Name connotation check
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Name connotation check
I've never seen a thread like this, but I've always thought it would be useful.
Sometimes I give my characters/places names, and it's not until much later that I realize the name has some unintentional connotation. For instance, I once wrote a whole novel with two characters named Jasper and Alice, and it wasn't until I was finished that a friend told me those names made them think of Twilight.
To you ever worry your MC's name sounds too manly, or that your land of New Yarls will make your reader think of New York? Post the name below, and let other people tell you what it makes them think of.
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This thread is vital! I once made it through fifty pages before realising why the name Camilla Parker sounded so familiar... and I'm ENGLISH.
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Why is Camilla Parker so familiar? (American speaking, here)
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Camilla Parker Bowles is the name of the Duchess of Cornwall - husband to Charles, Prince of Wales. :)
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Ohhhhh.
They really should show more international news here. I've seen international news programs from other countries, and they show a ton of different countries, including the US (It's a nice way to get perspective), and there's hardly anything about other countries on our news unless it's Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan/Korea etc...
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"God created war to teach Americans geography." :)
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David, I don't know you, but loved your comment here!
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Its funny cuz its true
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Ohhhhh, my goodness, that's so funny and so true. XD Oh, how shameful to be an American! X,D;
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Although the quote is funny, I don't think it has anything to do with nationality. I am proud to be an American--proud to be in a country which allows me to write and publish whatever I want to say without fear of retribution or imprisonment. :)
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*laughs* Oh, that's so sad.
(A side question. Why are the posts out of cronilogical order? ei. 14 days ago, 17 hours ago, and then 4 days, 1 day, and 8 hours ago down the page?)
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*facepalm* Spellcheck.
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depending on how you respond as to where your post lands. I am responding to YOUR comment, not the main topic of the thread. Therefore, even though mine is newer, it gets stuck up here under yours rather than at the end of the string of comments. That is why the dates and times don't seem to flow. Look at the left side and see the indentions of the comment boxes.
This is a riot here. Love it.
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This is GOLD.
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Oh god, that is soo true. The sad truth is I know a history teacher, and if it wasn't for the wars, his students wouldn't know about other countries or even other US states.
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That is so true. This just made my day. : )
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Oh gosh...that is the most hilarious thing I'm read in quite some time! Proud as I am of the red, white and blue I just have to look at my brother to see that this is so true! God bless the USA!
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I'm sorry, I know you posted this ages ago, I just had to point out that you made a wonderful NaNoism there. You stated that Camilla was Charles' husband. =P
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Hahaha I didn't even notice that
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me either:)
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This is ridiculous, but I read your reply here and I couldn't find what was wrong with it for ages. I sat there for at least a minute trying to figure it out. XD
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I just did exactly the same thing. I sat here for ages thinking "can't someone point out what was WRONG in that sentence???"
I even looked up Camilla P-B in case she was actually married to Philip instead :P
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Hahaha, me too! *facepalm*
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I didn't notice it either, even when I read the initial comment out loud to my flatmate. It took seeing your comment about it to realize the mistake ^^;;;
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(About the husband of the Prince of Wales... Didn't realize my comment would end up THIS far down when I posted it.)
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Main Character: Everyly Jane Dorian (Evey)
Her best friend: Georgiana Flockwell (Gee)
Gee's Boyfriend: Skylar Gimsen
Important guy: Lucas McFinney
Do any of those ring bells?
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The Dorian makes me think of Dorian Gray, from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.
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So funny that it made you think of Dorian Gray, that's exactly what I thought of too
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My MC is a high school English teacher named Dorian Monroe. His student/girlfriend quotes it to him when they go see Romeo and Juliet. "I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter, and grow sad..."
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I thought of Dorian Gray too, weird O.o
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i love ur avvie!
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Evey reminds me of the main character in V for Vendetta, who had the same name.
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or Evey from the mummy
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I think Skylar has more of a girl's-name feel, but that might just be me :)
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Schuyler is a boy's name too but I've seen it spelled this way.
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I once named a female character Skylar, so I'm stuck thinking of it as feminine.
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I called a male character Emerald, I now can't read the Redemption of Athalus without thinking that the main female deity is a guy.
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I actually knew a girl named Emerald so that's always a girls name for me. (If I ever think of it as a name)
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Evey makes me think of V for Vendetta, too.
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They all sound delightfully posh and British and I hope that one of them carries a pocketwatch regularly.
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lol
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Everyly is kind of awful. Every - Lee?
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My main character's name is Evey as well! (And I have to admit, I actually did rip it straight out of V for Vendetta. It was supposed to be a placeholder, but I loved it so much that I just ran with it.)
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"Jane Dorian" -"John Dorian", better known as "JD" from "Scrubs" :D
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I love Scrubs!! And Death Note!
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Exactly what I thought!
:D
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Skylar kinda reminds me of skywalker from star wars
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Skylar makes me think of the husband-to-be in Mamma Mia (though his name is just Sky). I agree that it's kind of girly though.
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Instant Dorian Gray lol
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Jane Dorian makes me think of John Dory, which is a kind of fish. Sorry!
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So, did the comment get edited, because wha I see is that she's married to Charles. I thought that was right, then I googled it just in case.
Either way, I feel very informed since I'm American, and I actually knew who she was before I moved on to reply #1. But I don't know if it counts when I know it from reading the covers of tabloids at the grocery store.
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It wasn't who she married, it was the term used to describe her.
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I've always thought Camilla Parker Bowles looks like a man in drag :/ So maybe she is the husband of Charles? XD
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Really? I'm English and I didn't know that, though to be fair I'm not much of a fan of the Royals.
Cool :D
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Thats pretty cool. ;)
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Husband??? Oh dear
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lol, that's hilarious.
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How do these names sound?
Main Character: Elvira
Male Main Character: Hahn Ragger
Other female characters: Ophera and Sarae Thompson, Mirah
Other Male Characters: Jack and Rex and Katsuya
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Well, I like the others just fine, but Elvira was a famous midnight movie host, just like Vampira. I'm 23 and I think most people older than me would have a picture of her in their head as soon as they read that name. There was a movie and stuff too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra_Peterson
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^this. Definitely no Elvira. All I can think of is boobs (google it)
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Yah. I'm 13 and I know who Elvira is and imediately thought of her. Ophera makes me think of Oprah and Ophelia at the same time....XD
I love the name Sarae. Thats really cool. And I have a friend whose name is Myra, so i'm kinda biased there. Although, it occurs to me that you meant it to be pronounced Meer-ah.
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As far as Elvira, I had no idea. However, it is the name of one of my ancestors and I cannot bring myself to change it. Ever since i saw it i instantly feel in love with it. Sorry.
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Okay...
Just making sure none of my names for the three main characters have any negative connotations...
Ione, Jason and Nico.
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I don't know about the others, but Nico was the name of a unicorn in a film..
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...I think I might have seen that. Been years so I don't really remember it.
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Nico is from the Percy Jackson series too...but that's necessarily a bad thing :] I really like that name!!
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Nico is the name of the unicorn in neverending stories (then later my pet turtle)
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Nico and Jason are both from various parts of the Percy Jackson\ Heroes of Olympus series, if that helps...
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I am pretty sure percy Jackson stole a lot of peoples thunder
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wow that was a horrible pun, I think my brain acctually died a little
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dont be a jerk
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In terms of puns, "horrible" actually means "awesome". (Or at least, that's how I see it.)
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Precisely. Puns are so bad that I love them with all my heart.
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Haha me too, all puns are bad, the worse they are the better :)
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well i suck at puns lol :P
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Yeah that's what I was thinking... by the way I looove your username.
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Jason and Nico are two main characters of the series following to Percy Jackson, Heroesvof Olympus
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Jason is the name of a very hot assassin on the popular soap opera General Hospital. Just so u know :)
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Jason and Nico are names in the Heroes of Olympus series... the "sequel" to the Percy Jackson series.
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They're also, more to the point, from greek/roman mythology: Jason and the Argonauts, Ione is a sea nymph, and Nico is an off shoot of Nike, goddess of victory. It's also said Nico means "victory of the people".
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Nico makes me think of the percy jackson books
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Nico was also the name of an attractive but cold-voiced German singer who recorded with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground in the 1960s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjjDmX9Tkss
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Ione is a greek goddess in the Dark Hunters series ...
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Jason and Nico are both characters in the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus books. If your genre is totally different to that though then it wouldn't matter
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Nico is also used as a shortened version of Nicolas.
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I couldn't think of ANYTHING that didn't remind me of something I'd read, watched or seen my kids reading. So, I just used my daughters nickname! Emmentine!
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When ever I hear Jason, I immediately think of the Friday the 13th movies.
Nico is the name of the main character from Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 4 video game.
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Thank you all so much!
