“…that which we call a rose,/ By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Hello, everyone! I hope you had a marvelous and lovely Sunday, hopefully filled with lots of reading and, I don’t know, chocolate. Or something.
Anyway, today I’m linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for their weekly prompt, Top Ten Tuesday. I love linking up for this blog meme on days that are not Tuesday because… I’m such a rebel that way. (Seriously, this is as rebellious as I get. I don’t even sneak cookies out of the cookie jar or anything like that.)
This week is a “freebie,” where anything goes! I can post a top ten list of anything as long as it’s bookish. Since I’ve seen some awesome ideas already, I’m going to use two of those ideas and one of my own creation. Today I’m talking about NAMES, people!
Enjoy!
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Emily @ The Loony Teen Writer posted about the top ten YA characters she’d name her children after, so I’m going to borrow that idea – with one exception. I won’t limit myself to only names from YA.
Also, before we get started there’s one other thing you should know: I like kids, but I’m pretty sure that I don’t want any of my own. I know they’re tiny and cute and everything, but… gah. That’s just not what I want to do with my life.
That said, I LOVE finding cool names. So if you were to visit me someday and say, “HI ENGIE, I HAVE SPAWNED A SMALL MINION AND I WANT YOU TO NAME THEM BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE BESTEST,” I would be more than happy to comply.
1. Rue (from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins). I think this is a very pretty name and hey, it’d be easy for the kid to learn how to spell it. Too bad that it means “regret”….
2. Ronan (from the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater). This is, like, my favorite dude name of all time, everyone. Just so you know. I’d never even heard of it before reading this wonderful, wonderful series, though.
3. Violet (from All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen). This name is old-fashioned yet pretty. I strongly admire this character, as well, so that’s a plus.
4. Ingrid (from the Echo Falls Mysteries series by Peter Abrahams). Gah, how I wish these books were better-known! I like old-fashioned girly names, I guess. 
(Actually… my name is an old-fashioned girly time. Pffft.)
5. Simon (from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare). I just… like the sound of this name? It’s fun to say. Simon, Simon, Simon.
6. Sadye (from Dramarama by E. Lockhart). It’s pronounced like “Sadie,” and I freaking LOVE this character – and the fact that she named herself, too.
7. Thomas (from the Maze Runner series by James Dashner). Such a dignified name!
8. Annabeth (from the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan). Again, I’d never heard of this name until I met it in a book. But I really, really like it.
9. Kady (from the Malice / Havoc duology by Chris Wooding). This is a very pretty alternative spelling of the name Katie!
10. Molly (from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling). “Molly” is the perfect combination of cuteness + girliness + fun. It’s just plain fun to say. (And while we’re at it, I also love the name Holly. But I would never give this name to siblings. Ugh. The awkwardness.)
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Oh, look! An idea of my very own invention! Although I wouldn’t give any really weird names to children, I love to find weird character names and fangirl over them. I collect them, kind of.
And J.K. Rowling and Derek Landy are practically royalty when it comes to authors-who-give-their-characters-weird-names. Seriously, they are the BEST. Their characters’ names are A) wonderfully strange and B) filled with meaning.
So I’ve compiled a top ten list of my favorite names from EACH author.
Best Harry Potter names:
- Remus Lupin
- Bellatrix Lestrange
- Nymphadora Tonks
- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
- Minerva McGonagall
![Cover-PrisonerOfAzkaban[1]](https://musingsfromnevillesnavel.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cover-prisonerofazkaban11.jpg?w=204&h=300)
- Rita Skeeter
- Rubeus Hagrid
- Narcissa Malfoy
- Neville Longbottom
- Horace Slughorn
![Cover-PrisonerOfAzkaban[1]](https://musingsfromnevillesnavel.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cover-prisonerofazkaban11.jpg)
Best Skulduggery Pleasant names:
- Ghastly Bespoke
- Valkyrie Cain
- Skulduggery Pleasant
- Tanith Low
- China Sorrows
- Dexter Vex
- Frightening Jones
- Remus Crux
- Anton Shudder
- Gracious O’Callahan
On second thought, perhaps it would be a good idea to not let me name your children, because maybe I’ll choose to name your twins Rita Skeeter and Dexter Vex. And by “maybe,” I mean “probably.”
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Cait @ Paper Fury wrote about “ridiculously unfortunate character names,” and that was such a good idea that I’m going to STEAL it! [Insert villainous laughter here]
1. Bifur (from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien). This is not a name. This is a sound effect, as in, “The sound a pillow makes when you hit someone with it is bifur.” (I figured this out by hitting lots of people with pillows, obviously.)
