. Like what Kyra was saying. Obviously they aren't going to have normal names. It just depends.

A few of the different (not weird) names I have in my story is Colt (like the gun haha), Thaddeus, and Rory (short for Aurora). See not too weird, but not too common. Like Sam or Pam (no offense if anyone's a Sam or Pam).

[A.L.]

Then again why should the dark lord or the powerful enchanter not be called Tim or Emma?

[Monique]

A.L. wrote: "Then again why should the dark lord or the powerful enchanter not be called Tim or Emma?"

I think they can be called 'Tim' or 'Emma', but haven't there been a thousand other characters with those names that could quite possibly influence the character for the reader? Like diction. Different words could have different meaning to different people, so you should just choose wisely. Emma might be a sister or a silly cousin. It might kill it for you.

When I read a romance novel with the character name 'Anthony' I was weirded out because that's the name of my brother. Yet, that shouldn't stop you because most likely any name could be the brother or sister to anyone. Sorry if I'm not making sense. Haha it's a hard subject.

[Heather]

Haha, Evil Dark Overlord Tim. Stabs fear into my bones.

I had a bunch of demons in one of my books, and I veered from Biblical names to come up with some of my own. I think the weirdest so far would be a toss-up between Morrangawr and Kantazsia. Have to make them sound tough, you know?

[[deleted user]]

Heather wrote: "Haha, Evil Dark Overlord Tim. Stabs fear into my bones.

I had a bunch of demons in one of my books, and I veered from Biblical names to come up with some of my own. I think the weirdest so far wo..."

Nice! Those names are fun, and they do sound tough.

I've had some weird names in my writing, for sure. One of my series, I even put a pronunciation chart at the end of the first book, because people kept asking me how the names were pronounced.

Probably the weirdest ones I've come up with in recent memory are IxBryn and Lokea, both from the same series. A lot of names in the series come from normal, somewhat commonplace names (such as IxBryn; another is IkChris), but Lokea I got from a friend of mine. It's a variation of her nickname, and it always makes me laugh because when I type it, it reminds me of Loki (it sounds a little similar, too). I don't know if anyone else is a comic/superhero fan, but I love Marvel's Loki, so that just makes the name better. :)

I really like using either extremely out there names, or somewhat "olden" names. In my series of shorts, I have a character named Dante, and I'm pretty fond of him. I think that came from one of my besties talking about Dante's Inferno, though.

Does anyone else acquire names from strange places? I'm always interested to see where ideas come from!

[Courtney]

@ Crimson - Those are some striking names! I have a weird affinity for anything artful.

[Meri]

Cuauhtémoc is probably the best unpronounceable name I've given a character. It was an Aztec name that means "falling eagle." I was searching for Native American names and just kind of fell in love with it.

I also have a character whose name, at least for the moment, is Can. Why? Because I can. Actually, lame puns aside, I have no idea why I named him that.

[Jessica]

In a short of mine called Night Talker, a story about a subrace of humans who become entranced by the moon, I named my main character Brazille (Not to be confused with Brazil -- short A sound and a long elle sound instead). Most of my odd names come from antiquated naming practices in futuristic environments (in my debut novel, I have a Henriette-- also known as Henri, in a scientifically influenced near future). It makes the characters a homage to nostalgia without making them a cliche to the name. In my upcoming work I have a Remy--short for Jeremy-- because I didn't want people to associate the good boy image with such an edgy character. Nicknames often give some room to hint at better characterizations. Don't know how effective that is yet, however. Great topic!

[Liz]

Missimillio. I heard the name once and thought it was really long and unnecessary. And since I like random, unnecessary I named the father of my heroine Lucia Carboni, because its Italian. Love it!

[[deleted user]]

Courtney wrote: "@ Crimson - Those are some striking names! I have a weird affinity for anything artful."

Thank you! I do, too, definitely. :)

[[deleted user]]

Meri wrote: "Cuauhtémoc is probably the best unpronounceable name I've given a character. It was an Aztec name that means "falling eagle." I was searching for Native American names and just kind of fell in lo..."

There is absolutely no way I can pronounce that, but it's fantastic!

[Meri]

Crimson wrote: "Meri wrote: "Cuauhtémoc is probably the best unpronounceable name I've given a character. It was an Aztec name that means "falling eagle." I was searching for Native American names and just kind ..."
Why thank you :)

[J.]

