Greetings, peeperas y peeperos —
Hope you’re having a groovy day. I got to thinking about names and characters after the Royal Baby’s was announced. His name is still garnering some discussion on social media. “George” has a long history in the British monarchy, so that wasn’t too surprising. And most of the comments about it were along the lines of “good name,” “strong,” “masculine.” That sort of thing. The prince’s next two names are “Alexander” and “Louis,” which also got approval from the peasant peanut gallery around the world. Same reasons. When he takes the throne, he’ll be another “King George” (though I rather like “King Alex” myself).
Anyway, point being, lots of people got into the name game with the Royal Baby hoop-dee-doo. People were probably betting in Vegas on which names William and Kate would decide on, and I saw lots of discussion on social media about naming the baby and what names would be good and which ones would kind of suck. That is, not sound “royal” or “kingly” enough.
Which just goes to show you, names are important. Remember that Johnny Cash song? “A Boy Named Sue“? A lot of baggage came with that name. The kid spent his time seeking revenge on a father who abandoned him but managed to name him “Sue.” And in a society as gendered as ours, we all know what happens when a dude gets what’s considered a girl’s name. He’s considered “less than” a man, somehow “feminized” (as if that’s such a bad thing) whereas a woman with what’s considered a guy’s name doesn’t have to deal with the same issues. But gender hierarchies and social structures aren’t really the gist of my conversation here.
Rather, I’d like to talk about how names are indeed important in fiction.
So come on. Join me.
source: mumsnet
Andi Marquette 