Weekly Geeks 2009-06

What's In a Name?

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names?

Go to Google or a baby name site like this one or this one, and look up a favorite character's name. What does their name mean? Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?

If you'd like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

When I search out a name for my children I try to find names that have a meaning they can aspire to, even if it doesn't exactly describe them. For example, I named my little boy after a famous photographer and writer, Jacob Riis: an immigrant who was once poor, who used his talents to make others aware of the impoverished living conditions of tenement housing in NYC. I felt inspired by that story and chose that name for my son.


I was reading A Room with a View by E.M. Forster and loved the name Leonora when I first heard it. That is what I named my youngest daughter. Leonora is Lucy's alter-ego; a story within the story. Where Lucy is repressed, Leonora is free to act out on her passions. But that isn't why I chose the name. IT means light and compassion. Mostly I just loved the name.


As far as character's names that I've loved I have to give notice to a fantasy writer who I have enjoyed. In the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan there is a vast number of characters whose names he creatively made up. Some are names of obscure historical figures but not most. I have never seen a collection of books with so many names I've never heard before. People who are great fans of these books have been known to name their children after the characters (but I'm not one of those people). Here is a list of names of his characters. You may not be familiar with this series or these names but see if there are any you like.

My favorites are Siuan, Alviarin, and Chesmal.