New Post
Search
HelpWhat is the biggest influence on your naming style?
While answering one of Laura's questions below, I realized that the #1 influence on my naming style (and my namenerdyness in general) was books. As a kid I read a lot of fantasy books (still do) and when I started becoming a namenerd, I was heavily influenced by the general style of fantasy character names. It may have even been that reading books about characters with interesting names is what got me interested in names in the first place. First it was making up names, then collecting interesting names I read/heard, etc.
What has been the biggest influence on your naming style? Did anything in particular influence you to become interested in names? Did anyone else start out their career by crafting made-up names, or did you go straight to the baby name books?
What has been the biggest influence on your naming style? Did anything in particular influence you to become interested in names? Did anyone else start out their career by crafting made-up names, or did you go straight to the baby name books?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
I'd have to say Greek mythology first and then royal european history. both huge influences in getting me into names, and the most familiar and comforting place I often find myself returning to again and again.
Greek myths definitely sparked my interest in name meanings and long strings of grand royal monikers kind of set the tone of names I liked.
Greek myths definitely sparked my interest in name meanings and long strings of grand royal monikers kind of set the tone of names I liked.
1
Mostly books; sometimes shows/movies/animes. It started with my grandma's red-bound 1950s edition of the Webster's dictionary; in the very back, there was a guide to some names and their meanings. I remember being frustrated that I couldn't find my own name (Alicia) in there; I also distinctly remember telling some people at school/on the bus what their names meant-they didn't appreciate that. :p
From there, I remember being really influenced by some of the names/the name style of "The Mists of Avalon" (Morgaine was my #1 name for a while, LOL) and "The Lord of the Rings". It's just grown from there, with name popularity lists, etc. I sometimes still pick up names, but I'm mostly about combining them/finding meanings now.
From there, I remember being really influenced by some of the names/the name style of "The Mists of Avalon" (Morgaine was my #1 name for a while, LOL) and "The Lord of the Rings". It's just grown from there, with name popularity lists, etc. I sometimes still pick up names, but I'm mostly about combining them/finding meanings now.
1
Mostly name books, but also books on the whole, Greek mythology, musical characters, idols, etc.
1
History-obsessed child morphs into teenage and adult name nerd...
An early love of history shaped my naming style - at sixteen I really wished I was a Margaret like Margaret of Anjou, and I've always loved Elizabeth, Katherine, Eleanor/Helena/Helen, Marguerite and (gp) Jacquetta! I envied Caroline at school for her name, which reminded/reminds me of "crinoline" - it's still my favourite name although it is unusable with my surname, as is Lucy (which I first crushed on at six when I tried in vain to get my best friend at school to call me it instead of Louise) and I love it for its link to English Civil War heroine Mrs Lucy Hutchinson. I also like Biblical names, especially Miriam and Rachel. There was a Bronwen at school and I've always loved that - I used to think that if I ever had twin girls they'd be Bridget (I liked that ever since discovering it was the name of Oliver Cromwell's favourite daughter)and Bronwen. I've always hated names with no history behind them, Amber, Jasmine (I've found girls called Jessamine dating from the early 1800s though), and Saffron excepted!
An early love of history shaped my naming style - at sixteen I really wished I was a Margaret like Margaret of Anjou, and I've always loved Elizabeth, Katherine, Eleanor/Helena/Helen, Marguerite and (gp) Jacquetta! I envied Caroline at school for her name, which reminded/reminds me of "crinoline" - it's still my favourite name although it is unusable with my surname, as is Lucy (which I first crushed on at six when I tried in vain to get my best friend at school to call me it instead of Louise) and I love it for its link to English Civil War heroine Mrs Lucy Hutchinson. I also like Biblical names, especially Miriam and Rachel. There was a Bronwen at school and I've always loved that - I used to think that if I ever had twin girls they'd be Bridget (I liked that ever since discovering it was the name of Oliver Cromwell's favourite daughter)and Bronwen. I've always hated names with no history behind them, Amber, Jasmine (I've found girls called Jessamine dating from the early 1800s though), and Saffron excepted!
1
Straight to the baby names books for me. When my little sister was born I was nine years old and mom brought home a baby name book which I soon confiscated. :) I was fascinated by the concept that names have meanings and origins, that was something that had never occured to me before. Also name popularity charts have always been of interest to me.
1
I went to the baby name books and I was fascinated with names since I was not even 4 foot tall. My greatest influence has been books more or more particularly, the baby name book that my mother had bought when she had to decide on my brother's first name.
1