2. Percy Jackson (from the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan). No, wait, it gets better/worse: His real first name is “Perseus.” I’m sorry, kid.
3. Chuck (from the Maze Runner series by James Dashner). This name always makes me think of, um, upchuck. Teehee.
4. Tobias “Four” Eaton (from the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth). Tobias is just an unfortunate name, peoples. And being nicknamed after a freaking NUMBER isn’t much better.
5. Haymitch Abernathy (from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins). Abernathy is actually a great surname, but what the heck is a Haymitch?
6. Bubba Moon (from the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy). This guy is a villain and I can’t take him seriously AT ALL because… that name. I would say, “What were his parents thinking?!” but in the magical world of these books, you choose your own name. So… wow.
7. Étienne St. Clair (from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins). That boy’s first name is way too fancy for his laid-back personality, and his last name makes me think of pastries. You know, éclairs? Mmm, I’m hungry now.![Stephen_King_Misery_cover[1]](https://musingsfromnevillesnavel.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/stephen_king_misery_cover1.jpg)
8. Annie (from Misery by Steven King). I used to like this name. That was before I read an extremely gruesome horror story with an antagonist of that name. Damn you, Mr. King. You ruined the name “Carrie” for me as well.
9. Bran (from the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin). Everyone in this series has an awesome name – Arya, Jaime, Theon, Viserys, Olenna. And then there’s Bran. Congratulations, you were named after your parents’ favorite breakfast cereal. (Wait, do they even have cereal in Westeros?)
10. Wentworth (from the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett). I’m sorry, but this name just SCREAMS “bratty little boy.”
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Tell me about your favorite fictional names? Which ones do you think are lovely, and which ones make you giggle?
Then you would have loved my Aunt VIOLET!
I can’t remember – was she one of the weird relatives or was she (fairly) normal?
She was a sweet, kind woman who lived through some interesting times.
Ah, a normal relative. Yay! 😀
I’m impressed that you tackled top ten Skulduggery names. There are so many great names, I wouldn’t know where to start. (… although I would agree about Bubba Moon.)
Also yeah, there are so many names that I love and would probably give to children if they wouldn’t have to grow up and have to deal with having that name. This is why you write things. So you can have characters who only have to deal with their ridiculous names as much as you want them to.
(Side note: we had a Siamese fighting fish named Rue once.)
Bubba Moon is the SILLIEST name I’ve ever come across in all my reading. 😛
Very true. I’m going to have characters named Ronan Violet Bifur Chuck, obviously.
OH YOU VILLAINOUS THING. But to be fair I’m going to steal Emily’s at some point because…well…I don’t know if I’ll spawn children BUT HEY MAYBE IT’LL HAPPEN and then I need names. I have TWO sisters about to have babies and both of them are immune to my suggestions. I was freakishly sad when my sister rejected Marvel as a name. SURE it’s also a huge fandom, but also Marvel out of The Hunger Games. I just really like it as a name. Shhh, don’t judge. I also like Rue and Thomas. I LOVE THOMAS. I named a character Thomas because of The Thomas. Omg. That is probably bad. But I wrote a different genre and Thomas isn’t licensed. >.> Unless we’re talking about the famous kids train.
Ahem.
Am I rambling? DEFINITELY RAMBLING.
I think we can just agree that Derek Landy has THE BEST names of the universe.
Bifur is unokay. But so is Bombur or however you spell it. BASICALLY ALL OF TOLKIEN’S NAMES. Though, I wont lie, I’d call my kid Samwise. And I’d call my kid Frodo except he would never ever get a life except for weird stares. >.>
Wow, really, she rejected Marvel? Can’t imagine why… 😛
“The Thomas.” xD That’s awesome.
Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. *facepalms*
OH MY GOSH THE ECHO FALLS MYSTERIES
I can’t remember who recommended them to me (although I’m fairly certain it was an adult) and I read at least the first two. I liked them quite a bit, although I kept thinking they should’ve been in the first person.
…also I thoroughly enjoyed this post. 😀
KFAGDLSGHSDLGHDSG I’VE NEVER MET ANYONE ELSE WHO’S READ THOSE BOOKS DAJGHKAG OMG
OMG THIS IS JUST ANOTHER REASON THAT WE’RE EXCELLENT FRIENDS AND I COMPLETELY TRUST YOUR BOOKISH TASTE
(also I must say looking at what you said about my name makes me feel warm and fuzzy)
*tiny cheering noises* Great minds think alike.