I knew about the Greek connotations which is why I made them like that.
But I wanted to know if there were any others.
Thank you!
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lone makes me think of the lone ranger.....
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They sound very mythological. Ione was the name of a sea nymph, Jason retrieved the Golden Fleece, and Nico means "victory of the people".
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Just Nico from Percy Jackson but I like that character.
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Nico and Jason make me think of characters in Rick Riordan's books.
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Nico is the name of a son of Hades in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian's Series. But he ends up being a good guy.
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Jason and Nico - thought immediately of Rick Riordan's YA Olympian novels.
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Necco wafers.
Jason makes me think of Heroes of Olympus.
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Well, there's Jason Michael Carroll, which is the ONLY thing I think of when I hear Jason, Michael or Carroll, because I'm addicted to the guy.
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I thought Nico from Percy Jackson too.
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Nico kind of reminds me of Meeko (sp?), which (if I remember correctly) was the raccoon in Pocahontas. It's been years since I've seen that movie though so I could be wrong, but I swear that's what it reminds me of.
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jason reminds me of the guy from the scary movie with freddy cougar and jason
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Nico makes me think of Nico Robin from One Piece... she's awesome :)
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Nico was a charater in the percy Jackson seires. by Rick Redoran ( I think that's how you spell his last name)
lol Husband to.
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Even though it's spelt differently, Nico reminds me of Niko from Grand Theft Auto.
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I just changed my main girl characters name from Quinn because of Glee. She's nothing like Quinn Fabray (is that how her last name is spelt? I don't even watch Gless).
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Ha, I was just about to comment about you, Quinn, but then I scrolled down and saw that you beat me to it.
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There is a girl named Quinn on Glee? Oh, dear....the name Quinn just fits my character so well! And her twin brother's name is Harvey which will remind everyone of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch series. Dang...well here is to hoping people who read my book don't like shows about magical teenagers or singing high schoolers.
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I know of loads of people/characters named Harvey. I don't think it's a name people specifically associate with Sabrina :) Also it is a lovely name^^
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Yeah I thought of Sabrina lol
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There's a Harvey in my novel. Haha :)
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Harvey and Quinn remind me of Batman, because of Twoface (Harvey Dent) and Harley Quinn.
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Harley Quinn= favorite comic book character. Ever. sorry for the randomness.
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I was actually going to say that Harvey & Quinn made me think of Harley Quinn!
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"Harvey" actually makes me think of the guy with the rabbit.
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I loved that movie!
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I love that film. My sister has watched it at least 3 times and still gets confused!
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Harvey makes me think of six-foot-tall invisible rabbits. :D Or Harvey Dent from Batman.
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or Paul Harvey, radio person :)
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It's not that known of a name though. And would the character be similar to the character Quinn Fabray? if it's in an entirely different setting and temperament, i doubt the person would make the connection. and if they do, i doubt they'll judge your character (let alone your novel) or Glee. Besides, Glee isn't all that bad. I mean, sure it's a little shallow and very high school, but lea michele's voice is worth it all, i my opinion. I may be the only one in this thread that thinks so, but i get past all the drama for the music. :)
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The name Harvey makes me think of Lee Harvey Oswald. Sorry for the doom-and-gloom of that, just wanted to let you know.
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Whenever I hear the name Harvey I think about 6 foot tall rabbits.
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The name Quinn makes me think of Quinn Morgendorffer from Dara.
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Daria is so full of win, it's ridiculous. And that's also what I thought of when i heard the name Quinn.
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Ditto XD
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Actually, when I hear Harvey, I think of Harvey Dent from the Dark Knight
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I thought of Harley Quinn from Batman. She is the Joker's girlfriend. Did anyone else think of this besides me?
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I know you've already changed Quinn's name, but Harvy and Quinn make me think of Harley Quin one of the villianesses in Batman. lol
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Harvey makes me think of Mr. Harvey from the lovely bones
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I wouldn't worry too much about a first name matching something used somewhere else -- because otherwise, any name ever used would have some sort of a patent.
For example: If you name a character "Rachel" that's not a problem
Name her "Rachel Berry" and you might want to be careful, because that is the full name of a character on Glee.
it's more making sure the full name does not match.
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Harvey Birdman... Attorney at Laaaaaaaw
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Well, just because there's one character named Quinn from a popular show doesn't mean you need to change your character's name. After all, I could probably name about fifty famous movie characters, film characters, T.V. show characters, and real life people named Jack, but that doesn't mean that each and every Jack isn't his own person and character.
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Makes me think "Dr. quinn medicine woman" lol xD
Quinn is also a male werewolf-love interest from the Sookie Stackhouse novels
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And a guy from the TV series Sliders. Won't stop me from using the name occasionally; I like the name.
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Well, the name Quinn on Glee always reminded me of The Sound and the Fury, you know with a guy and a girl both named Quintin? It was really confusing at first, as with much of the book, but neat afterwards, so it always stuck in my mind.
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My main character is a girl named Quin, but I'm keeping it. I chose the name in 2007 when the plot first began percolating, so I figure I got to it first anyway. ;-)
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I have a character named Armegorn, and I still cannot think of where I've heard this name before. help anyone?
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It's a bit like "Aragorn" from Lord of the Rings :)
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Yeah this reminds me of Aragorn and even armegeddon. As if you combined the two to make an unstoppable force o.0
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i think of arragorn for lord of the rings =)
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It also sounds like Armageddon, as in the end of the world.
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it makes me think ofLord Stormageddon or stormie hehe
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I was just thinking that. Stormageddon: Dark Lord of All.
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Yes.
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Because I speak baby.
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Bow to Stormageddon. we are all his peasants !
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YES! haha, little Stormie looking down on the peasants and Not-Mums XD
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And Stormie knows fezzes are cool.
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It makes me think of Armageddon, i like it :)
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It makes ME think of Gormagon from one of the early seasons of the TV series "Bones". Gormagon is the name of a crazy cannibalistic serial killer who killed people based on some old Masonic-style belief system.
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YES!! I was thinking it sounded familiar aside from Aragorn but couldn't figure out why til I saw this.
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I just wrote that without seeing your comment. I thought of that too!
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It kinda reminded me of Algernon, the hamster from "Flowers For Algernon." The hamster was placed on a drug that made him smarter. Don't know if this helps
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Really? Really?? Okay, first of all, he was a mouse, not a hamster. Second, he had surgery to make him smarter. And third, Algernon sounds nothing like Armegorn. Sheesh.
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It reminds me of "Gormogon" from the TV show Bones. But that's just me. =P
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Ha, excellent, Bones connotation! It reminds me of Armegeddon as well.
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Aragog, Harry Potter.
You know, the giant spider. That's what it makes me think of.
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It makes me think of Agamemnon. Think Greek mythology.
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Made me think of agamemnnon.
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Ok so my characters are Cyrus Chance and Adeleide Parsons. Any connotations?
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Miley Cyrus is what your first one makes me think...
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Same lol.
But it doesn't matter.
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Cyrus Chance definitely makes me think of Miley Cyrus especially since her name is originally Destiny Hope so the fact that you coupled Chance with it really makes me draw that connection
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Wasn't there a real person named Cyrus Vance? He was the secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter.
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Cyrus is the name of the main villain out of a Pokemon game and that's what I think of.
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Lol same here... Pokemon!
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Wasn't Cyrus Vance the Vice President at one point? I'm thinking Eisenhour administration or thereabouts. Would that work for your novel?
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He was Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter.
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Adelaide makes me think of Guys and Dolls, but that's a great musical!
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Adelaide is the first name of a character from Guys and Dolls. No one knows her last name. She's just Miss Adelaide but that's what the second one makes me think of.
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Reminds me of Adelaide Adams from Calamity Jane...
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Ooh I love the name Adeleide, it's beautiful.
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Adelaide reminds me of the city here in Australia.
It's a really pretty name, though.
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Which was named after some lord or govenor's daughter, I think.
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Just doing a name check...Most of them I made up:
-Solita
-Rycathain
-Darius
-Nesharr
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Darius was the name of a character in The Hunger Games (catching fire i think) he was a friend of Peeta and Katniss from District 12 and was an Avox
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I didn't draw the HG connection for Darius right away, and I read them pretty recently :)
Beautiful names. They all seem versatile - I could see them as either heros or villains, without too strong connotations either way.
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Darius is the name of a male vampyre in the Night World series :3 That's what it makes me think of, haha
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Darius makes me think of Darien from Sailormoon.
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Solita reminds me of Lolita as in the Russian classical novel by Vladimer Nabokov but also of Sol, like as in the sun =]
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Those are all great names, I agree with the jezunya. They don't draw any connotations for me, except that I love the name Darius.
