What names do people use and why?
Thinking about names that I have seen in TG fiction for the characters that are changed or changing, if the story is aimed as being real to life the name can be anything. But and this is what gets to me in any other form the names largely seem to be boys names that are feminized, so Terry becomes Terri, Nick becomes Niki. Is this a reflection on reality? Personally if and when I ever make the journey I will drop my bith names though I may well keep the initials.
Anyway reason I ask is that when I'm writing a story I try and pick names that are either to start with, so Sam, Chris or Jamie. Recently picked up a babies name book and found some other very interesting masculine names that are by sound certainly feminine. Jocelyn (masc) Jocelin (fem) and Kristen both masculine and feminine. Also heard of Karol which is derived from the polish Charles. I also know of several latin (& catholic) naming conventions that lead to boys being called Maria.
With so many interesting names why do so many TG fiction authors reuse the same names over and over? Not leveling my finger at any one person, just interested in what others think.
My take on names
I think it depends on the circumstances behind the change. A person voluntarily transformed might well choose a completely different name; this is something that has been a dream of theirs and they may well have had an idea for some time of 'who' they wanted to be.
It's a different story if the change is forced or accidental. With a forced change, whoever changed them is likely going to name them so pretty much anything goes here. They me choose a name similar to the original to constantly remind the transformee, or something completely different to reinforce in them how different their life is now. With an accidental change, the transformed person will probably choose something similar to their original name as a means of clinging to what they have lost.
Sincerely,
Scott
Bree
The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.
-- Tom Clancy
http://genomorph.tglibrary.com/ (Currently broken)
http://bree-ramsey314.livejournal.com/
Twitter: @genomorph
The Name Game
Naming a character correctly is a large part of the fun of writing. It would be wonderful is we could all come up with names like Ichabod Crane or Ebenezer Scrooge. (I’d have a dickens of a time matching that last one.)
The first consideration in naming characters might be to eliminate confusion. Try to avoid having two main characters with the same first letter. If your story includes Sally, Susie, Sharon, Samantha, and Sheila your readers might shudder.
Obviously, you should avoid having two characters with the same name.
Although many TG stories have characters with two names (their female name and male name), authors should avoid calling characters by too many different names. Some authors use Mrs. Langley, mother, Linda, Bunny, and sister to refer to the same character. Not good. Readers are all tied up in knots deciphering plot and don’t need to be bothered by ever changing names.
Amelia and I referred to one character in "Peaches" by two names. All the female characters referred to Richie Betson as Richie, while all the male characters referred to him as Rich. One of our characters, Mouse, was somewhat bi so she referred to him by both names at various times.
Picking a name could easily enhance your story. For example; I use the following website
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/eng.php
which provides the etymology and history of first names.
I picked Shannon for one of my TG characters because the name is used for both females and males and because of the image of a flowing (ever changing) river.
You might signal ethnicity through the name or even hint toward the person’s traits.
One of my favorite character names of all time is Cruella “De Vil.†As any dog lover knows, she is the “DeVil.â€Â
The age of the character can be signaled through the name.
By using this handy website you can place a year with a name.
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
For example; in 1950 the most popular name for a boy was James and a girl – Linda. By 2005 “James†had sank to 17th, but “Linda†had practically fallen off the charts to 416th.
When all else fails, try Elizabeth. Why? Let me count the ways.
Or, smile and call your character any old name that comes to mind. A rose by any other name. . . .
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Transition Name
"Personally if and when I ever make the journey I will drop my bith names though I may well keep the initials"
Hi JC,
I used to insist on Chris and never Christopher, I allways liked Chris because I knew it was really short for Christine.
I never had a middle name so when it came time for me to fill out the legal name change my best friend (and ex-wife) gave me hers, Ann.
My last name is Leahy, I kept my familly name because amongst all the heartache and pain my mother and sister allways loved me.
Whatever reasons you have for choosing a new name I hope you will be happy and at peace in your own skin.
Best Wishes,
Christine Ann Leahy (chrisl)
Naming Conventions
"With so many interesting names why do so many TG fiction authors reuse the same names over and over? Not leveling my finger at any one person, just interested in what others think."
I can't speak for anybody else, the names I choose have a lot to do with what I see around me. Granted, this is fiction, but my story (soon to be stories) are set in the real world, so I try to use names like those I see on a daily basis. Some male to female name changes work for the story they're in, such as Chris/Chrissy in "An Easy A". Other times they are just so contrived they actually interfere with the story, IMHO. The idea that a baby's name just happens to be usable for either male or female with just a few letter changes, and that baby grows up to be TV/CD/TS/TG, is a little over the top for me.
I also like to have fun with the names of characters in my stories. Some are a tip of the hat to special friends, or little bits of trivia, or a reference to other TG stories & authors.
In the real world, it would have to be whatever the person changing is most comfortable with. A transition name that incorporates some aspect of the old name would seem to be the easiest to deal with. However, in my case, my name is the one I would have been given had I been born female. Like my male name, it is a tribute to relatives and ancestors. It seemed totally appropriate for me to use.