Aw, I’m glad. Although, are you sure you’re not just warm and fuzzy because you’re sitting in a blanket fort? *magical blanket fort suddenly shimmers into existence*
Hahaha, Bifur is the one ❤
I joke. That's freaking unfortunate. But I have to say I think Tobias is a gorgeous name! It sounds hella hot and when it’s pronounced right it makes me freaking beam.
Hmm. The only other name that I can think of that sounds gorgeous is Elisha (it just rolls off the tongue so nicely).
Ehehe, really? Well, to each their own, I suppose. I think Tobias is an old-man name. 😛
How is that pronounced? (I’m terrible with pronunciation, FYI.)
If you thought ruining the name Annie was bad, you should read King’s The Waste Lands, in which he ruins The Little Engine That Could forever.
Agreed about Percy. I would resent my parents forever if they named me that.
Got it. 🙂
Tbh, I’m surprised Percy still talks to his mom and doesn’t just go MOOOOOOOOOOOOM WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO EMBARRASSING WHY DID YOU NAME ME “PERSEUS”
Frightening Jones? Oh lord. XD
Ooh, my favorite names from your list are definitely Rue, Ronan, and Molly. LOVE the name Rue! 🙂
I’ve already made a list just for fun of names I’d give my kids from characters in books and TV shows. 😉 I love naming people, real life and fictional. My top favorite boy names are Jamie and Sam. They’re both just so sweet! And for girls, I’ve always loved the names Lily (and it’s from Harry Potter, so bonus!) and Charley.
Ooh, and Isabel! But that’s also my middle name, so that’d probably be weird. 😛
Frightening Jones is the best. 😀 Omg, at one point pretty much all the characters from that list are on the same fighting-bad-guys team and it’s just so much fun to read because CREATIVE NAMES.
It’s such a cute name, even with its sad meaning. 🙂
I really like Charley as a girl’s name, too. I’m fond of unisex names for girls…
Hey, Isabel is a variation of my name! 🙂
I love how your fave Rowling name is Werewolf McWerewolf III, also known as Moon Moon 😀
Shush, I love Haymitch’s name. And his character makes for really hella meta. And yesss, I loved Rue’s name from the first moment it popped up in the book. I have a list in my head of names I’d consider for kids (if I ever have any) but the strange thing is, I can never name OCs. Like, some of my favorites are Joanna (it’s sort of old fashioned but like also really pretty do you get me), Anthony (not influenced by Tony Stark at all what are you talking about), Jayce or Jace (it just sounds cool tbh and I know a kid who goes by Jayce and they’re the best), and
don’t judgeIsabella or Isabelle. Yeah, yeah, so it’s from Twilight, but idc man it’s pretty af.Is there something WRONG with Moon Moon? xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Omg, I *love* the name Joanna! I like to spell it Johanna, though, like the THG character. 🙂 I love old-fashioned-yet-pretty names. I’m not too fond of Tony as a nickname, but Anthony is a great dude name and I love the spelling of Jayce.
Nononono, Isabella/Isabelle is a LOVELY name!! If anything, I’m disappointed that so many people will associate it with Twilight and think someone’s named after Bella Swan.
So much. All of the things. All of them.
I actually pronounce Joanna and Johanna differently in my head? And yesss, old fashioned pretty names are the best, yo.
Addition:
To quote tumblr, Remus is literally “Werewolf McWerewolf Jr., the Werewolf with a Werewolf Patronus, son of Werewolf McWerewolf Sr., bitten by the Werewolf named after a Norse Wolf God Thing, whose name now relates to the moon.” Rowling whyyy.
Oh, so… more like Johanna with a Y at the beginning? Like Johann Sebastian Bach??
No? I’ve never heard it pronounced that way, though. It’s like, when I see Joanna I hear it as literally the sound “Jo” tacked onto the front of “Anna” so the emphasis is placed on the second syllable with an a sound like the one in “can”, and when I see Johanna, I read it as jo-han-na, with a slight h sound and the first a sounding like the a in “all”. If that makes sense?
Ohhh, right. Well, I googled it and apparently “yo-han-a” is the German pronunciation. Apparently my brain think it’s German. 😛
So basically Lupin is the Supreme Moon Moon? Oh god, Rowling, whyyyyy.