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Darius is the name of an important character in the Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke (Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath) But that's no reason not to use it. :)
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¿Do you speak Spanish? Because "Solita" is the feminine and diminutive form of alone :)
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Hehe Darius was the name of a really crappy pop star here in the UK a few years ago :D Nice name though :)
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I want to read about them!
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Darius is a name in the Inkheart trilogy (and the Hunger Games but that has been said already)
I can't think of anything for the others. They are all very interesting though.
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My female main character's name is Naomi Rown (I already loved the name Naomi; I was thrilled to find it was a NaNo anagram), and one of my male characters is Ian Monroe. These two are not involved in any romantic sense, if that makes a difference.
Major Bonus Points: Are there any male names that shouldn't be paired with Naomi? Her man of interest is yet to be introduced or named, and I would prefer to avoid conflict.
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On the new 90210 there's a Naomi and an actor named Ian.
Don't pair her with an Ethan or Max. :)
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your names sound fine.
just don't put a Boaz or a Bo in there...unless you want to do a biblical connection with the story of Ruth...
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WHERE CAN I FIND, A WOMAN LIKE THAT?
lol sorry, I had to do that.. nice username :)
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I have a character named Bethany Anne Filmore (somtimes just Beth by her closest friend Kevin and Bettie by her arrogant fiance) she is a fashion designer and the company she works for is Gamrick's
just want to make sure there isnt something my subconcious is stealing from
also i need a second company she will eventually move up to any suggestions?
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Gamrick's to me sounds way too much like Hamrick's here in NC...I don't know about anywhere else..But those are some good names
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ok i may need to re think the company but I wanted to add that the fiance's name is Dawson
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The name makes me think of Bethenny Frankel, the obnoxious socialite who sells alcohol to women with body image problems...
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Filmore reminds me of Millard Filmore, a decidedly useless U.S. President...but that might be just me who has that connotation, since I'm taking US history as a class right now.
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It makes me think of that old Disney cartoon.
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That's just what I was thinking xD
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Her nickname paired with her job of choice make me think of Ugly Betty...
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My main character's name is Parthenia Jaycee (P.J.) Hawthorne...now that I think about it, it's a little weird. I've always had a thing for Greek girl names.
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since you shorten it to PJ and the last name starts with H it makes me think of PJ Harvey
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Am I the only one who uses the name Amelia? That always sounds really familiar when I write it, where coudl it be from?
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Amelia Whatsherlastname. The female pilot who went missing?
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Earhart? Hahahaa.. :P
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Amy - the latest companion from Doctor Who - her full name is Amelia Pond.
Also Amelia Earhart (the pilot mentioned by Shiko), Minnie Driver's real name and has been used in Slayers and Harry Potter
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Yeah, what (s)he said. I can't spell today. XD
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I'm a she, honest. At least last time I checked. *peers under shirt* yep, bewbs. Still a girl.
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She, then. XD Kinda hard to tell on the internet.
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Wasn't there an Amelia from the Princess Diaries as well? And she went by Mia?
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Yup! Amelia Mignonete Thermopolis Renaldi. :)
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Definitely Amelia Earhart. But I wouldn't be too worried since Amelia is a really common name.
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amelia bedelia
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Maybe you're thinking of Mia from the Princess Diaries. Her full first name was Amelia, I think.
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Amelia is the Italian name of the Disney's character "Magica De Spell"
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I know that Hawthorne is Gale Hawthorne's last name (A character from The Hunger Games).
And that Jaycee sounds like Jay-Z in my head.
Not really weird, though.
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Jaycee makes me think of a female Jace Lightwood, a character from the Mortal Instruments.
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I love that you made that reference :) and you're right.
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Makes me think of Parthenon, but that might have been what you were going for.
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Hawthorne is the last name of a villain in Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (Dahlia Hawthorne).
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I've got Jeremy and Marianne paired. Any connotations?
Oh and also, do you think it would be suggestive to have a 'James' as a father...seeing as its already taken in Harry Potter? :)
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Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear: UK. I see no reason for James being an unsuitable name, as its everywhere.
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If it helps, my dad and my grandfathers on both sides (and many before them) are all called James. So... like Kross said, there is no reason not to.
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Unless he's the father to a guy called Harry, or he has a very similar storyline, then no :P My dad is called James, it's very common.
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My main character's name is Jackie. . . Anything even slightly interesting about that?
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Jackie Chan?!
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Jackie Robinson
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Jackie Kennedy?
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Yup. Jackie Robinson. But I'd still use the name Jackie. ^_^ Because I had to think about that one. ;)
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Novel Name: Sails to the Wind
Main Character: Timothy Kelly Vails (Tommy)
Three Minor Characters: Donald Michael Daily (Don)
Leonard Dustin Bandage (Leo)
Meredith Randall Bishop (Bishop)
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I'm confused as to why Tommy is short for Timothy, I though Tommy was short for Thomas and Timmy was short for Timothy?
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Well your Novel title doesn't really ring any bells, so I think that's fine. Donald makes me think of Donald Duck, but I'm pretty sure unless he's a duck it's all good xD
Michael is really common, but it makes me think MJ & the archangel, but I'm pretty sure you can still use it (unless he's a singing, dancing, winged angel. Then we have a problem).
The "Dustin" in Leonard's name makes me think of Dusty Springfield; but I don't think that many people will make that connection, so... xD
The Randall in Meredith's name makes me think of Randall (I think that's his name, I haven't watched the show in a while) from Recess; an old Disney show, but I think they're all good. :P
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I love your novel title, kinda made me think of Gone with the Wind. But I think you would be safe using all of them.
I agree with the post by MelevolantAngel though, I thought Timmy was short for Timothy not Tommy. I could be wrong though....
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I've got a character called Fiyero, and it sounds like i've heard it somewhere before, but i can't recall. Anyone want to help me here? Please?
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I just wanted to say - I love your button.
The name is also cool. :)
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thanks! :)
its pretty much true and my friend insisted i make my name that :)
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The book/musical Wicked perhaps?
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If you've read or watched Wicked then it's one of the main characters in the first book. Spelt the same and everything :)
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Fiyero is the name of a prince in the musical Wicked :) Thats all I could think of.
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Fiyero is the name of the love interest/main male character in Wicked, the book by Gregory Maguire and also the musical.
Just so you know - also, I think it was a fairly original Maguire creation. Just a heads up.
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Yeah, I think so too. I've never heard the name anywhere else so I think the only other Fiyero would be the Wicked one.
Shame, it is a nice name :D
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yeah,i thought it was something like that.
does this mean i have to change his name, or could i just spell it differntly?
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maybe i could change it to something like Fearrow? It's different isn't it?
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That sounds fine; it seems like you combined "fear" and "arrow".
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brillant! :) thanks so much for your help
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Fearow is the name of a bird Pokemon. Probably not what you're going for there.
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I think i like the bird idea. it suits my character perfectly. thanks :)
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That reminds me of Pokemon.. :) Not a bad thing though.
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now that you mention it, it does remind me of pokemon. i like it :)
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Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Blue prince who falls in love with Elphaba (wicked witch of the west) hes a good guy. You spelled it the same and everything.
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The is an car called a Fiero. American made, Pontiac I believe.
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name of the scarecrow in Wicked.
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Not sure if someone mentioned it, but Guy Fiero (sp) is a TV host - Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives - and - Minute to Win It :)
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Fiyero was the male character in the Broadway musical Wicked who falls for Elphaba and becomes the scarecrow.
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Fiyero is from the Musical (and book of the same name) "Wicked"
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Main character: Vex
Supporting Character: Justice
Location: Eternity Square
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Justice is a character in the Dragon Age series :) But you should be alright as long as he doesn't have anything to do with demons or spirits...
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Vex!! I love it!!! does he drive his enemies crazy by constantly foiling their plots??
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Thanks for the connotation check fyreshadowes. Yeah, Justice is a superhero so I should be safe. He is kind of the manisfesto his name suggests. And yeah Vex foils plots in a very interesting way.
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I have a character named Pollyanna........
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I couldn't get the obnoxious blond-haired girl out of my head.
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Obnoxious blonde girl?
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Actually. I know who you're talking about now. My character is actually named after her, in the novel at least. I'd never heard of Pollyanna before. I just liked the name.
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Yep. The movie.
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There is a novel called pollyanna. Yes, she is a blonde girl. Obnoxious? depending what is obnoxious to you. she is an eternally optimistic character, and is from that genre of turn of the century novels for children where the main character is a unjustly treated perfect child, like little lord fauntleroy or Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
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Michael Dubois isn't anything weird, is it? How about General Dietrich?
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General Dietrich sounds like he ought to be a Nazi.
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Michael Dubois is the name of a famous juggler. (I'm a juggler, so I made this connection, but it seems unlikely anyone else will.)