I write a short story series about a grouchy, old, unattractive vampire and his exasperated housekeeper. It's a spoof on all the sexy vampires that are basically everywhere these days. In one short story, I add a really overdone, completely melodramatic romantic arc featuring a beautiful, size zero heroine. Her name? Bellasandra, of course! It was the most pretentious, romance heroine name I could think of. (Crossing my fingers that no one else has a romance lead named Bellasandra)

[Courtney]

I think Bellasandra is a very pretty name, though I'm a little partial to pretentious names also. Basically I'll perk up for most anything that is anachronistic and mildly cumbersome. Like Millicent and Emmaline.

[Robert]

Bellasandra is awesome! Totally fits the type of story you're describing.

I think thus far, the most unusual name I've used is Tumbleduft. He explains that the name "Spirit" gave him, after offering my main characters cash in exchange for giving fake testimonials at a New Age motivational speaker seminar.

[J.J.]

I've been lurking on this discussion for a while. I have a character named Renaasti. Wait, there's a reason! It means "guardian of the people", so her name is actually her title.

The boring details: The extra "a" takes the place of a glottal stop. It's silent, and the accent goes on the syllable immediately before it. So her name is pronounced REN-uh-stee.

Typically she's called Ren. I keep wondering if I should change it, just to avoid confusion over pronunciation. But I've got a bit of story in the book explaining how she got that name, and that part shows a lot about her character and culture. To balance things, that's the only manufactured name, everyone else has a "real" name.

In my defense, this is contemporary fantasy, so I'm allowed to make up SOMETHING, right? And I'm following XKCD's guideline about no more than five made-up words, even including that name. (If you haven't seen it, that XKCD comic is here: http://xkcd.com/483/ )

Sheesh, I can't stop being defensive over it. ;)

Oh, and I also think Bellasandra is lovely!

[Meri]

You mean I was only supposed to use five made-up words? Oops...

[J.J.]

Meri wrote: "You mean I was only supposed to use five made-up words? Oops..."

Lol. I've read plenty of great books that break that rule. But I'm with him on Anathem. I've never been able to get started on it primarily because of the language.

[J.]

Jenz, very funny graphic! The name "Ren" immediately reminds me of "Ren and Stimpy," which makes me feel kind of old. It can be challenging to come up with fresh names without it conflicting with something else already in the reader's head. I read a book with a male protag named Toby, and it was really weird for me, since I was, at the time, watching the entire West Wing series on Netflix. Toby is the name of a character on the West Wing who is not exactly handsome and rippling with coy wit and muscles. I kept picturing the actor (Richard Schiff)in the scenes of the book. It was a little awkward.

[J.J.]

J, the name Toby reminds me of Roots. ;) The name Ren is in all kinds of things. I chose it because it's a Confucian concept, often translated as benevolence, though it's really one of those words for which there is no accurate English equivalent.

[J.]

Jenz, I like that you put so much thought into the names of your characters. Even if the reader doesn't know (not sure if you explain it in the book), you know, and it influences how you write the character. I'm definitely intrigued. I just jumped to your page to add your book to my "Want to Read" list, but I couldn't find any books listed for you. Is this a work in progress? Do you have a launch date?

[J.J.]

J. wrote: "Jenz, I like that you put so much thought into the names of your characters. Even if the reader doesn't know (not sure if you explain it in the book), you know, and it influences how you write the ..."

J, it's still in progress. I'm about to start another round of querying for an agent (after lack of success first round, I rewrote my query). So, I'm afraid it's going to be a while. ;)

[[deleted user]]

Jenz wrote: "J. wrote: "Jenz, I like that you put so much thought into the names of your characters. Even if the reader doesn't know (not sure if you explain it in the book), you know, and it influences how you..."

I, too, like that you put so much thought into your characters' names. I'm always curious as to what names mean, and the origin of words; I love Etymology. As far as the five words rule, I think I break that every time I write...but, I always add a pronunciation guide, and try and explain what the words mean, so I suppose that makes up for something? Best of luck with finishing your story, and getting it published!

J: Bellasandra is wonderful. It's so close to my "real" name (Alexandra), that I love it. I also like the idea of you playing with vampire tropes, because they are overly used and everywhere.

[G.G.]

BTW I love Bellasandra and yes it's close to Alexandra, which I love too. (I have a character in a game called Alexandrina. :P )

If you're talking about putting some thoughts into choosing a name, I guess that's what I did. I had a name in mind, but my protagonist being an alien from another planet, it was obvious that an Earthling name wouldn't fit. Yet, I didn't want to find another one. I loved that one and I had to have it. (Yes, I'm stubborn.)

