Addicted to YA discussion

Ok, so I wanted to see what you guys think about (sometimes absurdly) unique names for characters. Are they definite yesses, or definite no go's? (I'd also like to know some unique names in books you've loved or hated)

It can be hard to think of suitable names for characters. I usually try to use an online translator to see if I can find anything interesting that might be in line with a character trait. Some I've read or seen on TV can be pretty. I've always liked Nyssa, who was one of the Doctor's companions in the original series of Doctor Who. There are some beautiful ones out there.

When I am reading and unique names pop up and I can't pronounce them I get a little mad, but when I am writing I like to use names like Winter, Ender, Vladimir most names if I really like them then I would turn them around to say something else. Like I really like the name Medias so I changed it to Metias and I like that much better.

I think unusual names are fine as long as I can pronounce them. My name is Syreeta, that's easy to pronounce. So is Mare (Red Queen), Legolas (Lord of the Rings), and or even Vidia from Pixie Hollow. If every name becomes things like Csorwe from The Unspoken Name, I'll get annoyed.

Syreeta wrote: "I think unusual names are fine as long as I can pronounce them. My name is Syreeta, that's easy to pronounce. So is Mare (Red Queen), Legolas (Lord of the Rings), and or even Vidia from Pixie Hollo..."
I agree, there is nothing wrong with using a unique name as long as it's not too ridiculous to pronounce.

I don't see anything wrong with unique character names, but I have heard some interesting book conversations among students who realize they've all been pronouncing a character's name differently. I guess I have to agree that unique names are far less intimidating to readers when they are easy to pronounce.

Uhm, sometimes i like, others, i dont. Like Celaena, well, you could just call her Selena already, i mean, the audiobook did it (throne of glass). But i liked Aysel (My Heart and Other Black Holes)

I don't mind whether a name is unique or not either way to be honest. It's always fun arguing over how to pronounce names and it's great finding out there's some sort of hidden meaning behind names as well, but I think the character gives the name meaning and that's the most important thing.

Smol Porg wrote: "if I can pronounce the name, I’m good but if not, no thanks."

I agree

I don't mind unique names, love them even, but they need to be pronounceable. It really gets me out of a story if a character has a name that I just don't know how to pronounce. I keep stumbling over the name and it ends with me having to reread parts. Sometimes I just give them a whole new name, something silly like Mr.Ducky. :P

I like them

I like unique names however the ones that are hard to pronounce or I just don't know how to, those annoy me. Because why would anyway create a name that only they know how to read/pronounce.
Recently I've read The Shadows Between Us and the main male character is called Kallias (Kuh-lie-us) and I really liked that name.

the name Eden is a beautiful name I think

I don't mind unique names. Well as long as I'm able to pronounce them right.
I like the name Alaska I read in Looking For Alaska though I didn't like the character at all or the book for that matter

I like the idea of twins with similar names like Anu and Attu but dissimilar enough to differentiate between the two. Unique but easily read.

For a reason, I prefer unique names. Common names may have been used by other books, it annoys me sometimes

If it’s realistic fiction, not really. You probably wouldn’t meet someone with the name of like Rythla or something. But if it’s a otherworldly setting or is a name of a different species in our world, then yeah. Those names are part of what give a world or species their feeling or mood around the character. For example, orcs normally have choppy, short names to go with their intelligence. On the other hand, elves have long, flowing, hard-to-pronounce names.

I like unique names. It shows your creativity. Especially if the name has meaning. But it depends on the era and genre you are writing. You can also keep normal names for the main characters or the characters you want the reader to easily relate to. Then keep the unique names for your villains, creatures and supporting characters.

They're definitely good because they give the book an edge and some individuality, but at least be pronounceable!! Also "Aelin" and "Celaena" and "Aedion" are just really unsettling anyway, I guess Sarah J. Maas likes "ae" in her characters' names

I do like unique names. I like them even more when the describe the char. It helps me visualize the char. I don't care for names that look like a made-up word.

I love them! If I can pronounce them that is...

I love unique names! I think they add personality to the story. But sometimes authors go out of the way and come up with unpronounceable names and that annoys me a little, I want to be able to pronounce the name, excuse me. But other than that, I really like the concept!

When I write (for fun, I’m not very good at it lol), I try to give some significance to the names of my characters. I keep a list of character names I could use for particular ideas I have. For example if I give a character aerokinesis (an oddly specific superpower lol) I might name them Wyvern, after a mythical creature with the same power. If I’m writing a villain, I might name them after a mythological demon (I’ve used Lilith in the past). So yes, I do like unique names, but most of the time I’ll like it more if there’s a reason behind the naming of the character.

I so agree with you Azure Jade

I think it depends on the character. If your character is super unique, from a different fantasy world or something, then their name probably shouldn't be "joe smith." In my story, I used "regular" names but in actuality, the name "Eli" is short for something totally different than what you'd think it is. Keeps it unique, but recognizable at the same time. I'm not opposed to unique names, as long as the name fits the character. :D

I mean I am someone who is in love with Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius.. so I guess yes. For sure. I believe that unique names even if they are bit difficult to pronounce (Google exists ya know) make the characters even more memorable.