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Well, General Dietrich is just of German descent and isn't a Nazi. Or a real general, actually, unless you count being a General for a small American town in post-Apocolypitc America. He's more of a armchair general suddenly offered a real foe and a real army.
A famous juggler? Cool. Yes, I would think that it would be rather unlikely for anyone to make that connection. It is probably a fairly common combination. I was just worried he was some big time Athlete or a famous serial killer or something like that. Jugglers... I can deal with that.
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Dubois is also the last name of Alison Dubois and her family in the show "Medium"...
But I don't think that many people will make that connection.
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Considering he is black and a guy... probably not. Thanks though!
What about Wendy Walczak and two brothers named Luke and Titus Shaw?
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There was Dietrich Bonhoffer in the German army (quite an important role maybe a general) who was in a plot to kill Hitler (hopefully this is correct if not I may just fail at my History GCSE)
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My character's names are
-Ryley( a girl)
-Caleb
-Shae
and then Dave.
Any thoughts?
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Weren't Ryley (a girl) and Caleb (her brother) bothe characters on American Gothic?
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Wasn't Shae the name of Tyrion's prostitute in A Game of Thrones?
Ah yes, here is the link to a wiki about her: http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Shae
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Riley, a guy, was Buffy's boyfriend on BTVS, and Caleb was one of the major villains in that. But you should be fine
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I've got Flora and Fleck Weston. I can't think of anything it sounds like, but I don't watch T.V. or anything that much.
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Flora is a fairy in the Disney Sleeping Beauty.... at least i think so
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I actually chose my names based on some vocabulary words I'd looked up the previous day :)
Their names are Ferly, which means unusual or causing wonder, and Anomie, which means a sense of loneliness and anxiety :)
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Adalyn
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Cole and Renee .... bad guy is bryan
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Okay, I'm just gonna put the names of all my major characters. Basically, I made almost all of them up myself, except for one or two. So here they are:
Koi (Yes, I know it means 'carp' I named her that on purpose)
Tyrien
Shijin(means 'poet' in Japanese)
Astrilla
Kurayami(means 'darkness' in Japanese)
Rialkan
Boria
Sari(Yeah, I know what a sari is)
Bilindohn
Loki
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The only one I would be careful with is Tyrien. One of George R.R. Martin's characters from A Song of Ice and Fire is Tyrion. It's an unusual name, and he is one of the lead protagonists in the books.
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Okay, that's good to know. Thanks! :)
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Loki is a nothern god or half-god, I think. it's also the name of a fallen angel in the movie "dogma".
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Interesting... thanks for letting me know! :)
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Yes, he's a Norse god of chaos, i think. And Odin's (who's the king god) son. He's fairly important--some people will definitely think of a connection.
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Well that connection doesn't really effect my story, but it's a cool fact. Thanks for telling me. :)
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The main characters names in my book are:
Hunter
Sarah
Julia
Logan
Are they connected in any way that I should know about...
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I was going to use Hunter in my novel but i settled for Blaine :)
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Hunter reminds me of Mardon, the son of Nimrod in this fantasy series Dragons in our Midst. However, he only used the name as a disguise, and the series is not particularly well known, so I think you're OK.
Sarah is a reasonably common name and it means 'princess'.
Julia is the feminine form of Julius, but it also sounds very similar to Juliet.
Logan is the 17th most common boys name in America, it vaguely reminds me of Zoey 101 (a slightly obscure Nickelodeon show).
Hope that helped!
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My FMC and MMC are named Elizabeth and Rodney--separately they didn't sound familiar but together they sounded familiar. Does that remind you of anything?
I also have a Mercy, a Lavinia, a Charlie, a Mortimer and a Jenny (this is Victorian historical fiction, btw). And then several other minor characters (Joseph, Isabelle, Juliet, Herman, Agatha, Benedict, Henrietta).
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They remind me of Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay from "Stargate Atlantis". But there's no law that says you can't use the first names.
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Never heard of Stargate Atlantis, but thank you for the info! The last names are Markette (Elizabeth) and Burke (Rodney), so at least it's not the same initials.
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My MC's name is Leilah Tippetts
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Ok, these names might sound average, but my characters are kind of average at first(or ARE they..)
Jenny Williams, Audrey Turner, & Evan Carter
<3
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heh heh...yeah. the novel that i'm writing now i actually tried before (kinda cheating, I know. but it's practically a different novel that it was six years ago) and my MC's name was Ciannex-thraex. Kinda like a cayenne pepper and that anthrax disease. Thank goodness for my aunt, the nurse.
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Okay...is it weird that one of my main character's name is Tiran? As in the city in Iran? It's not pronounced the same though. Instead of "teh-RAHN" it's "TIE-ren." I totally made this up, and then I decided to see if it was related to an actual name to see if the meaning of that name contradicted his character.
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Makes me think of Tyrion, Game of Thrones
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I LOVE THE DECEMBERISTS! Also, I rather like the name, though maybe you could change the A to an E so the difference is more obvious?
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I have the name Keidreiy for basically a "Narnia"
My characters are:
HALYN ILORI MUGARSON
ESTEBAN EMMANUEL SANCHEZ
As a couple: Tom and Grace?
also, I have a feeling that C.S. Lewis used the name Tsirc in one of his Narnia stories (the horse and his boy? I can't remember)
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Oh, and I also have identical twins named M and Dan Gailbraith (they're super easy to tell apart though) Feelings on the name M? (It's short for Martin. His name is Martin Michael, and that comes in much later in the story)
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"Tom and Grace" make me think of Agent Thomas Grace on season five of "Alias" (awful, awful season.)
"M" makes me think of James Bond--M was his MI6 supervisor.
I like "Halyn Ilori", but, should you ever publish, I'd suggest choosing a font in which a capital "i" looks different from a lowercase "L". :-)
"Keidreiy" looks original, but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of words with too many vowel combinations placed together--I have no idea how the last half would be pronounced, and it would bug me to have to think about it every time I read the word. That's just my opinion, though. :-)
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The "Tisroc" was the ruler of Calormen. It's a title.
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Character names sound fine, and I can't think of any reason not to pair Tom and Grace, as both are/were fairly common names.
HHB had the Tisroc as the Calormen ruler. You should be good.
My Names
Judas Kristovich - I know the meaning behind this and used it for a reason
Rosekhina Beketov
Lastly I need a name sorta like judas, someone who betrays someone I guess.
Re: My Names
What about Brutus? As in Julius Ceasar fame?
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Okay, I have some country names that need to be checked... I think I made them up, buy I could totally be stealing something subconsciously....
Alinzar (yes... like my username)
Fadarin
Layfiel
Garon
Theriden
Wundeg
Siornen
Cerroria
Laydia
Tinleir
My character names are rather mundane... So I think I'm all good on that front. Thanks!
Eva
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those all seem original to me.. .and they sound cool too
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Sidney (male)
Heather (still not sure about this one)
Jonas
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Excellent thread. Here are my names:
Main Character = Blake
Female lead = Olivia
Male supporting = Chad
Female supporting = Misti
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I'm not going very fast on my NaNo XD Is my first year. The only names I have mentioned so far are Ira, Cora, and Hal...
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I keep it simple. Tommy, Julia, Liz. There are a few different sounding names for other characters, but they aren't featured enough for it to be of super-real-importance.
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My main character's names are Mary, Alexandra, and Edgar. Anything negative there?
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I'll give this a whirl. My main characters are named Elizabeth (Beth for short) and Patrice (Trice for short). Both are intentionally old-fashioned, but that women aren't.
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My characters are as follows:
-Thayne
-Isadora
-Allison
-Jasmyn
-(I don't have a name for my "bad boy" character yet... any suggestions?)
-Mr. Thierry
-Ms. Angie
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Whenever I hear the Name Thierry I think of the vampire from the Night World series.
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I knew about Thierry(: That's partly why I chose that name. Haha! Thank you!
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Well Thierry is the name of a footballer, but he's kind of dropped out of the public eye.
Allison reminds me of Allison Dubois from Medium, but the show wasn't that well known, so you should be okay.
Everything else seems pretty good.
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Awesome! Thank you! :)
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After reading some of this comment thread, I've become very curious: do the names Domhnall. Tara, Anna, and Ash ring any bells, and is there a problem if I haven't given by characters last names?
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Ash from Pokemon.
But I think that it's a pretty common "cool" name, so you should be good.
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My characters' names: Jerome, Lena, Luther, Luke ( bad guy),Sunday and Thursday. Connotations??
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Luther from a Marvel Comics series (can't quite remember it), and Luke from Star Wars. xD
Lena reminds me of a German pop-star (who stole the Eurovision win from England. >_> ) but yeah, you're mostly good.
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Holly Bethencourt.
Fal Xiong.
Roger Carvalho.
