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Monday, April 15, 2013

Top Ten Characters That I'd Name My Children After



hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Apparently, all my future children will be girls.

I tried to think of characters I both admire and whose names I adore. Like, I had to leave my beloved Hermione off it, because although I would love to honor my bookish bestie by naming my hypothetical kid after her... you just know the other kids will call her Herman/Hermananoid/Hermononucleosis (Starkid reference!).

1. Alanna of Trebond from the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XNg1GYH0vIA/Tm6m1ZYuZzI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/kI6-sQ-DgzY/s1600/Alanna-The-First-Adventure.jpg

Alanna is the original kick butt, take-no-prisoners, "I forge my own path" lady warrior. Not only do I love the name Alanna, but I love the lessons that girl teaches: to not be ashamed of who you really are, and never be afraid to go after you really want. Also that knowing how to wield a sword is freaking awesome.

2. Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte/ Jane Austen

http://25.media.tumblr.com/818a0762f2a949fbbaf85588da562233/tumblr_mgyxpskbND1qcbk34o8_250.gif

I adore the name Jane, and Jane Eyre is a supremely worthy heroine. She was so self-reliant in a time when woman were hardly ever self-reliant. Jane's like a honey badger. She don't care that you got a big house and lots of money and you super, duper love her. You're a bigamist, so Jane don't give a shit.

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”

Also, the name Jane would honor my fave author ever, Jane Austen. I also really like the name Charlotte. It's official, I'll be having at least seventeen children, because I like too many names.

3. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmtwwtWhhe1qe2v67o1_500.gif

Fun Gillian fact: My middle name is Elizabeth, named after one Elizabeth Bennet. By far the most appealing of all of Austen's very appealing heroines, she's witty, bright, sociable, and though it's often difficult to get her to change her mind, she always does. Plus she can rock an Empire waist like nobody's business.

4. Cassandra Mortmain from I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf1mm2OmK71qg5z08o1_500.gif
GET IT GURLL

First of all, I think the name Cassandra is gorgeous, and secondly, Cassandra is the awesomest. If you haven't read I Capture the Castle, you totally should. It's basically about a teenage girl in 1930's Britain who lives in a crumbling castle with her impoverished and eccentric family, deals with the hot local rich boys, and learns how to be even more awesome. READ IT. Cassandra is my spirit animal.

5. Lyra Belacqua from His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lh3wr2F0jg1qavzqjo1_500.gif


Lyra is not only one half of the MOST TRAGIC LOVE STORY EVARR, but is one of the favorite heroines of my childhood. Hopefully, if I name my daughter Lyra, she will also have a daemon, because that would be the coolest.


6. Anna Oliphant from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Obviously, I like the name, but Anna is also one of the funniest, friendliest YA narrators I've ever had the pleasure to meet. If my daughter were named Anna, I would totally call her in a British accent just at random moments: Ah-na.

7. Alina Starkov from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I really like those A names, don't I? But Alina is a gorgeous name. Russian, feminine, and full of whatever the Russian equivalent of je ne sais quoi is.

8. Arya Stark from A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin



Arya is basically the literary descendant of Alanna. They both do the gender-bending thing; they're both tough girls living in a crappy man's world; they're both smaller than the people around them; and they both have a lot to prove. I love me some Arya Stark something fierce. And yes, I realize Alina Starkov and Arya Stark are pretty darn similar, but sue me.


9. Emma Woodhouse from Emma by Jane Austen

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A lot of people don't like bossy, controlling, and confident Emma. I mean, there's not a lot to sympathize with in someone who is introduced to us as handsome, clever, and rich, but I always got her. I just figured she was super bored, since there wasn't much to do for rich young ladies in Regency England, and that was why she chose to micro-manage the love lives of the people around her. She basically INVENTED reality TV, you guys. How could you not love her?

10. Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

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The last of the A names is probably my favorite. Everybody loves Alice, that curious little girl who's finding out little by little that the world she's in doesn't make a lick of sense. Also I like her headband. See, I always have good reasons for choosing things.


Bonus 11. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

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Luna is seriously one of the bravest characters in all of Harry Potter, and that is saying something. She's always exactly the oddball person she is and never pretends she isn't. She's incredibly loyal to Harry and the DA. How can you not love the girl who introduced us to Nargles and the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?

ETA Bonus 12. Sara Crewe from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN SARA??? I actually used to pretend this was my name when I was six. I was that in love with the inventive, resilient, magical Sara Crewe. She could turn an empty table into a feast all through the power of her imagination. Love this girl to pieces.

Honorable Mentions: Ella of Frell from Ella Enchanted, Lily Potter from Harry Potter, Clary from The Mortal Instruments, Tessa from The Infernal Devices, Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pevensie from the same, Harry Potter from duh, Fred Weasley from Harry Potter, Nick from The Great Gatsby, Sam Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, Felicity Merriman from the American Girl books (nostalgia alert), Briony from Atonement, Finny from A Separate Peace, Teddy (aka Jo's nickname for) Laurie from Little Women, Katniss (Kat) from The Hunger Games, andddd many more.

39 comments:

  1. Jane don't give a shit! You're list is awesome. YOU'RE awesome. New follower.

    I used the same topic for My List.

