Common names for fictional characters?

[AlexBailey]

Are there certain names that seem to be particularly common for erotic fiction? Are there any that you use more than others?

Any thoughts on why they seem to be used more often?




I've read several stories lately with girls named Luna. it's the name of the moon. I've always felt that it is sweetly feminine with an aura of ancient wisdom, beauty, and strength. It's a great name for a strong female character.



'Alex' seems to be very common for transgender/crossdresser stories. it seems that on any given day I can find at least one TG/CD story in the new stories hub with an 'Alex'. I grew up with that name and I've always loved meeting girls with the name. I love the idea that it's androgynous, though to me it seems more male. I've met a few IRL trans-girls named Alex. I always felt that if I'd transitioned I would have kept it.

 

[NotWise]

Are there certain names that seem to be particularly common for erotic fiction? Are there any that you use more than others?

Any thoughts on why they seem to be used more often?

I try to avoid reusing names. I think that the names we see in stories here tend to be fairly common, widely-recognized names. The enormous variety of given names I hear in real life sometimes amazes me, and the stories here don't have anything like that variety.

The lack of variety may just show that our stories, as a body, aren't very culturally diverse.

 

[SimonDoom]

I agree with Notwise. I try to avoid reusing names, but I also tend to default to names that are culturally familiar to me, usually fairly common names of English derivation. That seems to be par for the course at Literotica. I'm trying to expand that somewhat.

 

[HeyAll]

For me, certain names sound better for certain people.

For instance, if it's a mature, professional woman, I'd go with ; Laura, Jennifer, etc...

It just has the right ring to it.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'm not hugely imaginative and re-use names I like, though did change a Karen to a different name earlier this year as the new connotations would be distracting.
More than one story I just went alphabetically, so Alex had a brother Bob, our protagonist Cassie got together with Duncan, with Ed and Fran playing supporting roles... Often a couple names get changed, but not all.

Given I want people to identify a bit with the characters, I don't want the name to distract, so they might be less unusual than a real range. But I'm middle-aged and English - the college-aged American characters of Lit have a different range of names they consider 'normal'. It's when Americans write UK-based fanfic that you notice some jarring names (the classic being Randy...)

I did spend a while searching for common British Bangladeshi names, when my character Atif needed a brother. And double-checking the name and surname of the guys in a series weren't too identifying or associated with anyone famous.

 

[Omenainen]

My approach is that of a not-native. I don’t have any mental images for most of English names (I do for some, I had a Karen in one of my stories and quite on purpose). I just go for something common that pops into my head. I don’t know what I’ll do when I run out of those, probably use something like lists of popular baby names for year X or something. But things like including some ethnic minorities in place X and indicating this by the use of names is quite beyond me. Or adding any extra layer of meaning with the choice of name.

I always thought Alex for a woman was short for Alexandra. To me Alex is a male name. We’ve got rules over here that prevent giving a name to a female if it’s commonly used as a male name, so christening a girl “Alex” wouldn’t do. (We do have some that are used for both.) Maybe that has something to do with the fact that we don’t have gendered pronouns in Finnish, so it’s more important to differentiate the gender by name.

 

[KeithD]

Certain names pop in my head repeatedly to use, but I avoid doing that. Names are what bogs me down the most in writing and I'm always going to the Internet on baby and regional surname names in certain eras and places--I write with worldwide locations and eras. Occasionally I pull names at random from the daily papers, but I tend to go to the Internet more often. Sometimes I take them from books pulled off the shelf or the book I'm reading at the moment (which also may have given me an idea for the story I'm writing.) The name has to go with the character in my mind.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I try to avoid reusing names. I think that the names we see in stories here tend to be fairly common, widely-recognized names.

While re-reading an early chapter of my current series, I noticed that I'd reused a name that appears in an earlier story. Like you, I usually try to avoid doing this, but in this case it worked out - there was no reason why they couldn't be the same person, seen from two different perspectives, and that immediately gave me a whole lot of background for her.

I'll be interested to see how many readers recognise her as a point of continuity between two different stories.

 

[stickygirl]

This is an interesting question. A name to me is super important because my mental projection and subsequent writing is affected by it.

Changing from say, Reece to Rowan conjures a whole different mental image for me. That's not to say my mental image is fixed, but it's a baseline. In a recent story, my character switches from Saoirse Ronan, to Gwyneth Paltrow to Zana Turner as I steal bits of characterisation from films I've seen. I can't imagine writing any other way. If I get stuck with a scene, I replay how one of my cast would do it and then I'm away again.

Sorry - this isn't really the intent of the OPs question but the thought bubbles started so...

I always thought Alex for a woman was short for Alexandra. To me Alex is a male name. We’ve got rules over here that prevent giving a name to a female if it’s commonly used as a male name, so christening a girl “Alex” wouldn’t do. (We do have some that are used for both.) Maybe that has something to do with the fact that we don’t have gendered pronouns in Finnish, so it’s more important to differentiate the gender by name.

