Do You Mind Unusual Names?

[cherrystark]

I prefer names that I can easily pronounce or figure it out phonetically. For more "modern" stuff, I don't like weird spellings of "normal" names, ex. Ainjel - it just overcomplicates the story. I know this is my personal taste here, but I think a character's name has to fit the time, location, and cultural background of where your story takes place. Like naming a twenty-something male character, Elmer, in 2020 is weird. I always link that name with an old man in the 1960s. Even names like Jaxton, Paxton, Braxton, weren't super common when I was a kid so in my head when I hear names like that - I imagine a white lady coming up with trendy names for her kids calling for her 4-year-old son. I don't picture the hunky love interest that the author has in mind.

[therosesword]

Actually, if you're considering the "Western Hemisphere" you're going to have a lot of different and unusual names, from the Mayan Civilization to the Viking and French settlers from France.

Western Hemisphere is South, Central and North America.

I am, of course, assuming that you're in the US (my apologies if my assumption is wrong.)

Different regions within the US have different names that are popular. "Clayton" used to be a popular US Southern name, same as Beau. Avena (close to your pick of Avanna) is a real name and is Latin.

Surprisingly enough you'll find quite a few Welsh names in the Argentinian Patagonia region because it was heavily settled by the Welsh. Although, of course you'll find a great many Hispanic names in central and southern Americas.

[Fuzzyman818]

Well your not to off mark with your assumption. But yeah, the whole world is just a big fondue pot of different languages, cultures, etc. Some may find it fascinating, others tend to stick with where the are and what they know.

[TheGentleArtist]

Unusual names are pretty cool. I named some of my characters unusual names, sometimes they would be play on words of actual words. Though, I am also fine with normal names as well.

[HGohwell]

For more "modern" stuff, I don't like weird spellings of "normal" names, ex. Ainjel

What the hell is that? I had to stare at that for like a good minute to figure out what it was trying to say. (Is that Angel? I think that's Angel?)

Personally I like to stick to more "normal weird". I like Welsh, most people know things like the Gw sound from things like Gwain and Gwen. And as mentioned above I like Greco-Roman/Shakespearian style names but I'm always careful they're more common/obvious pronunciations. Things like Hyperion and Oberon and Charon. (Although given I'm more fantasy/sci-fi focused I have more room on this than a modern high school slice of life)

[therosesword]

Welsh names are wonderful... and drive you nuts. I spent a couple years trying to learn Welsh. I think I have a permanent divot in my forehead from banging it against the wall with those darn rolled "r's". But, at least I can say good morning and good night in Welsh.

I love the fact with the Welsh added letters can mean "son of" etc. And I forget which Scandinavian country also has "daughter of" with the names.

Yes, I'm a research junkie.

Write hard, write true.

[VibrantFox]

Probably just a personal opinion but I tend to feel like that specific piece of advice tends towards potentially or actually ostracizing those with foreign or rather non-american names (jane, bette the usual colonized names) which is fine but I prefer those perceived unusual names.

Now there are some barriers for completely absurd names or nonsense names but if people can speak fictional languages from fictional locations i think they can at least try to learn names they're unfamiliar with and if a reader is struggling or a writer wants to make things easier for pronunciation or what have you a small phonetic guide in the description or something can be provided

[HGohwell]

I love Celtic names in general, but much like with the Greek ones, I'm always careful with how easy they are to pronounce when you read them. I hate having to stare at a name for half an hour trying to figure out how to pronounce it (like those made up fantasy names with punctuation and lots of vowels together and no pronunciation guide).

[skicoak]

I got a sharp rock in my shoe about EVEN genre naming conventions...

So many authors throw a f'n word scramble at the page and expect it to resonate... Princess Acagtradse of the realm Nhibopawqer... I ain't got TIME for that!

Give me Han Solo and Bilbo Baggins type names not crap that makes Google translate sound like it's having a seizure.

[Phantomlight]

xD Yeah, pronouncing names is already a tough thing for a lot people regardless xD I always like it when authors make a little footnote on how to pronounce the name though. And usually not in the way that most dictionaries do, but in kind of layman's terms do like "Beatriz" could be "Bee-Ah-Trees" instead of the way a dictionary writes it with upside down letters and such xD

[therosesword]

The Celtic are great (from the UK) and if you get some in the Germanic or more southerly they're tongue twisters, but not always.
When I finally found out how to spell Siobhan I just about fainted, no wonder I couldn't find it anywhere! Hahah.

I totally suck when it comes to pronouncing anything but the simplest Greek names. I'm a big fan of c-drama so I'm getting better with the Chinese names.

French names get interesting when you cross over into Corsica. And if you set a story in Switzerland the floodgates are open because they have three official languages. I used to watch a TV show from there and they'd switch from German to French to Italian.

