What's in a name?

[scheherazade_79]

One of my favourite parts of writing any new story is coming up with appropriate names for the characters. I've looked in baby-name books, but the "meaning" of the name never ever fits my general view of what a person with that name is like.

To give you an example of what I mean:

Judith (a Hebrew name, meaning "praised" or "admired")
In my book, a sensible woman with flat shoes, who's prudish when it comes to sex and has a nasty temper.

Emily ("industrious", "eager")
In my book, a woman who's pretty, but quite reserved with pronounced lesbian tendencies.

Brian (Celtic - "strong")
In my book, a rather thick-set man who's prone to childhish behaviour and wears white socks. Possibly still lives with his mother.


Does anyone else out there have preconceptions about certain names?

(Apologies to anyone who actually has any of these names)

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Julia : Soft haired, youthful : Fits pretty well with the time I used it

Samantha : Listener of God : Nope!

Mary : Bitter : Nope!

Jessica : Wealthy : Surprisingly, this one was true.

Jasmine : A flower in the olive family : Ahhh... no.

Alissa : Truth, noble : well, sortof, maybe, kinda... not really.

Cassandra : Prophet : Again... NOPE!

2 for 7... not to impressive.

 

[matriarch]

Kate: "Each of the two"; "torture"; "my consecration of your name"; "pure"...... I reckon the last one is spot on.

Sara: "lady" or "princess" in Hebrew...... A definite match.

Jeannie: JEANNE - Jehanne - feminine of Johannes - JOHN- Yochanan meaning "YAHWEH is gracious" .......um, don't think so.

Susan: Short form of SUSANNA - 'Lily or Rose'........ No connection.

Lizzie: from 'Elizabeth' - From Elisabet - Hebrew Elisheba meaning "God is my oath"......By making her Lizzie and not Elizabeth, the name gave me the impression of 'energy, vivacity'.

Mary: "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". Most likely originally an Egyptian name, mry "beloved" or mr "love"............My image of Mary in this story, was mature, strong but gentle.

Jennifer: Cornish form of Gwenhwyfar - gwen meaning "fair, white" and hwyfar meaning "smooth"........Shortening the name to Jen in the story, gave modernity, decisiveness to the name.

Abigail: "my father is joy". Absolutely no resemblance. I made it Abi in the story. Young, attractive, vivacious.

Heather: "heather" from - it is derived from Middle English 'hather'..........My impression of this name was, quiet, unassuming, which is why I used it. I reckon this is a match.

Maggie: from MARGARET - 'margarites' meaning "pearl".........for me, this name means someone out of the ordinary, special, different.

Claire: Medieval "clear, bright, famous"......Hmmmm, not sure, I think 'clear and bright', are actually quite spot on for this character.

6 out of 11 Not bad.

 

[scheherazade_79]

LOL @ Cheerful

See what I mean? Things are deathly slow in here tonight, so let's liven them up with a game. I give a name, and the next person describes what kind of person would have that name... then provides a name for the next person to describe. Everyone clear?

Good.

The next name is:

PHILLIP

 

[matriarch]

LOL @ Cheerful

See what I mean? Things are deathly slow in here tonight, so let's liven them up with a game. I give a name, and the next person describes what kind of person would have that name... then provides a name for the next person to describe. Everyone clear?

Good.

The next name is:

PHILLIP

Phillip

A gentleman, elegant, polite, well mannered. Wouldn't be seen dead on a porn site.

How about ......ABIGAIL

 

[scheherazade_79]

Phillip

A gentleman, elegant, polite, well mannered. Wouldn't be seen dead on a porn site.

How about ......ABIGAIL

Bottom teeth that are slightly too sharp, a tendency to cry to get her own way.


GERALDINE

 

[matriarch]

Bottom teeth that are slightly too sharp, a tendency to cry to get her own way.


GERALDINE

Oh good heavens.

Ummmmm..............'homely' daughter from good middle class family. Terribly 'horsey'.

(God, how stereotyping is this. Are we safe?)

 

[scheherazade_79]

You need to provide the next name, Mat

 

[matriarch]

You need to provide the next name, Mat

Ooops, so carried away with the hysterical emoticons........a name...how about........

CATHERINE

 

[scheherazade_79]

Ooops, so carried away with the hysterical emoticons........a name...how about........

CATHERINE

Red hair, very self-righteous. Only has sex for the purpose of procreation.


TERENCE

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Red hair, very self-righteous. Only has sex for the purpose of procreation.