That kinda suck re gendering names so strictly. It might however stop you calling your kid La-La-Trixie-Bell or London

 

[Paul_Chance]

I tend toward common names for the simple reason that they're more accessible to the presumed reader. If the character is a specific ethnic group or nationality then I will use a common name based on that ethnicity or nationality.

In the flow of the narrative I don't want the name to be jarring or to be an interruption.

I think the right name, one that resonates with my mental image of the character, or illustrates some character aspect, can make or break a story.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I think the right name, one that resonates with my mental image of the character, or illustrates some character aspect, can make or break a story.

Agree this. My character's names are important to me as their writer (less so for readers, I expect) because the choice of name gives them part of their identity in my head. There is often a point made in many of my stories where one character learns the name of the other, or is given it, almost as a gift. I suspect that's because I write anonymously, so giving a name goes with trust, if that makes any sense.

 

[Omenainen]

That kinda suck re gendering names so strictly. It might however stop you calling your kid La-La-Trixie-Bell or London

Yes, that is also not allowed. There’s a process of approval for weird names, and some quite...unique do get through, though.

I want to add that for me the common names are easier as a reader as well. For something more obscure I stop every time I stumble upon the name, and spend a moment wondering how it’s pronounced. I do read sci-fi and fantasy, which often contain weird names, but in those genres it doesn’t bother me as much. I do prefer “pronounceable-sounding” names, even then.

 

[AlexBailey]

That kinda suck re gendering names so strictly. It might however stop you calling your kid La-La-Trixie-Bell or London

Yes, that is also not allowed. There’s a process of approval for weird names, and some quite...unique do get through, though.

It's very strange to me to have government regulations on names. My kids all have uncommon androgynous names. They aren't unheard of but they are unique among their peers. They have all individually thanked me and my wife for being somewhat original.

Back to my stories, so far I've been writing one series with 28 different characters. It's a mostly fictional autobiography with lots of real places and situations thrown in. Most of the names and characters are actual people from my life. There are many small parts that could be recognized by people who were there. It seems kind of strange to have done that now, but this whole process originally started as journaling that eventually took on a life of it's own. Still, I'm sure that the real people would be able to see a lot of themselves in the characters.

Most of the situations have changed but the places and names remain the same. Lol.

Funnily enough my wife's name is also common in TG/CD stories. I've found a few stories that have an "Alex" and a "Jena" (usually Jenna)

No worries about those percolating thought bubbles, it's not so much as a thread hijacking as it is a scenic detour.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hmmm.... I use names I am familiar with. Names of people I grew up with, worked with, knew, and who were friends. A lot of my characters are based on some of them, others not so much. Most are a composite of several. I kind of stick with the basic names. John, Jack, Jake, Bill, Bob, Steve, etc. Same for women, Michelle, Susan, Ann, Donna, Debbie, Laura, Jennifer, etc.

I did write on Sci-Fi series where most the names were of Irish origin. Had to grab them from a website of traditional Irish names. Check out my Warrior One series.

 

[BarracudaSwordfish]

Beth, Jess, Gina, Thea, Matt, Adam, Josh.

A few of my regulars.

Why?

Because Sophie-Elizabeth, John-Joseph, Samantha and Alexandra take too bloody long to type!

 

[stickygirl]

Beth, Jess, Gina, Thea, Matt, Adam, Josh.

A few of my regulars.

Why?

Because Sophie-Elizabeth, John-Joseph, Samantha and Alexandra take too bloody long to type!

...said BarracudaSwordfish

 

[Privates1stClass]

Are there certain names that seem to be particularly common for erotic fiction? Are there any that you use more than others?

Any thoughts on why they seem to be used more often?

Generally, what I do is to determine how old the character is in my story--for example, if my story is set in the year 2000, and the character is 20 years old, I'll Google, "Most popular baby names for 1980."

It's interesting to see how names have changed over the years, but at least my characters will have a name that was popular for the setting of my story.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

So many of mine start out one name and get changed three or four times. ‘Find and Replace’ is my best friend sometimes.

Afterthought - and ‘Ann’ can become ‘Alexandria-Michaela’ 216 times with one click of the mouse.

 

[RetroFan]

I pick names that fit the character's background and personality or on some occasions that enable me to alliterate the title (e.g. Mandy Makes A Man of Mark). In another story one of my characters is named Felicity Thornton-Browne, and she is a posh British girl, the name suiting her well. For two Latina characters I've written in different stories I've called them Isabella and Ramona, which fits their background. Writing stories set in the past I have to be careful to use names that were around at the time. For example, I wouldn't write a story set in 1910 and have a female character named Brittany.

Sometimes I use names that are associated with certain things in popular culture. In one of my stories there is a vegan girl who never stops talking. What is her name? Cathy. In another story I wrote a female character is a pushy stage mother and a control freak with a typical Type A personality. What is her name? Karen.

