How do you feel about borrowed names?

[Androxine Vortex]

Many times when I read, I notice that some of the characters' names were actual names from our world. For example, let's say there was a religious organization. It's members' names would be directly taken from different religions (especially Christianity : Abaddon, Ezekiel, etc.) How do you feel about this?

I personally don't like it. When I create names, I might use real names as an example or reference on how names sounded and then build off of them, not taking them directly. To me it seems very lazy and uncreative. The author had an opportunity to be creative but chose to just Ctrl C, Ctrl V. I think the only time I came close to exactly copying a name was when I created a name, but then found out that it was the name of an old Persian God. So I just changed two letters in it.

[SlimShady]

Doesn't really bother me too much. Abaddon just sounds badass and I even thought about using Ezekiel. (For the record the characters would refer to him as Zek.) I understand how hard it is coming up with names and if your against using names like that then you're against names like Richard, George, Martin, etc. So basically your saying we shouldn't use real life names at all and just make every single one of them up? That would be a tad bit too jarring for me.

[Androxine Vortex]

Doesn't really bother me too much. Abaddon just sounds badass and I even thought about using Ezekiel. (For the record the characters would refer to him as Zek.) I understand how hard it is coming up with names and if your against using names like that then you're against names like Richard, George, Martin, etc. So basically your saying we shouldn't use real life names at all and just make every single one of them up? That would be a tad bit too jarring for me.

I actually do invent all of my names haha. Tolkien did that too. Not sure if every single name he used he invented but I can safely say he invented a large majority of them

[SlimShady]

I actually do invent all of my names haha.

Interesting. You must have a lot of creativity, but for me I find that made up names are hit and miss. Some will sound good, while a lot will just be to fantastical or just too stupid.

[gavintonks]

whats in a name - everything - so all Davids must now stop calling themselves David because there was a religious David? does not make sense, same as Nazgul its not a Tolkein word it is a name of a shadow entity from mythologye

[Amanita]

I don't mind the use of real-world names but I don't like it too much if there's some obvious real world reference. Characters named "Zeus" or "Shiva" used for no reason would bother me and I'm also trying to avoid all names with real-world religious meanings in my made-up worlds.

[Alex97]

I don't mind if real world names are used as long as they fit in well and aren't really obvious.

[ProfessorBrainfever]

As is the answer to most things like this: it depends.

My NIP has all sorts of borrowed names...but it's an alternate history piece. So where I borrow my names I'm also borrowing those people from actual history.

I find when you borrow a name and it's too 'on the nose', it can be annoying. But only if used in excess.

[BWFoster78]

I think I'd probably seriously dislike a piece that made up all the names. For me, trying to figure out how to pronounce a bunch of unnatural sounding names is too distracting.

I'm the complete opposite of the OP.

[Lawfire]

I have often thought that a "name pronunciation guide" as an appendix (or something) would be a nice addition to many fantasy novels.

I like a majority of names to be made up, but at the same time, what are the odds that some would not line up closely (or exactly) with "real" names?