Interestingly enough, my middle name, Jean, is a feminization of my maternal grandfathers name, Gene, which was short for Eugene. My first name, Karen, is in honor of my paternal grandmother. Both fine people, and it's an honor for me to bear their names.
Love & Hugs!
Karen Jean
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Names are fun
When I write I usually use the first name that comes to my mind. Lately I have used the computer to find nongender specific names, Names that fit as androgynous. It is surprising at the names we now think of as being female names were once considered to be masculine, and now masculine names were once feminine. Patrick was once a girls name.
In my real life I kept my initials of my name but chose my first name and middle name. I used Jill as it to me is a feminine name that has no masculine counterpart. My middle name is Micayla ( Mi- Kay - La) also a feminine name without a male counterpart.
Jill Micayla
May you have a wonderful today and a better tomorrow
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Name Equivalents
The male equivalent of Jill is Julian or Jack, depending on the derivation of Jill. And Micayla is a phonetic spelling of a variant of Michael. :)
There are very few female names that don't have masculine counterparts since most girl's names started out as boy's names. Exceptions are like some of the flower names but even there, Rose has a male equivalent, Rhodes, and so do some of the others. Tabitha is one name I can't find a real male equivalent for but there are things like "Tab" and "Eustace" that are sort of equivalents, by sound or poetic meaning.
In my lifetime, names like Sean, Erin, Taylor, Kim, Kelly and McKenzie have swapped genders, becoming almost solely feminine names. On the other hand, you don't run into many girls named Sidney anymore and I knew two growing up. :)
My real first name means "happy" and started out as mostly a male name. My middle name, "Elaine" is a variant of "Helen" meaning "torch or "moon" and has no exact male equivalent but "Alan" and "Allen", meaning "pebble" or "handsome" are usually accepted as equivalents. "Artemus" might actually be closer. :)
It all depends on what one means by equivalent. :)
- Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Cool
Some interesting ideas here, thanks for the links. :D
I have three names/systems in mind for my self. One is based on my initials, so uses JC as my given name. Another comes from a favoured online identity. Lost Ninja (my CoH scrapper) but I now use LN or El En... Ellen. :)
The last is at the moment my favorite, Alastair (my current middle name) is an old english name for Alexander (The Great) Alex can be male and female... :D
Ah well back to the grindstone.
JC
The Legendary Lost Ninja
On Names...
First, about Latin names:
In Brazil, at least, and (I think) in Portugal, Spain and most of Latin America, most people have just one personal (first) name, with no middle name -- the practical reason being that the custom is to have TWO surnames, one from the mother's side and the other on the father's side (in Portuguese the father's surname comes last, in Spanish the mother's surname comes last, by the way). When two names are used, they are considered a composite name, and used only as a unit. For instance, "José Maria" is a man's composite "first" name -- he's not José nor Maria, he's José Maria. There are bisexual composite names for women too, by the way, like Maria José. A nickname MIGHT be based on only one of the two parts. Or it might not.
Now, about deliberately choosing names for stories... well, I will beg to differ from Angela in degree. Sure, her guidelines make it EASIER to write the story... but they are by no means absolute rules. They are fine for a short story, but as the story grows, they begin to be a hindrance. I mean, what are the ODDS of a classroom with NO two people with the same first name, for instance? Pretty slim, I think. In college, there were seven of us homonyms, for instance. One good way to get around it: the same way people use in Real Life -- nicknames.
One of the things that Ellen Hayes did in her Tuck Saga to make it feel more realistic was to deliberately repeat names. It's harder to keep it all clear, but it has its good points.
on androgynous/easy-to-flip names: I have to agree with Karen, you should take care to not overstep the borders of believability -- ESPECIALLY if there's more than one character changing genders. I mean, if you change a few people, at some point you are bound to find someone named "Omar" or "Jeff" who has no obvious female name (or "Prue", for whom I would have to think a bit to find a male equivalent). Your character doesn't HAVE to have an easy-to-flip name. Using a totally different name can be a way to enhance the change. Tuck becomes Valerie; Bob becomes Jennifer (Bob Arnold's "Zapped"); Josh becomes Jirra (in Julie O's "Fresh Start"). It can work, and work well.
Sometimes, though, the androginousness of the name can be an asset. Take She-Devil's "Chrissie," for instance. The story is based at least in part on the fact that Chris could be a female's name. It's not tacked on; it's integral to the story. Or the SNL characters "Pat & Chris;" the names are integral to the humor.
Sir Lee
Flip a name around
In a story I haven't written yet, the main character starts out as a boring male insurance actuary named Russell Taylor, but then becomes a female impersonator named Taylor Russell. There are a number of last names that can be used as first names, which have the added advantage of being androgynous, like Morgan or McKenzie or Parker.