One of my favorite things to do is find a name that has meaning to the character.

[Dysis]

unless you're writing high fantasy/sci-fi, don't use unusual names. Wherever you're writing for, use common names for that country. Readers don't like it when you use names that are unusual to them. If you're writing for a western audience you work should be full of Jacks, Pauls, Johns and Harrys etc. Typically western names.

Well, Hermione Granger is a likeable character from a normal world with very normal parents so I beg to differ...

[joannekwan]

I don't mind unusual names so long as they're pronounceable like skicoak said. No Xxyzzchrz's pls. Gotta put some vowels in there.

Not sure of the rest of the context the quote comes from, but from what's quoted at face value, it's kind of limiting since the examples in particular are so Anglo-western.

I usually name characters according to their background. Like I have two middle-eastern characters, and their names are Faiza and Hadi. They're unusual for most western readers, but I gotta stay true to their characters and heritage.

And then there will always be the case where something's unusual to one person but not to another. Like Beau is a totally normal name for me but lots of my readers had never heard it before.

[cherrystark]

It'@HGohwell Yeah, I saw that name on a post about weird names or weird spellings of names. The nerd in me recognizes those "normal weird" names so they aren't a big deal to pronounce or figure out phonetically.

Probably just a personal opinion but I tend to feel like that specific piece of advice tends towards potentially or actually ostracizing those with foreign or rather non-american names (jane, bette the usual colonized names) which is fine but I prefer those perceived unusual names.

I can see where you're coming from with perhaps ostracising people with foreign or non-English names. For me, that's why I appreciate knowing a person/character's culture heritage or at least being able to recognize it. If you have a character named Jiya or Omala, for example, who is a woman of Indian descent, I would want to learn how to pronounce her name correctly. It's the same type of respect I would want to give to a real-life person. Naming a character Xyler makes me go It's too weird for my taste.

Now there are some barriers for completely absurd names or nonsense names but if people can speak fictional languages from fictional locations i think they can at least try to learn names they're unfamiliar with and if a reader is struggling or a writer wants to make things easier for pronunciation or what have you a small phonetic guide in the description or something can be provided

Fully agree that pronunciation guides should be included more to give the reader a break.

[HGohwell]

The Celtic are great (from the UK) and if you get some in the Germanic or more southerly they're tongue twisters, but not always. When I finally found out how to spell Siobhan I just about fainted, no wonder I couldn't find it anywhere! Hahah

(Also from the UK) Yeah Siobhan is one of the worst, I'm always stunned by some of the Irish spellings. They can be as a bad if now worse than the Welsh. Pro-tip for fantasy writers: Irish names look fantasy and pronounce like "normal" names. Best of both worlds!

One of my favorite things to do is find a name that has meaning to the character.

Yeah, doing fantasy I can do a lot of this. I spend so much time on baby name sites finding the perfect name.

Not sure of the rest of the context the quote comes from, but from what's quoted at face value, it's kind of limiting since the examples in particular are so Anglo-western.

To be clear, the reason I use the phrase "basically goes" is because it's something I've seen on numerous "advice on how to do character" articles and videos and tutorials ect. It's a summation. But those are generally the sort of names they give for American/English speaking marketed book. The same way, for example, a Japanese manga would usually have an all Japanese cast with "normal"/common Japanese names, nothing older or uncommon or from another language despite that being an upcoming trend over there are much as it is in the west.

Like Beau is a totally normal name for me but lots of my readers had never heard it before.

This is blasphemy. Beau is a lovely name. It's one of my favourites.

[Zino]

I don't mind unusual names but if they are very foreign and long I'm gonna have a hard time learning them :'D like with some korean names in webtoons, they are often a bit similar, so I end up being confused a lot, when I'm not sure who is being talked about lol

[therosesword]

There's a great book: The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. There's a glossary in the back with the names listed in alphabetical order but then you go to the page listed for them and you can find out where the name comes from and its meaning. The version I have is from 1994 so I'm sure there's a newer version but it's like the best book ever for names from all over the world.

[joannekwan]

I feel the same! Especially when they have similar vowel patterns.

[WillowTree]

Like Beau is a totally normal name for me

Funny story!! I had only ever heard that word pronounced separately from seeing it spelled. I thought 'Beau' would've been spelled as 'Bo.' So when I adopted one of my dogs, his name at the shelter was 'Beau'... Which I pronounced like 'Beau'-tiful...... We now call him Beauller because it took a year and a half for someone to correct me so it was too late to change it to 'Bo'. I had read so many books set back when people would use the term 'beau' for significant other and I had always pronounced it in my head like 'beau'-tiful.

[nathanKmcwilliams]

@skicoak Zzzax would like a word or two with you