Names You Hate in Stories

sainted swan:

@ MusicalMasochist I dislike seeing unrealistic last names as well. I use "Wolf" as in "Luka Wolf" for my characters modeling "name", but not his real name.

Ive never heard of a modeling name before. What is that?

@ KatieMosing It's just like a porn name, a pin name for authors, actors - all of that. Not everyone goes by their real name when they're "famous", you know?

If you know BVB, "Andy Sixx" was Andy's "pin name".

I hope that explains it.

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MusicalMasochist:

@ sainted swan
Yeah, and that's a totally different thing. I love when fake names like that are kind of out there. But on the same note, I actually know a guy named Laurence Wolf, so it's not too far off :p
As for Razorblade, that's one that I've actually seen, so that just goes to show how weird they can get really.

You do? I thought "Wolf" was a "fake" last name. I never knew someone has a last name like that. I wish I did. I'm obsessed with wolves.

But anyway. I don't want to know if stories are worse than that. Was the story about vampires or emotional things?

I really hate simple names that pop into your head, that you don't even take a second to think about.

i.e. Mimi, Lulu, Layla, Kiki

Those names, I swear to God...

I see more uncommon last names, to be honest. Last names are where you can get really weird xD

I kind of have qualms with the name Luke because I think of Star Wars every time I read/hear it, and the only people I've known named Luke were either jerks or epic nerds, so for me personally, it doesn't work for a "normal" name.

@ sainted swan
Yeah, he was in the grade above me in high school and was a big player on a couple of our sports teams. To be honest, it might not have been spelled exactly "Wolf". I never knew him personally and only really heard about him around school, and I want to say the he spelled it weird, like "Wolfe" or something. But it was still kind of unusual anyways, haha.

It was a long time ago, but I think it was supposed to be an "emotional" band-fic. So who even knows...

@mako
Oh good God, I hate those names. A lot of times they tend to be "popular people" names, so that just really annoys me.

^ I know a couple kids with the last name Wolf/Wolfe. I also know a teacher with the last name Wolfanger. :)

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I really dislike unusual names or normal ones with "unique" spellings. If your story is based on some fantasy realm then it works. I can't see it working in a story based on modern times. I tolerate them enough to read the stories. There have been a few that crossed the line though. There are limits when you're trying to make your characters different. No need to abuse their names when you create them.

Unless there is a good reason behind it, I don't really like it when the names don't agree with the character's nationality, as (I think) may have been stated in a previous post. I do know a Norwegian named Juanita, but I doubt that that's very common.

Same goes for time period.

I don't have a problem with unusual names if they have a reason behind them, although I don't understand the reasoning behind Ahleekzayndeerya Moonlyte Myusiklvr'fureva...

I don't like names that don't "fit" for whatever reason, whether it be nationality, gender, time period, etc. I don't like stupid spellings of names. I don't like "gothic" names (i.e. Raven, Storm, Rain, Lucretia, etc. even though I know real people with those names). I don't like names that would just never be names--Dementia, Razorblade, Shadow, etc. I've seen all three of those and just... ugh.

I don't mind "unusual" names, but there's a fine line between uncommon and ridiculous.

Also, George. :|

I have a hard time with extremely generic names? Bob, John, Mary, etc. Nothing terrible about them, just blahh. It's hard to imagine a personality or anything with them.

@ Captain Mars
Oh my days. xD Nikki Moonlight? That has to be the WORST name ever.
'i saw sparks' brought up a good point: the names being used are not names that teenagers have right now; they're names that 14 and 15 year olds like. It makes the characters highly unrealistic, and makes the readers want to just skim over them.

And yeah, if a character has a typical, over-used name, chances are, he or she is going to have a typical and over-used personality. It's amazing what little things such as a name can tell us about the person writing the story. The reality is, if I can guess the age of the writer, and it's 15 or below, chances are, the characters have one of the names mentioned.