After thinking about it for awhile, I came up with this idea. His real name became Lutnalind Zhendar Xavelk. From there I took the initial LX, and now people from Earth can call him Alex. :P
(Stubbornness pays sometimes :p)

[J.]

G.G. Clever! You got to keep your character's true name but also gave him a name we readers could pronounce and relate to.

Jenz, I wish you the best of luck with querying. Going the traditional route can be long and frustrating. Been there! Just know that self-publishing is always an option if agents don't recognize the gem that crosses their desk. Self-publishing is becoming a viable option for many authors, though it is a lot of work and requires some upfront costs (for a quality cover, copyedit, etc...). There are a lot of benefits like more control, higher royalties, and...of course, no waiting!

[A.L.]

I have a mix of names, my lead girly is Dii'Athella or Dii which means in her language Flower of the Dawn. Some names I simply like the sound of but often I take a name and misspell it Emmae, Gis'ellah, that kind of thing. Baby name books or sites are helpful and there are lots of name generators online.
Place names are what get me, I try and think what the area is like and then come up with something suitable using old saxon/celtic/nordic terms or similar. Wald or wood for example.

[J.J.]

Thanks, J! I figure I'm learning a lot in the querying process that will become extremely helpful if I end up self-publishing.

AL, I've really struggled with place names, too. Seems to me you have to be a bit more careful to make them feel realistic; in real life, place names often evolve or have more group input. ;)

[[deleted user]]

G.G.: That's a cute idea! I love nicknames, and initials are always good, too, especially if you have a long name. It's unique, even though Alex is rather common, because it has a backstory. (Plus, Alexandrina is fantastic!)

Jenz: I agree with J. If you don't end up getting an agent/publisher (because they can be stupid, sadly), then definitely take a look at being an Indie. I hope you get in with the traditional, because that can be awesome, too, but just in case.

I know what you mean about querying, though. I went through that, too, before I decided to self-publish, and I have a friend sending out letters now. It's a bit of a hassle, but you learn a lot! Plus, if you do decide to go Indie, you already know some of how the publishing industry works. :)

A.L.: I use the baby name website, too! It's really helpful, especially based on region/country, as you said. I absolutely love Celtic names.

You names are very pretty. Do you write Fantasy?

[Lilo]

I named my character "Blue" short for Bluebell Kildare.

Why? Well, in the book people with magic gifts have a marking and Blue has a blue streak in her hair and intensely blue eyes. That is the logic for the story.

But the real reason is that I just think it is a cool name. I wish I were named "Blue".


How many Authors name their characters names they wish they had?

[[deleted user]]

Lilo wrote: "I named my character "Blue" short for Bluebill Kildare.

Why? Well, in the book people with magic gifts have a marking and Blue has a blue streak in her hair and intensely blue eyes. That is the l..."

I've done that, many times. I love my name, but characters usually have much more interesting names than we do.

"Blue" is pretty. :)

[Lilo]

Thanks! And I meant Bluebell not Bluebill. :)

[J.J.]

Lilo wrote: "Thanks! And I meant Bluebell not Bluebill. :)"

Lol. I thought Bluebill seemed cool in an unusual kinda way. But I love Blue as a nickname.

[Amy]

My main character in my Godhunter series is named Vervain Alexandrite Lavine. I wanted a name that she had to constantly correct people from either misspelling or mispronouncing, as I thought that would be great fun. She's also a witch and so is her mother, who thought that naming her child after a powerful magical herb and a color-changing gemstone was a fabulous idea. The downside is, I've had reviewing misspell her name too, lol.

[Sunshine]

Roticarneot.
I was using a made up language and literally wiped my fingers across my keyboard to pick a name.

[Jordan]

One of my characters in my first novel, Jackson Operative, is named Calder, but that's supposed to be sort of a hint that he's from a super waspy family, maybe....

[[deleted user]]

Lilo wrote: "Thanks! And I meant Bluebell not Bluebill. :)"

They are both pretty catchy. :)

[[deleted user]]

Amy wrote: "My main character in my Godhunter series is named Vervain Alexandrite Lavine. I wanted a name that she had to constantly correct people from either misspelling or mispronouncing, as I thought that ..."

Oh, that name is lovely! I would misspell it, too, though. It must be hard to write.