Unique names are okay, so long as they fit the character and don’t sound weird. Aelin kinda sounds like Alien so I don’t REALLY like it... but then there are some really beautiful unique names that I just fall in love with because it sounds really nice when you say it aloud.

I like to use unique names, like from other nationalities! But when I was younger, I would invent names and then I couldn’t remember how to pronounce them, lol, but I don’t do that kind anymore!

I don't mind them so long as there's some more of pronunciation guide somewhere online (or even in the book)

Haha I definitely like inventing unique Character names. I've created a book full of names that I thought I'd be using when I write my own book someday. But sadly I don't know when that "Someday" will be coming.

I love unusual character names! A great deal of my favourite books use them, and names such as Pecuchet Bellerophon (All The Wrong Questions), Lyra Silvertongue (His Dark Materials) and Nymphadora Tonks (Harry Potter) add a great deal of uniqueness and flavour to a story, but only if used in a plausible setting for such names.

I adore unique/ kind of weird/ maybe they were chosen when someone was drunk, names. Unless it's something like, Aphaltia or Raltonia. Or just sounds very unappealing to the senses overall. Or feels like a name that was chosen in the dark. Of a basement. With a serial killer in said basement.

Yeah, I love it when books have characters with unique names. Or even if they're not super unique, just like rare/not well known/nature-y or something idk. But unique names are usually really cool.

Definitely yes!! Unique names give a unique personality to that character... Sometimes you get confused among different characters with the same common name... Has happened with me a lot!!

If you can look at it and figure out how to pronounce it, or if the author puts a key in the book for how to pronounce it, then yes! One of my all time favorites for some reason is Rhysand.
But if you can't pronounce it easily then no.

yes.... and most of my time I don't have issue with pronunciation because I listen to audio books most of the time;)

yes I love when author brings unique names. A pronunciation key would be helpful but it isn’t Necessary for me

I love it when characters have unique names but sometimes the names just don't suit the character. That time it's weird and embarrassing

When writing my fantasy books, I like to use a name meaning guide and pick something that suits their personalities, that’s pronounceable, and often from history or another culture. They’re familiar enough for people, but not something you’ll hear on the street. My favourite fantasy books (from other authors) are also set in other worlds where “Joe” or “Sarah” just don’t seem right, and different names make the world feel more fantastic and separate. I like them. For a book in our world? Not so much...

I am an absolute sucker for unique names! For me it just makes the book I'm reading that much more interesting if the characters have weird and unique names. In the Three Dark Crowns series my two favourite names were Arsinoe and Pietyr just as an example. I do admit though that sometimes I have no clue how to pronounce them! >~<

I love unique names! I just don’t like when I can’t/don’t know how to pronounce them and so I make up my own pronunciation, and then I find out the real pronunciation, because then I just don’t like that pronunciation.

I like them when they fit. Like, don't name a character Jyliop when the book is based in the 21st Century. The only book that can do that and get away with it is The Raven Boys. Other names, such as Aelin, or Feyre, or Jesper, I like, and they fit, and i love to pronounce them. Some names, like Selene, give me strokes doe

For that, I’d have to say yes. Like sometimes it’s hard when you can’t pronounce the names but unique ones makes the story a little different than all the others. Like Katniss or Annabeth, these names aren’t common but if you think about it those names still mean something to you. The more people have that name the more you have to think about who it is. Honestly this is all my opinion but i think unique names are cool!

Honestly yes! I love unique names. But I think that's because my preferred genre is YA fantasy, so the names are very fitting with the setting. Take Throne of Glass for example. Erilea is a very magical sounding place so it'd be hard to imagine characters with common names such as Emily or Sarah. Unique sounding names such as Celaena and Nehemia are a lot more fitting.

I guess it depends on the setting of the book though.

Averil wrote: "Haha I definitely like inventing unique Character names. I've created a book full of names that I thought I'd be using when I write my own book someday. But sadly I don't know when that "Someday" w..."

Girl I'm the same way!! I have so many story ideas, characters, name ideas, and tropes I like - all for that "someday" book

Dorothy wrote: "I am an absolute sucker for unique names! For me it just makes the book I'm reading that much more interesting if the characters have weird and unique names. In the [book:Three Dark Crowns|28374007..."

I loved the name Arsinoe! So unique and pretty (and it looks pretty, too)

It depends. If it’s like doorhandle that’s just weird in my opinion.

I totally agree with those saying it depends. I think that if it's 'unique' as in it's weird to me personally but is culturally significant or fits a fantasy world, then that's fine. I read to experience new people, places, and ideas and adapting to different-to-me names is part of that.

If it's 'unique' in the sense that a mid-life crisis white woman with a chalk board workshopping names has added 7 extra letters to "Ashley" or something like that... then the name breaks the story-telling illusion and continuity for me as a reader every time I see it. That kind of 'unique' I find grating, and I probably won't make it through the book.

I like unique names but only when I get the main idea how to pronounce them so for instance coriolaunius snow is pretty unique and easy to pronounce. So yes unique names are cool

If the name is so unique to the point where I can't pronounce it when I read it and my mind mentally changes it to something else, it's a little over the top. I do like normal names that are pronounced the same but spelled differently though, like Luuna instead of Luna or Fae instead of Fey