I usually can't stand it when the author uses their name as the main character's name, too. Drives me up a wall.

I also hated Ever from The Immortals series. Just the name in general. Ever Blossom. Are you freaking kidding me? I also hated how there was a character in The Hunger Games named Glimmer, and sighed with relief when she was killed off. I mean, really? Who would name their kid Glimmer?

Typically, I used older names because in my opinion they're unique and timeless. I also prefer original spellings, too.

I'm trying to think of any other names that I hate. (I'm really one to talk. I have a book with a main character named Felina! I'm surprised that people haven't sued me for that.)

Oh, yeah. I hate it when people use random letters to create a name. I mean, really? There are millions of names to choose from, and you just throw a bunch of letters together? I usually can't even begin to pronounce those names.

I guess that that's it.

Josh, John, Jason (got a J pattern going), Edward, Anne, Sara, Jacob, Damion, Lilly. Basically anything common and European. I've seen them so many times, it kills me.

sobre mi cadaver:

I can't stand the name Emily I just can't. It's usually used in a "dark" character who is oh-so-special and unique, and not to mention cliche as hell.

Haha, even though that's my name I can't stand seeing the name "Emily" either. I also don't like those names that are actually common words like "Snow" or "Rose".

Imaginary Enemy:

Haha, even though that's my name I can't stand seeing the name "Emily" either. I also don't like those names that are actually common words like "Snow" or "Rose".

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't mind the name on anybody here in real life it's just in stories that I cannot stand seeing the name.

Aly Dreamer Jones:

I usually can't stand it when the author uses their name as the main character's name, too. Drives me up a wall.

I'm normally not bothered by these as long as they're labeled as SI stories or the author acknowledges that it's a self-insertion. If it's like "This is a completely unique character and is not based on anybody I know" then yeah, I'm bothered by it because the author, instead of creating a unique character, is actually just using herself in order to fulfill whatever fantasy they have (normally seen in fanfiction so, yeah) and puts the character under a great light with little to no flaws because of that.

sobre mi cadaver:

I'm normally not bothered by these as long as they're labeled as SI stories or the author acknowledges that it's a self-insertion. If it's like "This is a completely unique character and is not based on anybody I know" then yeah, I'm bothered by it because the author, instead of creating a unique character, is actually just using herself in order to fulfill whatever fantasy they have (normally seen in fanfiction so, yeah) and puts the character under a great light with little to no flaws because of that.

I once read this story by a really good friend of mine, where she set herself up with Justin Bieber. And they were zombies. I couldn't stand to read it because it was truly awful, but I didn't say anything because she was my best friend. I really regret that.

Autumn. I hate that name in stories. Sounds like an attempt to gothic-ish vampire-ish dark-ish deep-ish character. And most of the times it's just an emo Mary Sue having an over the top romance with Gerard Way or Synyster Gates.

I can't handle the names like Thunder and Rain and Xavier. I'm so tired of these "edgy" names. I get it, your character is out of the norm and an outcast. Okay.

Historical stories with modern or modern-sounding names. Yes, Jessica was in Merchant of Venice. Doesn't mean it was a common name or that it even fits.

I'm slightly guilty of this with Cameron, but at least the reasoning is explained in story.

Aly Dreamer Jones:

I also hated Ever from The Immortals series. Just the name in general. Ever Blossom. Are you freaking kidding me? I also hated how there was a character in The Hunger Games named Glimmer, and sighed with relief when she was killed off. I mean, really? Who would name their kid Glimmer?

I personally thought Glimmer worked as a name in Hunger Games because of the society and the District she was in was super obnoxious But that's just me xD It took me a while to get used to "Katniss."

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I kind of really hate the name "Ashlyn" or anything like that. I dunno, it just sounds super Mary-Sue-ish to me, even though I'm sure someone has written a good character with that name.

@ Icamane in 30
I actually knew a girl named Ashlyn. She went by a different name, though.