 

[Voboy]

I'm only now getting to the point where I'm having to grope for names. I don't like reusing them either, and I dislike the "Luna-type" new agey names. Usually, the names have suggested themselves around the same time the character sketch has; the last few stories, though, I've gotten the sketch done before I've come up with the name.

It's ultimately not all that hard, though.

I do have common themes: there are names I dislike, and I often give those to characters the readers aren't supposed to like. Those same characters often listen to country music and carry Glocks, too, lol.

 

[RetroFan]

Samantha is a nice name and I've used it in several of my stories, but this name set off one reader on one of the most bizarre rants I have ever read.

The story (not one of my own) - a simple and pleasant enough Erotic Couplings story - had a main female protagonist called Samantha and this reader went off his head, saying that Samantha's are mean, nasty and horrible people and that using this name made the story in question shit and how much he hated it.

Did the reader have a cold authoritarian mother named Samantha who regularly dished out corporal punishment? Did he have a sister called Samantha who his parents treated like a princess growing up and him like a peasant? Was there a female bully at his school named Samantha who tormented him relentlessly day in day out? In college did he meet a girl named Samantha who was a cock-tease and led him on and let him down? Did he have a fiancee called Samantha who left him at the alter on their wedding day? Or was he married to a woman named Samantha who divorced him and took all his money and assets and used high-price lawyers to make sure that he paid maximum alimony and child support while seeing the kids as little as possible?

I don't know, but it sure was strange that a female name could trigger somebody like that.

 

[PennameWombat]

<snip>
I always thought Alex for a woman was short for Alexandra. To me Alex is a male name. We’ve got rules over here that prevent giving a name to a female if it’s commonly used as a male name, so christening a girl “Alex” wouldn’t do. (We do have some that are used for both.) Maybe that has something to do with the fact that we don’t have gendered pronouns in Finnish, so it’s more important to differentiate the gender by name.

A long-ago ex was an American girl who did a high school exchange to Argentina during the Junta years, stayed there for college, got married, had a son, divorced and then moved back to the US.

When I met her she’d just moved to my city and introduced me to her then eleven year old son (yes, she was an Older Woman.) As the first day of him attending his new school approached, I learned his OFFICIAL name was not what she called him.

She told me that the government of the day had a long list of approved names for boys and girls and if you picked from the list, all good. So that was on his birth certificate and passport, etc. There was some sort of exception process but no one wanted to put themselves up for attention from the government of the day...

I tend toward common names for the simple reason that they're more accessible to the presumed reader. If the character is a specific ethnic group or nationality then I will use a common name based on that ethnicity or nationality.

In the flow of the narrative I don't want the name to be jarring or to be an interruption.

I think the right name, one that resonates with my mental image of the character, or illustrates some character aspect, can make or break a story.

This is mostly my case, based on where and when my story is set I look for what would be the usage. Many of my stories are set in a part of the US which had mostly names from British background, but with a definite Hispanic population and a few other European immigrants. The ones set at the University pull in some Indian and Chinese names.

But about repeating names, I don’t do that for my main characters. So Mel and Chris are always the Mel and Chris, Asha, Lucia, Yvonne, etc. Or if they’re reused, it’s for a reason, such as naming a child after a dead parent or friend.

But Margaret. For some reason, the name reappears for my female supporting characters in leadership positions. Boss women. Sometimes they get in on the action, sometimes not. Never referred to as Maggie or Peggy... Always Margaret. Oddest is I’ve always hated the only Margaret I can recall as a prominent memory, Mrs. Thatcher...

Psychoanalyse that! Wait, no, don’t.

 

[NotWise]

She told me that the government of the day had a long list of approved names for boys and girls and if you picked from the list, all good. So that was on his birth certificate and passport, etc. There was some sort of exception process but no one wanted to put themselves up for attention from the government of the day...

I think they had a list like that in Spain, and it went the way of Franco. Every child had to have a saint name too, but I think that's just a Roman Catholic tradition.

 

[NotWise]

I'm only now getting to the point where I'm having to grope for names. I don't like reusing them either, and I dislike the "Luna-type" new agey names. Usually, the names have suggested themselves around the same time the character sketch has; the last few stories, though, I've gotten the sketch done before I've come up with the name.

"Luna" isn't a new-agey name if your character is Hispanic. It might even be her last name. "Luna de Lunas" would not be out of the question.

I often research my character names and sometimes change them mid-stream if I don't like the way they're working out. I may also use spellings that are correct for the time and/or place. Hence, I used Ximena instead of Jimena, Madalena instead of Magdalena, Taresa instead of Theresa. I also may use names that are currently uncommon, like Sancho and Aldonza. I used Twyla rather than Twila as a nod to Twyla Tharp.

 

[jaF0]

If I start reading something and I see names like Troy, Rod or Lance, I move on.

I can't say as I really use names in my scratchings. But I might go with non-mainstream female names like Devin, Joey (think Heatherton) or Lola (think Falana).