Cool (non-mainstream) Names

[cheerful_deviant]

At Whole Foods today the girl ringing up my items was a very pretty young black girl with a great smile. Her name was Story. I thought that was so cool.

I'm going to have to use that name at some time.

Another name that I personally liked was Rome. I met her at a confrence a fewyears ago and I've already used that name.

Anyone?

 

[jomar]

I just saw Juno and thought that was a cool name.

I also like Riley for a female.

And I met a woman with a cool one the other day... but I can't recall it just now.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Boys names;
Wolf
Paris
Octavius
Damian Marley

Girl's names;
Alegra. I loved her back in highschool and can't seem to stop using that name
And... now my mind has gone blank. I know there are more!

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

Girl's Names: Sky, Amber, Shane

Boy's Names: Stone, Paulo

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I just saw Juno and thought that was a cool name.

Juno is kinda cool.

Boys names;
Wolf
Paris
Octavius
Damian Marley

Girl's names;
Alegra. I loved her back in highschool and can't seem to stop using that name
And... now my mind has gone blank. I know there are more!

Octavius... how very... Roman.

Girl's Names: Sky, Amber, Shane

Boy's Names: Stone, Paulo

I love Amber. Always have. Also, Stone is different.

 

[Guest]

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[cloudy]

I've recently used, Caden, Hunter, Kash, Sabina, Ezra, Reese, Lana, Jaxson, and Mathias. I like creating characters that support such non-mainstream sounding names and I have to say it's one my favorite parts of the writing process.


I wonder what readers think when they run across different names in stories. Stephen King uses really mundane names, Fred, Bob, Joe, etc. I like using non-mainstream names, but does it come across as strange with new names like that? Do you choose a common name for one character then unusual name for another for balance, or all uncommon names?

.....

 

[Guest]

.......

 

[Misty_Morning]

Got a niece named Sierra and another one named Trinity.

 

[sophia jane]

I'm partial to the boy's name Grey.

 

[Bizkit_Writer]

I like the name Beckett along with Oliver too

 

[alyxen]

I've always loved the name Alexander, so when playing RPGs and such I created the name Alyxen to use for my characters...Personally I like it.

 

[al_Ussa]

I've always found that one of the worst examples of cultural homogeny has been the forced use of rather boring Anglo-centric names on pretty much everyone in society. And even then, not fun names like those of Anglo-Saxon rulers, deities or warriors, but bland ones that don't really have any meaning.

Names have meaning, power. Personally, I prefer the use of Arabic names because they all have very straight forward meanings to them (though I try to avoid using Prophet names when writing my stories). Older names that have fallen into disuse, like 'Abd al-'Uzza, and names derived from animals or animal-traits, like Deeb or Assad, are also fun to breath life into.

Of course, there is also a very rich vein of Greek mythology, history and even karagiozi to draw from too. Names like Konstantinos, Alexandros, Leonidas, Porphyrion, Odysseus, Stavros, and so forth all carry a great deal of meaning behind them. Same goes for Persian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Panjabi, Sanskrit, Urdu and Turkish literature.

 

[Equinoxe]

I like those sort of unusual English names, ones which are otherwise words and having meaning to most people.

I have a strange fascination with the idea of names after months. Not the months that people actually choose, like April, May, or June—but November, October, or February, maybe.

I've never met anyone with any of those names, though.

And even then, not fun names like those of Anglo-Saxon rulers, deities or warriors, but bland ones that don't really have any meaning.

If people are going to use English names, they ought to use old Anglo-Saxon names. Name your son Æðelred—if any of the schoolchildren tease him about being unready, well then they obviously belong in the gifted programme.

 

[damppanties]

Got a niece named Sierra and another one named Trinity.

I love Sierra.

I always try to create unusual or pretty sounding names for my characters. Some of them that are based on someone I know need to have some element of the person or how I think of the person in the name. It's fun naming characters.

The most unusual name of a person I met was Eros.

 

[john-the-author]

Boys names;
Wolf
Paris
Octavius
Damian Marley

Girl's names;
Alegra. I loved her back in highschool and can't seem to stop using that name
And... now my mind has gone blank. I know there are more!

I've known an Octavius (he works for the city of Seattle and kept wanting to buy my ex-wife's 67 Mustang, which we'd seriously cherried out). I also knew an Allegra years ago in Tucson--pretty blonde woman a few years older than I was.

Other unusual names I really like (I've gone through my Yule card list and gleaned the following):

Men:
Dublin
Dirk
Sabahat

Women:
Callista
Phylise
Siobhan (she-VAUN for those not familiar with it)
Narda
Linnea
Kyril
Adele
Oz
Margot
Astrid
Vonda
Rosalie
Serine
Pasha
Fong
Verity
Skye
Nonda
Giovanna

 

[glynndah]

I work at a grade school. Among the kids' names are:

Aerial (Yep. Spelled like the antenna).
Rainbow
Slayder
Laben
Zeppelin (Actually this is the second little girl I've known named Zeppelin.)
Sylvan
Hunter
Landree
Kolby
Rylee
Kambria

 

[fieryjen]

I think it's interesting to see what names are considered uncommon by some.

There are definitely a few among those that I consider no more than ordinary. But that's by my admittedly very German standards.

 

[meg1]

I liked my spelling of Eirin...but i made it up....if I've ever seen it, I don't remember it. I just wanted to give it more of a Celtic feel....not sure why, I didn't make her Irish.

 

[JagFarlane]

I know of a lass named Tegan.

And I agree with Jen, a lot of the names I would view as actually pretty normal these days

 

[john-the-author]

I know of a lass named Tegan.

My youngest stepdaughter has a best friend named Tegan.

This discussion of names (and the mention of "Rylee") reminded me of a screed by the Misanthropic Bitch. Her website is now down, but it's been mirrored by several fans elsewhere. Here's a link to one of my favorite rants of hers.

I know of a baby named T'yanna (with the apostrophe, mind you). If ever there was a name that screamed "white trash," that was it. Fortunately, no-one asked me.

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

I agree that there are some names that i would see as quote ordinary, and a lot of names i come across on the day to day are ordinary to me as they have a heritage i am very familiar with, either of arabic, punjabi or hindi origins.

There are a lot of names i like, but many i wouldnt name my children.

I love Riley either male or female

Naina- Punjabi for 'Eyes' and one of my characters is called Naina, and it is a female's name

Aditya- hindi, but cant remember what it means. I like it as a female's name, bit apparently its a male name.

I love some of the ones mentioned, Trinity, Skye, Amber, Alexander- i love shortening it to Xander

I like Cane (or is it Kane?), Roman and Joshua, Matthew, Luke, Miles, Niall is an all time favourite.

I find it harder to think of girls names i like...

Sophia, Alexis (character), Aleyna (Character), Natasha, Ashley, Siobhan, Naeve, Jessica, Mia.

 

[matriarch]

I don't know about like it, but I saw the strangest girls name ever on TV last night. A quiz show, a girl called 'Lentil'. Mummy and daddy obviously vegetarians???

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

I don't know about like it, but I saw the strangest girls name ever on TV last night. A quiz show, a girl called 'Lentil'. Mummy and daddy obviously vegetarians???

OMG...my friends at uni call me lentil for some odd reason...something to do with my sexuality...but i STILL dont get it...

*shudder*

 

[starrkers]

I was at college with a girl named Pagan.