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  2. I love this list! All the names are awesome, and I'll definitely be adding I Capture The Castle to my TBR :)

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  3. LOOOVE your topic! and Lyra is so pretty it wasn't my favorite book but love the name

    My TTT

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  4. LOVE so many of these names! Alanna, Lyra, Alina and Arya all sound great to me. But Arya reminds me of the elf from Ereagon, and Lyra reminds me of a TV show I watched :D
    Top Ten Tuesday @ Divergent Gryffindor

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    1. I'd totally forgotten the elf in Eragon was named Arya!

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  5. I love that you called Jane Eyre a honey badger. Apt.

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  6. This list is the best list! For some reason I always find myself attracted to A names. And I would totally name my (future, hypothetical) kid Luna if my best friend hadn't already stolen that name!

    New follower, if only because "Jane don't give a shit!"

    Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews
    My Top Ten

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    1. I thought I would regret typing that sentence, but apparently it is working for me! I'm jealous your best friend is named Luna. That's awesome.

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  7. Wow quite the list. And A names are awesome, so who can blame you for choosing so many of them ;) I haven't read I Capture the Castle but might have to pick it up sometime. Sounds intriguing!

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    1. You have a VERY lovely A name yourself! And definitely read I Capture the Castle. One of my favorite books ever.

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  8. Awwww, that is awesome that you middle name is for Elizabeth Bennet. P&P is my favorite book ever, and Elizabeth is a favorite name of mine. And I love Lyra! I actually want to name a dog Iorek! Wouldn't that be awesome?

    And now I need to read I Capture the Castle! :)

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    1. That is SUCH a good dog name! And I love that I am slowly converting the world into I Capture the Castle readers. GO FORTH AND CAPTURE IT, MINIONS!

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    2. I'm kidding. You're not my minions. But you should still definitely read it.

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  9. Hahahahaa, you do come up with awesome reasons for picking the names and girls that you picked! I personally love that Jane don't give a shit and Alice's has a cool headband!

    My TTT

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  10. I just love your list and I simply must choose the same topic the next time a TTT rewind comes around! Luna, Alina, Alanna, Lyra, Jane, Elizabeth, Sara, - I adore them all! And I have been meaning to read I Capture the Castle for forever, and you just totally convinced to start reading it NOW. Love the name Cassandra too.

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    1. You clearly have excellent taste in both heroines and names! And everybody should read I Capture the Castle, in my opinion. It's a wonderful book.

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  11. Very unique topic idea, though I would never ever do this one, because yuck babies.

    Anyway, now I shall judge your taste.

    I LOVE I Capture the Castle, though I must confess more for the movie (hello, gif) than the book, though I've read it twice as well. How could she not choose the hot gardener? HOW? I'll take him.

    Lyra is a great name.

    I was sadly not a fan of that Emma adaptation, sadly.

    So many characters. You better have some strong loins.

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    1. SERIOUSLY THE HOT GARDENER LOOK AT HIM JUST LOOK AT HIM.

      Aw, I loved that Emma adaptation! And yes, I'd better have loins of steel. Titanium loins.

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  12. I love everything about this list. I love SO MANY Harry Potter names, but Harry, Luna, and Fred are definitely one of them (my favorite is Sirius. I just find it so beautiful). Emma, Elizabeth, and Anna are all among some of my favorite names and characters. And... haha, if I actually listed all the names I loved, I'd probably end up writing an unending list. There are so many pretty literary names! Great list!

    Aimee @ Penmanship Smitten | My TTT

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    1. Sirius is a gorgeous name. Not for one of my kids, but I think it would be AWESOME for someone else's! It was hard to keep this list as short as it was, and it wasn't very short!

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  13. Alina and Alanna and Lyra are totally names I'd name my children if I ever had them buttt since I don't really planning on that I'm going to have to depend on you and you can make me their non-related aunt or something like that.

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    1. THEIR NON-RELATED AUNT. You'd make such a great non-related aunt. You'd send them books with their names in them and give them contemporaries to cry over and then run away laughing madly.

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  14. Luna would be an awesome name to give a daughter. I might name a child after Kahlan Amnell from the sword of truth series.

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  15. I love the list, My favs are Lucy, Alice, Lyra, and all from my favorite books too :)

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  16. ME TOO. I'm obsessed with names. It's one of the most fun parts of writing, naming your characters. And, well, I only like the name Hermione FOR Hermione. As stated, I would never inflict on my hypothetical child. WILL CHECK OUT YOUR TTT NOWW!

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  17. Oh, love. <3 Awesome names :D Thank you for sharing your amazing list :) Sigh. I do love Alina :) And Lyra. I need to read that series.. but your thoughts about it here scares me o.O Still :D

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    1. Yes, you should! Don't be scared, it's just an ending that really destroyed me as a child. No big deal. But the books are worth it!

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  18. What a great post. I love your choices especially Luna Lovegood, Alanna the Lioness, and Arya Stark! :-)

    Christina @ Enscocned in YA

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  19. I think my favorite name that you chose was Alanna! It's one of the most AWESOME names ever, and I will absolutely LOVE that name forever. Also, I think your list is awesome and creative and something I'd like to think about for myself!

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