Alfredo Miyazaki.
Durrani.
Leea Reema.
Castor and Pollux (twins, deliberated named after the two stars of Gemini)
Viera Kalanta.
Mother Jay - Jayanadani Iluminada Saraid Nicolasa Zega.
Mother Zhanna.
Aarmara.
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MC: Elysia
Male companions: Liam, Mathis, Kennith, Anthony
Female compainions: Tylin, Amaya, Sienna, Amanda
King: Tarius
Queen: Raven
Land: Luxira
Any connections?
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The only ones that really bring any connotations up for me are Anthony and Amanda. Anthony as in Anthony from the play "Anthony & Cleopatra" I think that was based off of reality though, but I'm not sure.
Amanda as in Amanda from the Amanda Show that used to be on Nickelodean, but as long as your target audience is more recent (Like 2000+) then it probably won't ring any bells. (Might not ring any bells for those from before 2000, though).
Now that I look at it, Luxira kind of reminds me of Luxray, from Pokemon. But I'm pretty sure that's just because I'm playing Pokemon right now and just traded for one from my friend. xD
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Oh and re-reading, Raven makes me think of Raven from "That's So Raven" and an old show that used to be on CBBC.
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I have a Julian and an Emiliana. They're supposed to be Brits.
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Julian makes me think of Julian Bashir from Star Trek; but that's probably just my inner Sci-Fi freak. xD
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Ack, not really sure how threads work as a newbie NaNo, but my main character is Julie Beckett. I don't watch Castle but I've been told there's a character named Beckett - is the name too distracting from someone building a new personality around that name?
If so...how is Julie Spiker as a fall back?
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Main Characters:
Melvin Derek Gregorson
Jade Imogene (yes, her last name is Imogene)
Two other names from my novel:
Jinx
Cat
(no last names, yet)
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Oh tuna, that wasn't supposed to be a reply. Sorry.
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Alright - so my names are intended to sound almost Mayan - but let me know if they sound stupid or remind you of something! Thanks for the replies! =D
Izel - main female
Luca - main male
Tepin - Izel's little sister
Cyd - Izel's older brother
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Bern, Dustin, and Jacobe are the names of three of my characters. There's also Ma Honey, but she's named after one of my elementary school teachers. I'm only in 8th grade now, though.
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Okay, folks. Let me know what you think. Mystery novel. On the hunt for an arsonist.
Firefighter protagonist: Captain Derek Young
Antagonist: Chief Frederick Gillmore (Gilly)
Femme fatale: Anika Slader
Police officer: Rachael Chambers
Friends of protagonist: Bear (Bruce) and Kristan
No name for the male, mid thirties, ex-con arsonist: Suggestions?
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Last year, I started drafting a character named Deveraux Nyx; he's a big, buff tough guy with spiky hair. It wasn't until I was a few thousand words into my novel that my friend pointed out, "Nyx is the name of a vampire goddess". So, talk about needing a connotation check, lol. And while that's still his nickname, I've changed his official last name. C:
Deveraux Lafayette, Halette Maddison, and Noel Lafayette
Any other irrelevant connotations I should be aware of? :D
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Okay then.
Main Character: Annika Christal
Important Characters: Sarina Pruski, Nalin Ferrox, Atala Castellan, Allegro Night (but that's an alias, I haven't figured out his real name yet), Miles Ronan (also an alias), Kailar Markham, Larson Weaver, Thalia Christal, and Evan Weiss.
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One of my main character's names is James Freemont. The name sounds familiar to me but I can't quite place it. Does this ring a bell to anyone else?
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My main character's name is Armistead Jean Webber, and the two main supporting characters are named Matthew Webber and Giac Poloni. I know that Matthew Webber is probably a common name, but I can't think of any other people for the other two. Sure, there's Giacomo Casanova and Armistead Maupin but I don't think I'd immediately try to think of them when I think of my characters, especially since Armistead is a girl. What do you think?
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Main character: Stephanie Butterfield
Best friends: Rachel, Becky, and Hannah
Love interest: Brendan
other important people: the calico cat, Akia, Sianora, Kianora, Deana, among others
I know, these names are kinda weird, but do any of them ring bells? I seriously hope not cause it took me a long time to decide them.
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Well, umm, This is my first year of NaNoWriMo so could anyone tell me if these names would have a negative cannotation?
Lupa Faith Dupont
Samson Cole Drake
Aves Nichole Heywood
Apep Alan Abeforth
It would be great if someone could help!
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Well, Abeforth and Lupa remind me of Harry Potter, but that's a good thing i think :D
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My main characters are Simon Wright and Camille Daniels. Some other characters are Kyle Bailey, Roger King, and Mr. Elliott.
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Is there much problem with me using my favorite singer of ALL TIME, Jason Michael Carroll, in my story? If so, someone please let me know so that I can fix my storyline a bit so that we don't have that problem. By the way, any Jason Michael Carroll fans on here????
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Just wanted to check, quite a lot of names here. Are Chris, Ollie, Celeste, Blaine, Aimée, Icanthus, Jameckrovance, Tellesa, Amor, Hela OK? :)
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well, the name Celeste rings a bell. It is the name of a character on a video that I used to have. I totally forget what it is called, but that is the only place it is from that I can think of. Also, Icanthus rings a bell for some reason or other though I can't figure out why. My brain is on the fritz. Other than that, you should be fine. Though Chris is a VERY popular name.
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Well, Chris is MY name XD I wanted to include me and my friends somehow so i based the names and personalities on actual people! :) Thankyou for the tips
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Aura Heart, Drake Torren and Vanz Trevor............ ??????
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Ok, so first a disclaimer, FANTASY novel: That said. MC group of names: Darian and sister Lua Forebane. JinLan Miriel. Dora of the Dinobe. Silas. Ruayan Jaynes. and bad guy Martel Rahshakan
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Ok, so first a disclaimer, FANTASY novel: That said. MC group of names: Darian and sister Lua Forebane. JinLan Miriel. Dora of the Dinobe. Silas. Ruayan Jaynes. and bad guy Martel Rahshakan
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Male narrator: Sky
Female Protagonist: Starr
Main Antagonists: Bane/Macyn/Alex
Even though it's 'realistic' fiction (nothing supernatural, etc.), the story is deeply invested in natural symbols/parallels, so my 'good' characters are meant to personify that connection. Anything bad here? :)
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I always google the names I choose to see if I'm basing them off of real people or other characters.
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MC's: Galine and Greg Phillips
MinC's: Simon Phillips, Monte (just Monte), Meriel Carlisle, Annika Brighton, Byrne, Octavia, Paniel, Amber, Almeric Phillips
These sound off to anyone?
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My characters are Betsy Marsh (MC), Hannah Erickson (grandmother of MC), Katherine Marsh (mother of MC and thoroughly unlikeable), Robert Marsh (father of MC, deceased), Sharon Marsh-Stanley (sister of MC), Dell Stanley (BIL of MC), Robert Dell Stanley (nephew of MC), Jason Miller (partner of MC's deceased father), Moira Fitzsimmons (best friend of MC), Tobias Spivey (developer), Ryan Cooper (contractor & erstwhile love interest).
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My main character of my story is called Juniper. He doesn't have a last name.
His mother and father are called Lavender and Sunflower. And they're all boys because they're from an all male species.
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My mc's name is Marcellus Zoram Smith... what do you think? Some supporting characters are Alexander Mafon Smith, Prince Maron Zoram Smith, King Marcus Maron Smith, Twine Smith. What are your opinions?
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one of the names that I have is Amazon, good? Bad? what do you think?
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I'm kind of having trouble with a character's name. I thought of the name randomly while walking home one day, and I didn't think it was a real name. "Terren Taylor," I called him. He's supposed to be sort-of-English, and his last name is occupational. (It's a bit of a fantasy story.) However, my mom thought that his name sounded African-American. Should I change it (and if so, how)?
Also, I the girl's name in my story is Talia. (Yes, alliteration. I didn't notice 'till later.) Any connotations?
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This is a great idea :)
My MMC: Arthur Wood
FMC: Night Moon
Their horses: Ranger and Lorenzo
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How about Evangeline (Eva), Joshua (Josh), and Rian?
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I just realized that my MC's best friend is the name of a politician
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Okay, well my main characters are; Tam Lowell, Darhhkenbael Aneiugari, Aruun Sennyo, Princess Lira Hiite, Prince Jace Hiite, Queen Ophelia III, Prince Kao, and Malu Lowell.
Make you think of anybody in particular?
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Hmm... this is very useful, I decided to look up all my characters name, so, nothing major, yay!
