What are your favorite character names?

[Mark]

My favorite ones are Titus ("Tite") Barnacle from Little Dorrit, and the briefly mentioned teacher Mr. M'Choakumchild in Hard Times. What are yours?

[Bionic Jean]

What a great idea for a thread! Welcome, Mark! Are you going to introduce yourself in the general "meeting" thread?

I'm currently reading Nicholas Nickleby, so am bound to find a few as I read. May I name a place first though? Dotheboys Hall. Dickens's depiction of this vile school became so infamous that "Bowes Academy", on which it was based, was eventually (by 1903) known as "Dotheboys Hall"!

OK, so just sticking to names, how about the headmaster of said school, overkeen on whacking his pupils, Wackford Squeers. And earlier on there was a little cameo of Miss Knag - a forewoman. I wonder what her manner was like!

[Mark]

Jean, good one - Wackford Squeers has to rank high in the list of great character names. And so memorable a figure - he had only one eye and the popular prejudice runs in favour of two! One of the funniest lines in Dickens, I think.

[Linda]

Fun thread idea! I'm a new member here, yet to participate in a read, but I just started Bleak House with another group and will now be on the lookout for fun names.

Mr. M'Choakumchild is pretty hilarious. Also Miss Knag. ha ha. :)

[Tristram]

Dickens's novels are so full of good names. I prefer names that are not so overtly speaking names but still give an idea about the character, often via sounds. So I like "Silas Wegg", which somehow sounds mysterious and wooden-leggish at the same time.

I also like the name of "Sairey Gamp" because it gives you an idea of the woman's coarseness and even of her physical appearance.

In Martin Chuzzlewit I also like the name "Chevy Slyme".

[Mark]

Chevy Slyme! Yes perfect. And let us not forget Uriah Heep. :)

[Tristram]

Yes, "Uriah Heep" is not only popular among Dickens fans.

[Bionic Jean]

Some more descriptive names from the excellent Nicholas Nickleby:

Lord Frederick Verisoft - soft of brain - "weak and silly". His friend the Honourable Mr Snobb and Sir Mulberry Hawk - "the most knowing card in the pack" - who treats everyone, including his "friends", as his prey.

[Mark]

Jean, your examples reminded me of another one of Dickens' social-commentary names -- in Our Mutual Friend there is a couple being introduced to Society - called The Veneerings.

[Bionic Jean]

A perfect example! Today's offerings from Nicholas Nickleby are:

Mr Crowl, who "utters a low querulous growl", Mrs Wititterly who seems to witter a lot and has "an air of sweet insipidity" and Sir Tumley Snuffim, who is perhaps not such a good doctor if his patients "snuff it"!

The genius of Dickens! I'm sure these names will just pass me by when I come to remember the novel. They are such minor characters, but are just perfectly descriptive, as are his little cameos :)

[Mark]

Bradley Headstone from Our Mutual Friend. A guy who becomes creepier and creepier as he loses his mind with desire and jealosy.