Names You Hate in Stories

Luna. I've been using it as a pen name for the longest time and after OotP came out I saw it all over the place and they always end up being someone who's exactly like Lovegood.

@ vicious.
I've actually never seen it in a story besides Harry Potter; I don't think it's overused (especially since people still call me that). And I have yet to read a story where they're like Luna Lovegood. Maybe it's just me though.

@ niall horan.
I don't see it a ton but I do see it, enough for it to get irksome. It's also possible that I just so happen to stumble onto the stories with girls named Luna that are just like Lovegood, it may not be a reoccurring thing, I'm not really sure.

I hate when people use Stephanie, Valerie, Carly, Caitlin, Britney (unless it's a really unique way of spelling it), Sam, Shelby, Jack, Robert, James, Marisa, Arielle, or any variation of those names. They're too cliche. -A

It annoys me when "bitchy popular girls" have the cliche names normally associated with them, such as Britney/Brittany, Chloe, Courtney, Abby. Mind, I do know a bitchy popular girl named Britney.

Or when the sweet innocents have innocent sounding words for names. Butterfly, Rose, Skye/Sky, Flower, Petal.

I have nothing against the names in general, just the way they're used in stories.

@ Sleeping Cancer.
Oy, the bitch at my school's named Abby, and she's nearly crossed the line with Boyfriend several times (she's in his class, ugh). And I can't stand the names Butterfly, Flower, and Petal. Reminds me too much of Tinkerbell.

@ niall horan.
... To be honest, the names I listed as the "bitchy popular" ones are actually the names of the bitchiest people I know...

That's funny, because I actually do know boyfriend stealers bitchy people with those names as well. Not just Abby. Bahaha.

@ niall horan.
The one's I know make it seem like the brothel is on tour. They just feel the need to dress... revealingly. And the way they smooch over all the boys... I just think they're gross. :B

Okay, I may have asked this before, but will anyone stop reading if it's a futuristic story with a mix of odd names and classic names?

@ Thylacine

I don't. I like when it's a mix of odd names and classic/current names. I wont stop reading with names, period. But the only time I get annoyed with them are with overused names (Winter, Rayne, ect...) and when a futuristic story is all odd names or all classic names.

I don't like the name Cleo for some reason. Also Angel, Adriana, Nevaeh, Ruth, Poppy, Emma (way too popular for me), Gabriella, Sephora, Pandora, Astrid, Shayla, Heidi, Secret, Vendetta...etc.

Thylacine:

Okay, I may have asked this before, but will anyone stop reading if it's a futuristic story with a mix of odd names and classic names?

No I wouldn't stop reading - I like it when there's a mixture of names. After all, when you look at society now, there are names that have been around for hundreds, even thousands of years (John, Matthew, Charles, Elizabeth, etc) and there are names that have only been invented in the last few decades. So if you're writing a book set in the future, it will probably work the same way - it makes the story more realistic.

I actually really like the name Cleo, but not as a shortening for Cleopatra because that just doesn't sound realistic if it's a current-set story.

I specifically really hate the name Parker. A little bit because of Parker from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a lot because that's the main character's name in this awful book. It just has too many negative connections for me.

I don't like it when I read a story, and the main chatacter is emo/goth/punk/scene and that person has an emo/goth/punk/scene such as Rayne, Lilith, Alix, Mortecai, etc..

I hate names that completely FIT their character. I think when it's a cliche name and they throw it on someone that wouldn't have that name at all its interesting. Still hate the name, but it's better than nothing. Like if I were reading a story where the bitchy popular girl is named "Rayne", and the anti-sue was named "Brittney" or something, I would be less likely to stop reading. It just shows lack of creativity by pinning names on characters by personality traits. Nobody looks at a baby when they're first borns and is just like "YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL TEENAGER. MIDNIGHT IT IS!" No. Your character is your character, and their name is their name. There doesn't always need to be a connection unless its clever and unobvious.

I don't like boring, typical names but I also don't like names that are too out there. Some of my character names include ; Kenna, Koehn, Tesslyn, Hazel, Matthew, etc. (just from my latest story). Mixture of typical and not so much. Fitting the time period and whatnot.

I think the names should have more to do with the parents personalities than the characters, because who named them, afterall? I mean, you did, but if the girl grows up in a house full of hippies her name probably won't be Alexandria Elizabeth or something. Reality needs to be taken into account.

disregard any grammatical errors or typos. It's two in the morning and I've been at work all day

@ bittersweetbydesign
Everything you just said was perfect. That's exactly how I feel about character names. Especially the part about taking their parents into consideration. I highly doubt that many authors even think about that when naming characters and I find it a very important thing to do.

bittersweetbydesign:

I hate names that completely FIT their character. I think when it's a cliche name and they throw it on someone that wouldn't have that name at all its interesting. Still hate the name, but it's better than nothing. Like if I were reading a story where the bitchy popular girl is named "Rayne", and the anti-sue was named "Brittney" or something, I would be less likely to stop reading. It just shows lack of creativity by pinning names on characters by personality traits. Nobody looks at a baby when they're first borns and is just like "YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL TEENAGER. MIDNIGHT IT IS!" No. Your character is your character, and their name is their name. There doesn't always need to be a connection unless its clever and unobvious.

I don't like boring, typical names but I also don't like names that are too out there. Some of my character names include ; Kenna, Koehn, Tesslyn, Hazel, Matthew, etc. (just from my latest story). Mixture of typical and not so much. Fitting the time period and whatnot.

I think the names should have more to do with the parents personalities than the characters, because who named them, afterall? I mean, you did, but if the girl grows up in a house full of hippies her name probably won't be Alexandria Elizabeth or something. Reality needs to be taken into account.

disregard any grammatical errors or typos. It's two in the morning and I've been at work all day

This is so true.

rel0ad:

Nobody looks at a baby when they're first borns and is just like "YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL TEENAGER. MIDNIGHT IT IS!" No. Your character is your character, and their name is their name. There doesn't always need to be a connection unless its clever and unobvious.

I feel as though if your parents name you Midnight, you have no choice but to be an emotional teenager.