Name connotation check
I have a fairly large cast, but here are a few that are more main:
MCs:
Roxanne Alexis Williams
Lily Williams
Luke Williams
Dr. Jamie Reed Parker
Melos Henrie Parker
SC:
Cody Parker, Megan, Percival, Dawson, Dustin and Patrick
For the secondary characters, I have added a middle and last name to Dawson, but I can't find the book I wrote the names in...yes, I plan names in my downtime sometimes. -_- Please let me know what the names make you think of :)
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Do my characters names sound familiar? I know they aren't really interesting, but dull is right, here...
Sarah, Logan, Claudia, Ben, and Emma (?)
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What about Freya Wright?
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My characters names are Arthur, Little Bird, Saera (Sae), and Lochlan. Anything there?
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Wow, I just stopped to think about my own characters' names. My main characters are Anne and Andy. And I just realized that's way to similar to the children's book characters Raggedy Anne and Andy.
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Main: William (Will) Gallagher
Supporting Characters: Carson and Killian
Later Introduced, Female Main Character: Law _______
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One cannot help but use names that makes readers think of someone or another story. As Sherlock Holmes has said: 'There is nothing new under the sun, it has all been done before.'
There is a good name you can't help but connect to another: Holmes.
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My story is a sci-fi/adventure/romance thing :D with a bit of fantasy mixed in.
Main Character (female): Vera Jones (currently) or Vera Prince (alternate last name... still undecided)
The Main Guy: Zeru L'Olonnais
MC's Mother: Lucy
MC's Best Friend: Daya
TMG's Friend: Mark
... The Bubbly Gym Teacher (lolwhat?): Miss Crown
Those are all the names I have in the story so far :) Lemme know what you guys think!
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To begin with:
If I used the name Brawny, would you always be thinking of the paper towel brand?
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No, I'd think of a big, muscular guy. :P It'd be really awesome if the character was some skinny kid. XD
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yeah i totally agree!! brawny suggest muscly and strong to me
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I agree with the two abovee^^^^ :D (He should be a real scrawny kid! haha!)
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Brawny makes me think 'big, strong, and stupid'. sorry but thats just my thought. ;D
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Yes, I'm afraid so. I'd think of the paper towel and always be picturing a big muscular guy in the flannel shirt.
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Actually, it makes me think of brawn, which is sort of pickled bits of animal head, sometimes called head cheese, but I am in the UK, not sure if you have that sort of stuff in the USA. After that I'd think muscular, or maybe salty, because saying it makes me think of briny, like the sea.
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Ugh! Can't get pig head in jelly out of my mind now! This is why Britain was so quick to adopt other cuisines. Whatever our country has contributed to humanity, decent food is not included.
Ack!
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I must be living in the 'right' end of the country because I've never heard of that! *shudders*
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I've never heard of it either, where in Uk are you? I'm in northern England (the area that weather forecasters always refer to the as the Border or ignore completely, even though it would take me hours to get to Scotland by car -_-)
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My instant though was Ross Brawn/BrawnGP. Then again, I'm a Formula One fan so that might be why.
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This was my first thought too, also a Formula 1 fan.
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I think of a woman who goes by "Bronny" -- her full name is Bronwen (I think). It sounds like Bonnie.
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I think of Pokemon.
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YESSS.
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? not gonna ask...
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Uhh, about the name 'Brawny' I keep thinking of Barney O.o I have no clue why though.....
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The name Brawny reminds me of a brony. You know a bro+pony? Male (and sometimes adult female) fans of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show. `
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Yes. Lol! Wouldn't it be funny to have all your characters named after brands? You have something really unique there.
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I've been working on a novel like that.(outside of NaNo). It's a distopian novel set in the future where almost all technology has disappeared, and so almost all brands. People started naming their children after the things they missed, so I have characters named Kindle, Garmin, Oreo, Domino, widget, Wiki, Nutrisse, Sony, Twitter, and Ford, Chevy and GM. I tried to pick names that were either kind of humorous choices (like Wiki and Twitter), or were enough like real names that you could ignore them (like Kindle and Garmin). One thought was to have their personality or role match the brand somewhat (Kindle has the book smarts, Garmin knows the way, Wiki knows everything, Twitter has the gossip, Chevy has the truck).
I was worried that it would be too gimmicky, but that project needs a bit of time and a lot of reworking.
If you go for that sort of idea you'll have to let me know how it pans out.
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I kind of need to find a way to name a character Oreo, now that you've mentioned that. As a nickname if nothing else.
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Yes.
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Yes, paper towels. And magic erasers.
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Aren't magic erasers Mr. Clean, though?
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Brawny and Mr. Clean are brothers. I can't tell the difference anyway...
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I thought of a brownie. I geuss I'm hungry. X(
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Brawny in Scots beans strong and muscular so i'd be thinking that. Almost like a thug but not quite.
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First glance, I usually go a little litteral when hearing a name, but that's human nature I think. I don't necessarily keep that mindset if the character is strongly developed. For example, I have read about 250 lb biker guys called Sugar, which only serves to make him interesting because there is an inherent contradiction in it. And really, regardless of name, the character very quickly merges with its name if you make sure you develop him or her properly. In this case, the name Sugar was perfect for the guy, even if we never found out why he got that nickname, or even what his real name was!
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I guess I'd be thinking lumberjack like on the Brawny paper towels. Or, maybe a long lost cousin of the Seven Dwarfs.
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I wouldn't think about the paper towels until someone mentioned it to me, and then I wouldn't be able to forget it.
I would have a weird impression that the character was a lumberjack, and would be unable to understand why until someone mentioned the paper towels.
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Seconded. I'd probably be bothered by the name, but I wouldn't be able to put my finger on why until someone mentioned it.
If you had the characters making a joke about the name (assuming setting-appropriateness, obviously), it might defuse the problem, since the reader wouldn't get the impression that you'd chosen it accidentally. After that joke was made and dismissed, I would be able to ignore it. Can't speak for anyone else, though.
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I'm British, and had never heard of the paper towel brand, so it just sounded like a big, muscular guy to me. :)
Brilliant thread idea, btw!
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Does the name Allegra make you think of the allergy medicine?
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No, but the piano and bagpipe player in me just thought of a music term...
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Big points for playing the bagpipes.
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Not at all - though I'm a bit biased, as I have a friend named Allegra, so I'm really used to it as a name.
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Yes, but it makes me think of the music term too, and it seems name-like, so as a name it wouldn't bother me.
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mind immediately jumped to the character in the manga hellsing...i'm not even sure if that's her name because i've only heard of it through friends, but that's where it went. this character is a highly refined woman whit a ton of power behind her as far as i've heard.
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Her name's Integra, but yes, it's similar and I thought of a woman with basically the same design. xD
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I instantly thought of Integra as well.
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I thought of Integra too, which then made me think of a local bank of the same name...
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I thought of Allegra's Window, even though I never really watched the show.
And allegro, I blame three years of band class.
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That's exactly what I thought of, Allegra's Window. Wow, that takes me back.
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Don't blame, thank. Band geeks rock! and I'm not only saying that cuz I'm one. As I sit here in my band uniform...
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Exactly! Band nerds/geeks are so awesome. . .
but I hate band uniforms. . .
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It does very much for me, but I think that's probably because I've been taking it for years.
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Yes, as soon as I read 'Allegra', I thought of hay fever and somebody trying to speak through a stuffy head.
But when somebody says "me alegro" I don't think that at all. I just appreciate that the Spanish-speaker is happy. Nor do I think of allergies when I see the word on sheet music. So maybe it depends on context.
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I think of Allegra Van Alen from Blue Bloods when I hear Allegra.
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I think of music when I hear that one too.
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Allegro means fast/quick, I believe - which is why in the UK there used to be a car called the Allegro - usually a kind of beige colour (yep, that era) and with a weird square steering wheel. So...trying to be speedy but trying too hard & ending up naff. Not good associations, I guess.
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Yes, or Donatella Versace's anorexic daughter.
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Isn't that the name of Versac's daughter?
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Actually, Allegra makes me think of Longfellow's poem "The Children's Hour":
"...grave Alice and laughing Allegra, and Edith with golden hair...".
I think it's a lovely name.
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Thats my characters name too! It reminds me of Allegra's Window. A kids show i watched growing up.
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Honestly, yes when I read it that was the first thing that poppedinto my head.
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No, I think of alligators :)
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I would if I was watching an episode of Jepordy followed by Wheel of Furtune (They have a ton of Allegra comertials) and then read the book or if a friend pointed it out, but I would probably just laugh it off.
My first thought with this name is a tall beautiful woman, with an air about her that lets everyone around her know that she means buisness...I would also expect a plot twist that involves her either stabbing or poisoning someone.
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Allegra Geller - the greatest games designer in the world in the movie eXistenZ. ;)
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There's a brand of allergy medicine called Allegra. It used to be a prescription brand but now it's over-the-counter.