A puzzle? The Palindrome
A "Palindrome" as I vaguely recall is a word that reads the same spelled forward or backward. Dan Brown got very excited about that discovery in his blockbuster novel and I am bitter person. :) The point is, regarding names, is there a Palindrome name? Ok, BOB is an obvious one, but are there more complicated versions, feminine versions? I don't mean SIS either! :)
Gwen Lavyril
Gwen Lavyril
Palindromic Female Names
Hannah, Anna, Ava, Eve, and Elle come to mind. Mim, Lil, Bab and Nan as nicknames.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Especially
And the most important nickname of all, Mom. (Or Mum)
How about "Ma'am"? :)
How about "Ma'am"? :)
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
My contribution
How about Viv?
Karen J.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
As George Carlin said
"Otto" inside out is Toot.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Oh shut up!
I really hate a smart ass Erin, and you too Angela! LOL!
Gwen Lavyril
Gwen Lavyril
No palindromes here...
I found JC's original post rather interesting, because I've been writing for my own entertainment for a long time, and I have done the exact opposite. Rather than start with boys' names that are then feminized, I have preferred to find beautiful, mellifluous girls' names.. and then masculinize them to give the main characters names that will convert gracefully (even if the character starts off with a loser of a name).
At one time, about a decade ago, I even went through a baby book and built: (1) a long table of male names that would convert to analogous female names; and (2) a much shorter list of names that were androgynous. Then, whenever I wanted a name and didn't have one in mind, I just turned to my list and picked one that sounded good at the time.
Of course, I now live in a part of the Pacific Northwest where baby names are to be manipulated by the overly-creative. So my eleven-year-old has gone to school over the years with Zinnia, Kodiak, Cheyenne, Sterling, McKenzie, Keet, Teel, Aidan, Eoin, and a few dozen other names that should be ambiguous enough for any TG fiction writer. BTW, if you can guess which of these names are male and which are female, then you ought to be picking lotto numbers in your spare time. :-)
Love,
Diane
Love,
Diane
Okay, so everybody got a bit off-track!
We did stray a bit from the original question, but a girl's just gotta have fun!
I'd love to see those lists of yours someday, they would be fascinating! Especially this one: "I have preferred to find beautiful, mellifluous girls' names.. and then masculinize them to give the main characters names that will convert gracefully."
You should consider posting them in your blog on here. Think of the discussions that would start!
Love & Hugs!
Karen J.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
We all have had our names changed...(most of us)
Our parents were the first in most cases to make and give us our 'first' nickname. Mostly they add a 'y' or an 'i' (ie) to some form of our given name.
Teachers will make a change if there is more than one student with the same name.
Friends and classmates tend to give you another from time to time.
Then again, we also choose and try to get others to use a nickname we prefer.
Names do not have to fit the character, because, none of us had a personality at all when we were born. Names are given to us at birth and in most cases were chosen well before we were born.
So, why work so hard to come up with any particular name for a character in your story?
Ease of writing comes to mind. It is much easier for a writer to use a first name (full or mom's version) to use than to take so much time trying to come up with a name completely different than the given one.
Unless, it is an important part in the story or if you are trying to convey a complete break from the original personality. Talking about reality, a complete break never does happen. That is unless a psychotic breakdown occurs, then the original or adopted personality can be securely locked away deep into the persons recesses
of their mind. (I know about that myself, giggle, giggle)
Anyway, you are the writer and it is your choice to do what you will, so...Do what you want, it is your story after all!
Huggles
Angel
Be yourself, so easy to say, so hard to live.
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
name changes
I changed my name from Jeremy to Jennifer (I transitioned in 2001)
not because it was close to my original name, but because I used to play with a Jennifer when I was about 5 and I never forgot her - she was just who I pictured myself as all my life - so when I did the change - that's what I called myself. I clung onto my old name long enough!!
names...!?
Name choices...
I think part of choosing the same names for characters in TG Fiction is that they are what society considers the more feminine. Mellisa, Heather, Ashley, all bring up 'girly, girl' images to the imagination. A few summers ago, I was dropping my son off at a wrestling summer camp. there was a cheerleader camp at the college the same week. All the girls were in their monogrammed tops, with their name above the left breast area. I never so-o-o-o many 'Heathers' and 'Ashleys' gathered in one place! Maybe it's in the name? Who knows!
I chose my authoress name by keeping the same initials as my male name, LES I thought it was cute and all those monogrammed towels wouldn't go to waste. The rest of the characters? Whatever name in my past , I must have known someone in that position or role! I can't think of any other reason.
Just my take.
Lisa Elizabeth Smythe
Names?
Gosh,
Names? Ordinary, reusable names? Like, Harry Buttman, his mother, Bertha Buttman, and Sister, Simelda? Akhushtal, Nicte-Ha, Theobald Heywood Blatherwick, Dr. Chirakan Ixmucane, and Tess Fancy Dix.
Plenty more, but choosing a character name, one usually chooses the feminine name for that character at the same time, like Doug Gordon, becomes Dolly Gordon.
Names are so tough I would be lost without all the online baby naming engines and of course, Emma Smith's wonderful story tool.
My two cents worth for the pile.
Wholeman
Yes, the weird author with the boob fetish.
Yes, the weird author with the boob fetish.