TERENCE

A goober. He thinks he's funny, but no one else does. Probably has no friends. hehe.
Oh, and he's still a virgin.


DANIELLE

 

[fogbank]

Danielle:
Religious, family-oriented, gets married at 18, largely to get around the whole issue of premarital sex.


NATASHA

 

[McKenna]

NATASHA - Russian, tough, whip-thin and sexy, bitchy.

SHEILA

 

[minsue]

SHEILA - Brassy, overprocessed blonde hair. Likes a good time, especially if there is beer involved.


JESSIE

 

[EmeraldKitten]

SHEILA - Brassy, overprocessed blonde hair. Likes a good time, especially if there is beer involved.


JESSIE

A cheerleader. Usually gives the football team head after they win a game.


MIKE

 

[Xelebes]

The next name is:

PHILLIP

Me.


Oh wait.


Lover of horses. Um... not going to go there... >.>

Here's my list. Maybe a bit... I dunno the word for it... but whatever.


Ashley

Slender, tall, a women to satisfy the average bloke but by no means knky. Kinky she'll go is a blowjob.

Brianne

A more fuller woman, by no means prude but by no means a slut, a little daft and cliquy as to not quite understand the term "slut". Which is a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

Charlotte

A girl from the outside of town, timid but conversational, finds a blowjob is a silly yet fun thing to do. Never occured to her what being eaten out means.

Danielle

Slim and short, brownman pretty, likes to ride.

Ellen

Tall, grace, refined. A bit prudish though.

Francis

Short, moderately set, modest, a bit on the geeky side but pretty. Never in the In so desires a little attention.

Georgia

Southern Belle not in the south, prim and proper but name turns people away from her like she is an aloof person. In but feels empty. Isolated. Hopes the man of her dreams comes but when she gets one, she gets a cold shoulder.

Hannah

Reserved and proper, geeky as hell but quite a party animal when the liquor starts flowing.

Irene

Tall, slender, geeky as hell but hides a cloak of deviation.

Jasmine

Annoying.

Ok, ok.... uhhhh..... yep. Annoying. That's all I got to describe for that name.

Karen

Slender, athletic. Could be geeky but hangs around with the other 'jock' crowd.

That's enough for now...

 

[scheherazade_79]

A cheerleader. Usually gives the football team head after they win a game.


MIKE

Wants to be an action hero, but doesn't quite make the grade. Slightly cocky, goes to the gym a lot, but lets himself down with his dress sense. Usually dark-haired. Starts growing a pony tail when he's in his 40s to disguise the fact he's going bald. Wears sunglasses when it's not really necessary.



KIM

 

[impressive]

KIM

Way butch.

BUTCH.

 

[scheherazade_79]

Way butch.

BUTCH.

Fat face, noticeably short, very square jaw - rather androgynous from the distance. Drinks lager.


MARIANNA

 

[oggbashan]

Fat face, noticeably short, very square jaw - rather androgynous from the distance. Drinks lager.


MARIANNA

Lives in a moated grange. Floats around in long robes or is a modern gothic damsel with black hair, black lipstick and white make-up. Reads the romantic poets and adores Byron.


MAISIE

 

[impressive]

MARIANNA

Seemingly sweet & innocent with a rather interesting secret or two.

GEOFFREY

+++

EDITED 'cause Og's too fast:

MAISIE: Daisy headed. (Just kidding). Plain, country girl. Lust for life. Sex is raucous and fun, but not too serious.

 

[matriarch]

Seemingly sweet & innocent with a rather interesting secret or two.

GEOFFREY

Nerd.

CHRISTOPHER

 

[Guest]

Kate: "Each of the two"; "torture"; "my consecration of your name"; "pure"...... I reckon the last one is spot on.

Bahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

I have a mug saying: Katie (pure), that someone could be as lovely as you, sometimes seems too good to be true. Some things may change but one thing is sure, you'll always remain wonderful and PURE!

It never fails to make me chuckle.

Bah, I guess I don't live up to my name.

Katie-Lou

 

[matriarch]

Bahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

I have a mug saying: Katie (pure), that someone could be as lovely as you, sometimes seems too good to be true. Some things may change but one thing is sure, you'll always remain wonderful and PURE!

It never fails to make me chuckle.

Bah, I guess I don't live up to my name.

Katie-Lou

Two kinds of pure, and you have the one that is most important.
Pure in heart, love.
That's what counts.

 

[cloudy]

Nerd.

CHRISTOPHER

Boy-next-door looking, fair-haired, blue eyes.....decent in school and at sports, but doesn't stand out.

CYNTHIA