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Not until you mentioned it, but it made me tink of algebra... and now I'm in a bad mood. :(
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Makes me think of the the film Hitch
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Same here. That blonde lady.
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It makes me think of the Austin Allegro, old british car.
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I thought musical term as well...Band geek, here.
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Yes, at the very least. Allegra should be avoided at all costs. As should any medicinal sounding names - they've probably already been taken...
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Actually "Allegra" means "happy". It comes from the adjective "allegro", it's the female version (which is also a name. The male version is used in music, that's why you can find it on top of music sheets).
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a little, but I still love the name. (because of it's relationship to the musical term "Allegro" which means fast)
However, I chose "Alegria" (A- le- gree-a) {it means joy or happiness} as my Spanish name in school last year and someone in my class thought it was the funniest thing since stand up comedy. to this day, i still don't understand what was so funny about it...maybe it was an inside joke.
if it really reminds you of the allergy medicine, feel free to use Alegria or just call her Allie and don't worry about it.
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Makes me think of the show Allegra's Window.
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tarantallegra ... spell from Harry Potter
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I immediately think of Allegra Versace, who is a very unattractive, anorexic woman with too much money. It reminds me of Cirque du Soleil's 'Alegria' (which is a very nice show). Phonetically, it sounds like it has something to do with 'a leg'. There is also a printing company named Allegra. And yes, I think of medicine as well.
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Yes it does. and there is another disease that sounds similar.
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Allegra actually made me think of Allegra Gore; a pre-made Sim in Sim State University than comes with the Uni EP xD *Sims geek*
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I was going to name my main character Allegra, but I was afraid that people would just think of the allergy meds.
I went with Bern instead.
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Allegra makes me think of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Children's Hour" and his girls "grave Alice and laughing Allegra, and Edith with golden hair."
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Have you ever read "The Worry Week"? The three sisters are named Alice, Allegra, and Edith after the poem!
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No. It makes me think of Algebra, which immediately brings to mind a smart girl. I'm a little dyslexic when it comes to new names, and that's what I first read it as.
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Maybe it's just me, but I've played three different instruments for over ten years each and I still think of runny noses before tempo markings when I hear the name "Allegra."
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Thanks everyone! Feedback appreciated.
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You get this problem sometimes, but for example with a name like Alice, there's always the problem someone will go "...in Wonderland?" or, indeed, be reminded of Twilight. Still, it's used pretty often.
I think the stronger your characterisation, the weaker the hold of any connotation.
--
Alice turned her head when Brawny farted. Jasper, behind her, couldn't suppress a chuckle and hid his dark head behind his book just in time to avoid her glare. Her sharp eyes flicked to Brawny instead. His laughter, like a great, rolling gravestone, came to a halt only slowly. He blinked at her, twice. Then, he put two thick fingers on one nostril and pretended to pull on a nose ring. Her hand flew up to her face, where one side of her nose was still slightly tender from her new piercing. Brawny and his posse let out a great guffaw at her reaction. She flew up and past Jasper before he could grab her wrist. She planted a right hook on Brawny just as the teacher returned. "Ms Johnson!"
--
Still reminded of cheerful vampires at this point?
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Not at all. Brawny still makes me think of paper towels (sorry!) but that's mostly because I was seeing more Alice and Jasper in the excerpt than him.
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I know a girl whose name is Alice Hale, and if you've read the Twilight books, you know this is a bit of a double-whammy.
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I just realized that if you really, techinally look at it. . . My MC name is Alice Hale.
Why?! Cruel world. . .
You see, her name is really Alice, and she's a orphan. But inorder to be "not even a real person" with no government files, Mr. Hale renames her to Teare. . . Could I get away with that? Or maybe I should give her first foster mother a last name(probably should have down that from the begining . . .)?
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Sorry, but yes. I also couldn't help but think of the rocky horror picture show when a high school algebra book had a problem involving two hamsters named Brad and Janet. I remember lots of obscure (and sometimes not so obscure) references to nearly everything I read. That's why I love looney toones, old Simpsons and reruns of Fraiser.
Hopefully, other people aren't hopelessly filled with random facts and quotes like I am.
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I actually still think of vampires a little bit because of the use of "dark", "glare", her "sharp eyes", "gravestone" (but less because it is not describing alice of jasper), and "flew". But I don't think I would have thought those things if you hadn't asked the question about vampires.
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Does the name Damian Mark sound too much like an evil demon name? Considering there's a demon in the book but it's not him (and no one is ever concerned that he might be a demon), I might want to change that one...
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I don't think so. Damian doesn't make me automatically think of demons, but for some people it might due to The Omen movies.
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Damian Mark does sound too wicked to me. What about Mark Damian?
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For some reason, Mark Damian makes me think of Matt Damon. >.>
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Depending on how you introduce him, I'd be willing to assume he was perfectly human. I think having Mark as a surname/second name helps to neutralize the first part.
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It does remind me of the dark mark--a reference 666 on Damian's head. Damian with a different surname would be better. I like Mark Damian--jadedragon's suggestion.
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Anytime I hear the name Damien I think of the actor Damien Lewis, whom I love. :)
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It reminds me of The Omen, aha. I think it's funny though if he's not the demon in the book, though.
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Ugh, I'm sorry about repeating "though". And now I can't edit it, oops.
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My cat's name is Damian, and he's the sweetest thing I know! He did go through a bit of a hellion phase, though, so I'm not sure what to tell you. Personally it reminds me of that dark, quiet man you sometimes see at the back of quiet book shops, the one you'd like to talk to but he feels so otherwordly you're almost afraid. It's a peaceful, slightly mysterious name to me.
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My sister's cat is Damien also. He thinks he's a mountain lion, keeps chasing the deer. I like the name Damien. Sounds dark, mysterious, sexy, strong. Mark as a last name? Reminds me of archery or swim meets. "Swimmers, take your mark..." Makes him seem like a target. Maybe something else biblical would insure he doesn't sound demonic. Damien Paul.
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Actually, Damien Mark could be ironically misleading, if the demon character is supposed to be the bad guy...since 'Mark' has the connotation of being easily fooled by a con artist.
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Damien makes me think of Vampire Diaries
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Except for the fact that in VD his name is Damon.
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Damian reminds me of the (probably incorrect) way I pronounce Daimons from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter novels.
Even though it looks like it should be Day-I-mons I have always said Day-me-ans.
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Your icon is the best! I need a t-shirt that says that! :D
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Thanks! I actually made a hoodie with this on the front and "It's Only Forever, Not Long At All..." on the back
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Damian makes me think of Damian from the Glee Project, who eventually won.
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Yes, but I might be slightly biased because a character in my friend's novel is named Daimon, and he's basically the human version of Satan. *shrug* I quite like the name, though, so you should keep it if you don't find anything else against it!
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Sounds more like a Ferrengi - not a good thing, unless he has huge ears and several ethical and psychological wires loose.
I can see the demon thing though.
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No, Damien is a cool name, use it!
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Damian means the devil's son to me. >.>
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It normally wouldn't, because my neighbor is named Damien and he's really nice.
But last year, for English, the villain in our play was Damien Thead (it was a really dark play about death, etc. Damien Thead was Death in a human form)....
But that's the only reason Damien would sound evil to me.
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It makes me think of Damian Slavtore (misspelled). . .
Then again, that's just the inner Vampire Diaries Stalker talking . . .
But it doesn't make me think of an evil demon.
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LOL his name is *DAMON* SALVATORE not DAMIAN.
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My bad.
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Damian Mark?
Tee-hee... hard _not_ to think "Omen II" right there.
Also, I think Marvel's son of Luzifer is called Damian, too. So, yeah, it seems to be a very common name to use among demon parents.
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Speaking of Twilight... can I get away with main characters named Isabel and Jacob?
Isabel goes by Izzy occasionally, never Bella. I'd also like to think she has significantly more of a personality...
(Arrrgh I have had these idiots since before Twilight ever existed I am not giving their names up without a fight.)
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As long as they are distinctly their own people and are nothing like the characters of Twilight, people should have no problem making the distinction. Jacob is not a name I hear often, so it might make people think of Jacob from twilight. Isabel however is a name I've heard more than once, Isabel from the Mortal Instrument series for instance. Like I said as long as they are their own people, even if one is a werewolf, people should have no problem with the names.
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Interesting. I know two or three Jacobs and no Isabels. Maybe it's just a New Hampshire thing: something in the water makes us name kids Jacob.
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Actually, I discovered the other day that Jacob is the most popular name given to boys born in 2010.
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And Isabella was #1 for girls. I could comfortably say that http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/ is in my top 10 favorite places on the internet.
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Ten bucks says that's because of the Twilight books though...
But I've known two Jacobs, and at least one Isabel. I say go for it.
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If that were true, though, how come none of the Harry Potter names became really popular?
