stevenpiziks (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stevenpiziks) wrote2008-08-12 11:27 am
stevenpiziks) wrote2008-08-12 11:27 am
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Names
I posted this in response to a blog fellow UWGer Cindy Pape made about naming characters:
What names mean isn’t that useful for characters, in my experience. I mean, so “Paul” means “little” and “Mirabel” means “extraodinary beauty.” Meh. The vast, vast majority of readers will neither know nor care.
Unless you’re going for symbolism, that is.
I lean on THE BABY NAME SURVEY BOOK, me. The authors surveyed thousands of people and asked them what traits they think of when they hear a particular name. In the book, they list the most common traits people came up with. For example, the name Cindy makes people think of “a friendly, honest, perky child with looks that are average and size that’s petite.” On the other hand, Cynthia “is pictured as a petite, attractive, blue-eyed blonde who is sweet, quiet, and perhaps a bit spoiled.”
The name Steven makes people think of “a tall, muscular, good-looking man who is quiet, mild mannered, and nice.” (Dearie, dearie me.) Interestingly, Steve is “a good guy who is strong, good-looking, humorous, friendly, and lots of fun.”
It’s a great shortcut for naming characters. Want to name your hero Franklin? Be aware that people see that name two ways: “a large, powerful, well-bred achiever or a dull,quiet, intelligent scientist.” Could work. How about Ira? “An accountant or stockbroker who looks like an aging Woody Allen. Ira is pictured as a short Jewish man who is smart, sensitive, and an irritable complainer.” Hmmm . . . maybe not, then.
Thinking of naming your heroine Ann? “The name Ann calls to mind a plain, middle-class woman who is kind, practical, industrious, and dull.” Perhaps we should turn the page. Deborah? “Most people agree that Deborah is a good name for a willowy beauty who is dependable and intelligent. Some, though, think of Deborah as theatrical or even wild.” Sounds fine!
Naturally, none of this bears any resemblance to the reality. I once knew a guy named Ira who would have been right at home as a romantic hero, and we know Anne Harris is far from dull. But for a =character= the book is quite useful, since one of the first things the reader learns about her is her name, and choosing a name to fit the reader’s preconceptions is a quick shortcut to characterization.
What names mean isn’t that useful for characters, in my experience. I mean, so “Paul” means “little” and “Mirabel” means “extraodinary beauty.” Meh. The vast, vast majority of readers will neither know nor care.
Unless you’re going for symbolism, that is.
I lean on THE BABY NAME SURVEY BOOK, me. The authors surveyed thousands of people and asked them what traits they think of when they hear a particular name. In the book, they list the most common traits people came up with. For example, the name Cindy makes people think of “a friendly, honest, perky child with looks that are average and size that’s petite.” On the other hand, Cynthia “is pictured as a petite, attractive, blue-eyed blonde who is sweet, quiet, and perhaps a bit spoiled.”
The name Steven makes people think of “a tall, muscular, good-looking man who is quiet, mild mannered, and nice.” (Dearie, dearie me.) Interestingly, Steve is “a good guy who is strong, good-looking, humorous, friendly, and lots of fun.”
It’s a great shortcut for naming characters. Want to name your hero Franklin? Be aware that people see that name two ways: “a large, powerful, well-bred achiever or a dull,quiet, intelligent scientist.” Could work. How about Ira? “An accountant or stockbroker who looks like an aging Woody Allen. Ira is pictured as a short Jewish man who is smart, sensitive, and an irritable complainer.” Hmmm . . . maybe not, then.
Thinking of naming your heroine Ann? “The name Ann calls to mind a plain, middle-class woman who is kind, practical, industrious, and dull.” Perhaps we should turn the page. Deborah? “Most people agree that Deborah is a good name for a willowy beauty who is dependable and intelligent. Some, though, think of Deborah as theatrical or even wild.” Sounds fine!
Naturally, none of this bears any resemblance to the reality. I once knew a guy named Ira who would have been right at home as a romantic hero, and we know Anne Harris is far from dull. But for a =character= the book is quite useful, since one of the first things the reader learns about her is her name, and choosing a name to fit the reader’s preconceptions is a quick shortcut to characterization.