forum Worst Character Names
Started by @Starfast group
tune

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@Starfast group

My friend and I were talking about this a little while ago about how sometimes give their characters really freaking weird names sometimes and I'm really curious about what you guys think. What are some of the worst character names you've encountered in book?

@ElderGod-Icefire

I can't think of like… a specific name rn, but anything that the pronunciation isn't obvious or easy to find out just annoys the fuck out of me

@Starfast group

Dick Manwoody

Oh my god I'm dying! What book is that from? I'm genuinely curious.

Anyways, here's my tentative list:

  • Rye Like the bread, I guess
  • Quinn Not bad on it's own, but I read this one book where Quinn was the name of a princess but she was betrothed to the crown prince of another kingdom which would make her Queen Quinn. Which sounds really weird out loud.
  • Tin Mary This sounds like a nickname, but no this character's first name was Tin and last name was Mary. I feel like it would be less weird if it was reversed. Mary Tin.
  • The Darkling Deserves a spot on my list even though it's not technically a name, but the most unrealistic part of the Grishaverse is the fact that there's a character who's called "The Darkling" and only like 3 people think he's evil because that's literally the most evil sounding name/title/whatever I've ever heard.
  • Disko Troop I lost my mind when this character introduced himself oh my god.
  • Po Although, it's better than his actual name, Greening Grandemalion.
  • Bitterblue This doesn't even sound like a name?
  • Krit Corbin I didn't actually read the book that this character is from but this sounds like someone butchering the pronunciation of Kurt Cobain. Like remember when John Travolta pronounced Idina Menzel as Adele Dazeem? Yeah, that but with Kurt Cobain.

I also have to call out Isobelle Carmody because even though I really loved the Obernewtyn Chronicles, it also has some of the worst names I've ever encountered. Some highlights:

  • Ariel I actually really like this name. But not for a male character. And definitely not for the main antagonist.
  • Angina Like the heart condition I guess? Also a male character.
  • Miky Angina's twin sister. Always felt like they should switch names.
  • Domick Like Dominic, but slightly wrong.
  • Qwinn Again, nothing against the name Quinn, but why would you spell it like that?!
  • Swallow IIRC he's named after the bird but like… out of all the birds that exist… why that one?
  • There was also just a lot of really similar sounding names. Jik and Jak, Javo and Pavo, Gavyn and Gevan are the ones that immediately come to mind.

@Euric_Knight

There's this one book my friend has read where the kids are named Coke and Pepsi. There's no explanation, that's just their names.

@Pickles group

I'm reading a series (it's bad in general) in which three or four of their characters changed their names to goddesses, like one of them changed her name to Venus and then her roommate and her friends decided to change their names to Aphrodite and then two other things I don't remember because her friends are irrelevent
also in the same story Neferet like does that mean something and i missed it or what

@Katastrophic group

I read one series (idk? some YA apocalypse) where teens randomly get powers for some reason? and the names were super literal. One girl's last name was close to Lazarus and it was so shocking when her power turned out to be resurrection after a build up that lasted most of the book. Another series that was fantasy had characters named things like Aquara and Fyre and then tried to build mystery around what their magic was

@Starfast group

One girl's last name was close to Lazarus and it was so shocking when her power turned out to be resurrection after a build up that lasted most of the book

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't read Shadow and Bone, not that I think it really warrants one, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who is/is planning to read it.

Weirdly though, I feel like I'm the only one who actually saw it coming. I've read reviews of from people who both loved and hated the book but no one ever acknowledges it. And I'm someone who usually never sees these things coming. Tell me I'm not the only one?

@Katastrophic group

ikr? of course it doesnt help that with the amount of name research I do I can recognize names sometimes

Then there are the obvious ones and it just kinda ruins the story cause its so predictable and wastes all the good arcs and build up a character can have

@Yamatsu

  • Angina Like the heart condition I guess? Also a male character.

Agita is the Italian word for heartburn if we're thinking of the same word.