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I'd put 10 bucks on the reverse. Twilight was published in 2005 and Isabella has been in the top 10 since 2004. Jacob has been number 1 since 1999.
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Yeah, it's really common. Throughout my life I've known at least ten Jacobs and the same number of Laurens and Adams for that matter. Katelyn is also really popular now.
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Same here I know a ton a Jacob's and no Isabel's. And I live in Illinois.
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It'll be fine - I know a Jacob and an Isabel, and I've never thought of Twilight.
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I know a kid whos name is Jacob Edward and he was born before the Twilight movies came out. I'm not to sure about the books thought. He was born in 1997 or 1998.
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i'd think of Phineas and Ferb before Twilight, but that's only because we're looking to make connections. should be all good.
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I think if Isabel was not Bella and Jacob was sometimes Jake or Jay, and the personalities and the plot were not like Twilight, you'd be fine. it's not like either name is rare or was invented for Twilight.
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Yes, I think you can, as long as Jacob isn't a werewolf *:D* and I think Isabel is better for making the distinction from Twilight than Isabella, because the whole of Bella is in Isabella.
Also, I think that making them memorable characters with loads of quirks will help to eradicate the Twilight disease that is preying on people's minds. :P
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I always wanted to name my kids Isabel and Edward.
Not happening anymore and I haven't even read/seen Twilight.
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I agree. I think we can all safely say (because we are all real writers here) that Stephenie Meyer did a terrific job of ruining a lot of beautiful names.
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If it were set in the modern world you could have her go on a rant about how she is nothing like "That pathetic weakling with a thing for creepy stalkers." (Be great for wordcount :D )
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You should be alright, the name "Isabel" in twilight is so often shortened so it took me a minute to remember it was her name. You might get some people in the beginning who might think "oh yeah I know these names," but once they are established characters no one will think of it twice.
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I think you'll be fine as long as you pay attention to what other people below have said, and it would probably also help if your setting/plot/and the physical descriptions of the characters were as far from the ones in Twilight as could possibly be. In this case, characterization is key.
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Or, actually, above me now. Why is there no edit button??
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My feeling is take the names back!!
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Probably, Isabel and Jacob are such classical names that have lived into the 21st century, as long as your book doesn't include Vampires or Werewolves nobody is likely to bet the conection, especially if she goes by Izzy. the first thing that will come to someone's mind is probably more likely to be someone they know with one of those names.
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Isabel makes me think of Isabelle Lightwood who goes by Izzy, a character in the Mortal Instruments.
Jacob kind of reminds me of Jacob Black, but I think as long as your character's surname wasn't black you'll do fine.
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I always liked 'Isobel' but I never know if it's too close to Isabelle now.
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my first thought with Isabel is Katherine Heigl, as she's played two characters by the name, and both had the nick names Izzy. (Isabel Stevens and Isabel Evans, brownie points for those who can name the shows)
Jacob is a really safe name... at the moment it makes me think of Lost.
Together they're a bit tricky, but like other people said, it's Isabella. And like for any name in this thread, if they're distinct in themselves, they'll likely think of your characters for the respective names
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Roswell and Grey's Anatomy. Bam.
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As long as Isabel isn't a sucicidal depressed teen, and Jacob an eager, slightly naive, teen, it should be fine. Will people stop naming their children Isabella and Jacob because of a teen movie sensation that tons of people also hate? doubt it, those are not very unusaul names.
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As long as she's not 'pants' you're ok.
http://theoatmeal.com/story/twilight
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Isabelle makes me think of my friend Isabelle. Never makes me think of Twilight. Come to think of it, Bella doesn't either (it makes me think of Disney princesses. :D)
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It sounds like most people say they would get over it. If there was just a Jacob without an Isabel, I'd probably think of Jacob from Twilight and shudder a little bit, and then get over it and be able to see Jacob as a real character. Isabel without a Jacob probably wouldn't bug me since the Twilight character's name is Isabella and only ever goes by Bella anyway. But put them together, and have them both as main characters so we see their names all the time, and yes, that would annoy the crap out of me.
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I know two Isabelles. One goes by Isabelle, and the other by Izzy, and neither has ever reminded me of Twilight. As long as it's not Bella, I do not think many people would notice.
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In all honesty, if people didn't keep reminding me I wouldn't think about the fact that Bella is actually named Isabella.
Usually the name tends to remind me of a Queen by the same name (or of Isabeau from Ladyhawke, it depends on my daily form).
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Nice pun in the last line. I see what you did there.
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I would think of ME, as my name is Isabel. :D Nice job on the spelling, btw, can't be doing with all this 'o' nonsense. Tbh, I have never had someone call me Bel or Bella or anything remotely resembling the last half of my name, it's always been Izzy or Iz - in fairness, the Bella of Twilight fame was an Isabella, so that's probably why. Either way, I would definitely not think of Twilight if I read a character called Isabel.
Jacob on the other hand is tricky - I personally WOULD think of Twilight here, just because of all that 'Team Jacob' stuff. With or without an Isabel, you're looking at an association. :/
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I'm not that familliar with Twilight so I wouldn't think of it. Plus, Jacob is a common name. Don't worry about it.
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My character in my last nano novel was Izzy. But it was short of Isadora.
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Cassidy Parker -- called Cass [male character -- and yes, he's observed that he sounds like he stepped out of a bad Western]. And a character named Sam.
And a plot that involves the Grigori/Nephilim.
At least one person has asked me if I'm a Supernatural fan [I lost interest somewhere around the middle of season 2 and am only vaguely aware of Castiel's character, so that . . . would be a definite no.] But seriously, is it going to bite me in the backside?
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I'm a big Supernatural fan, so when I saw Cassidy shortened to Cass, my head cocked to the side. The second my eyes hit Sam, I started laughing. Sorry. Especially with the angel connection. However, I don't think it should really be an issue, since Eric Kripke intentionally named the brothers Sam and Dean after (sort of) the characters Sal and Dean from the Jack Kerouac novel On the Road, because of the epic roadtrip story the Winchesters were involved in.
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I'm also reminded of Supernatural with Cass and Sam, but it shouldn't be too much of a distraction after the first few pages. (Now if it was Cass and Dean the problem would be much bigger I think)
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*cough*Destiel*cough*
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
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Not familiar with Supernatural, so can't speak to that. Just a historical note about Nephilim: it's a Hebrew plural noun from the Bible. The Nephilim were a race of giants in Genesis. Goliath was one of them. Please forgive me if you already know this or it's not relevant. Just a piece of trivia maybe you can use.
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You are the first person I've seen to actually use 'Grigori' in something pertaining to the Nephilim. Automatic +1 in my books. =D
Anyways, I think you'll be fine as long as you don't make Cass one of the Nephilim (or one of the Grigori, for that matter). Just be careful not to fall into any of the current stereotypes concerning the Nephilim; there are so many books coming out now centered on them that I've dropped about half of my novel ideas into the 'wait until the fad dies down' pile, on top of my old vampire ideas. -.-;
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I'm reminded of Proinsias Cassidy, who answers to his surname, from Preacher.
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Sorry, but I'm thinking of the kid's computer game Oregon trail, where there are characters named Cassie (Cascade) and her brothers Parker and Jimmy...this might have something to do with the fact that my brothers are playing the game at the moment....
Re: Name connotation check
I do not think of Twilight when I hear the names Jacob or Isabel.
I don't know where you're from or your story is set, but Jacob is one of the most popular boys names in the US, in the top 20 for 20 years now (and in the #1 slot for 11 years!) It's a classic, a well known name, and is too popular in general, I think for most people to automatically associate it with Twilight.
Re: Name connotation check
I wouldn't think of Twilight when reading about a character named Jacob unless it was mentioned or someone pointed it out to me. I once read an entire novel about a guy with the name Jack and never once thought of my brother until a friend pointed it out. I agree with an earlier poster. The stronger the characters, the less likely people are to be reminded of Twilight or anything else.
Re: Name connotation check
The name Jacob is actually the one I'm less attached to. And I didn't realize it was so common... hm.
Maybe something more old-fashioned, like Elijah or Levi... I can think of two different connotations for each, but they're not quite as strong as 'super-popular Twilight character'.
Anyone?
(Also, I have very strange reactions to names. Allegra makes me think of a game I used to play where one of the locations was Allegria Island, and Damian makes me think of South Park or a digital pet I once had. So I'm not the best person for 'Does this name sound good'. XD)
Re: Name connotation check
There's also the possibility of just changing the spelling. I knew a guy in college whose name was Jakub. I think back to the show he was in my freshman year before Twilight, mainly because I have no interest in ever reading it.
Re: Name connotation check
I love old-fashioned names for very modern characters who are usually not old-fashioned - I guess I like the subtle contrast :)