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?

 

[Twook00]

While it doesn't bother me, I have to say that all of my favorite characters had original names (to my knowledge, at least).

 

[Saigonnus]

While I often got annoyed by most of the RPGs using the same stuff for "spells" (i.e. Leviathan, Shiva, Bahamut etc.) finding "new" names for characters is often difficult if not impossible. More than likely SOME author at SOME point in the last 500 years has used that name for a character (even if you think it's new). I say just let it go and just try to think of a name that suits the character... something that isn't too weighted down and difficult to read. Sure, you could have an Orcish shaman named Ish'ur'tala'kel but why bother when he could easily be Gudlaug (good log)...

 

[Androxine Vortex]

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

Well I think it is kind of lazy to just say, "My character is a religious character. Let's copy a name out from history that has to do with religion and use it in my story." Most of the time if it is done once, then the author will likely copy other names. I'm not saying you can't name your character David, but I think it would be a bad move for you to name a character Zeus unless the character you are writting about is in fact Zeus. I'm just very tired of reading about characters with the names I listed above.

Sometimes it I can tolerate it though. Like your Nazgul example. I'm trying not to sound hypocritical though. I suppose if a name has to be copied, try to make it a little more obscure and not a more reknown one. I also don't mind if names come from words that relate to a character or place. Again, the Nazgul example.

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.

I know what you mean and I don't want my readers to become flustered with trying to pronounce bizzare names. I don't go over the top and try to make them easy and not too complex.

Amanita also has a good point.

As I said before, I invent all of my names. If I want my culture to have Russian feel to them, then I would look at different Russian names and learn the language a little bit. I learn the prefixes, the suffixes, and any little bits of info I can. I might even take a real name and change it around a little bit. Or if my character is evil and sneaky I might find Russian words that mean evil and sneaky and change them around a bit to sound more like a name.

I love it when authors use their own imaginated names. It really allows you to become creative. I believe you limit yourself by relying on things that have already been made. And as an author, you should be trying to write new stories, with new places, and new characters. What's the fun in writting a story where you are taking direct names from other stories? I think we would get tired of it if every story there was a David.

(No offense to anyone named David, I'm just using gavintonks's example)

 

[BWFoster78]

Sometimes it I can tolerate it though. Like your Nazgul example. I'm trying not to sound hypocritical though. I suppose if a name has to be copied, try to make it a little more obscure and not a more reknown one. I also don't mind if names come from words that relate to a character or place. Again, the Nazgul example.

I just don't see the bad with "borrowing" names. Maybe I'm not understanding your point.

I'd rather read about fantasy characters named Joe and Bob than Algotrah and Belxoru. Is that what you're talking about?

 

[Bear]

I enjoy naming characters. In my last book I never really used a proper name as the characters are as follows: Bear, Bird, Fox, Old Hat, John Dullman, John Brightman, Elder, and worker. I don't like to borrow names. Not that character names are all that original but there is a reason why I did that.

I'm thinking of writing a novel in space and the character names will be weird. Most likely chopped off sir names and vowels.

Bear- character adorns a helmet similar to the head of a grizzly bear. The character is very strong and large.

Bird- character adorns a helmet similar to a bird. The female character is very elegant and thin.

Fox- character adorns a helmet similar to a fox. The character is a very sexual woman and deceitful.

Old Hat- an old guy in a wheel chair. Truth- a rip at Stephen King after he got hit by a van.

Elder- and old dude

Worker- a worker.

John Dullman- a dull man

John Brightman- a bright man

 

[ethgania]

I'm a nut for linguistics so I try to develop at least some sort of system for naming my characters... My stories have some overlap with this world in their lore (think shifting and sometimes overlapping realities?), so I can at least use that as an excuse for abusing baby name dictionaries and mushing words together.

 

[John McDonell]

I found it slightly odd when Goodkind used 'Richard' as his main character while most of his other characters had invented names. I try to invent all of my names, places, people, monsters. It is tough though to come up with something that sounds like an actual name that isn't and actual name somewhere, in some language. I am ok with that. If Hent sounds like a fantasy name but it's actually Swedish (I have no idea if it is or not, just throwing it out there), so be it. I'll use it. I was shocked to discover that my fantasy world and Teddy Ruxpin's world both shared the same name - Rillonia. I let Teddy keep it and changed mine to Rhillonia. I may have to invent a new race of teddy bear goblins or something now

 

[Androxine Vortex]

I just don't see the bad with "borrowing" names. Maybe I'm not understanding your point.

I'd rather read about fantasy characters named Joe and Bob than Algotrah and Belxoru. Is that what you're talking about?

Here's my point:

Let's say I am writting a story about warriors and I need a name for their leader. So I take the name Ares from Greek Myth meaning God of War and name my character Ares. Even though my character is not the same Ares from Greek myth. That's my problem. I see all too often authors taking names from other stories and putting them in their own. And of course I try to not make my names ridiculous. And I personally wouldn't even use the names Joe or Bob either. When I write fantasy unless the world is set in our modern day society or world we know today, then I don't use any real names and invent all of them. I'm trying to create a different world, why not have different names.

I'm really surprised as to how many of you are against inventing your own names. Do you come up with any original names for your characters? I would like to know how you go about naming yours.

 

[Will]

I find it very odd when reading a book, the names will be like... Arden, Rand, Bast, Tywin, etc, then randomly just have a name like Frank in the middle of all of those. Makes me lol. I don't mind the religious/mythical name borrowing so much.

 

[Chime85]

For my writing, I prefer to think of original names for at least most of my characters. Of course, you will get a Samuel once in a while and that's fine by me. What I often dislike is (as exampled above) you get names like Satan but there is no Christianity in the world. Of course, if there are particular "real world" religions in your story, then go ahead.