Atticus the racist

If this has already been discussed, sorry. Link me to the discussion please. :slight_smile: I haven’t been on NB lately, but I did look around first and didn’t see any discussion. I haven’t read Harper Lee’s new book, but of course, it’s hard to escape news of it. When I learned Atticus is a bit of a racist in the new book, I started wondering if that would affect the rising popularity of the name. I just read this article here which got me wondering again. So, for those who have Atticus on their lists, have you reconsidered the name since the new book came out? Personally, I like the name Atticus very much, though it’s not on our list. Part of the charm has always been the beloved character, but I like the name regardless. Thoughts?

Editing to add:

This leads to a bigger question, for those who name their children after fictional characters. Arya or Sansa, for example. There’s a very real possibility that the virtues you admire in the fictional character might change as the author continues writing. It’s something I haven’t ever given too much thought to, and I’m a big fan of fictional characters swaying my baby name list. Obviously, with a common name like Luke (Skywalker), there’s little danger of people only recognizing the name from the fictional character. But Atticus or Arya are instantly recognizable as their characters. I’m just musing. I haven’t come to a conclusion, myself.

I have had the name on my short list for a number of years, mainly because I just like the name in general. While, yes, some while now associate the name with the “character”, others will still see it as the true [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] [name_u]Finch[/name_u], as the validity of the second book is questionable. I, liking the name for what it is, while keep it on my list.

The “new” book is an early draft of TKM. The people I know who’ve read it have said it’s not that good, and that sections of it are word for word from TKM. And I seriously doubt it will ever be as widely read as TKM. So no, I don’t think it’s an issue.

These threads

are probably what you’re looking for.

This is something I’ve wondered about to. Not [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] specifically but fictional character names being used as baby names. It’s one thing if the movie or book series is already completed, because then the character’s attributes are set in stone. It’s a bit riskier using a name of something that’s still in progress. Coincidentally for me, the question was do I consider the name [name_f]Sansa[/name_f]? I really like the sound of the name, and yes, she did happen to be a favorite character of mine. Going off where the person’s storyline in the books is, I don’t feel bad about the name, but the recent season of the television adaptation uh, well, to put it lightly, has made me doubt myself.

I’m not naming a baby right this moment, so I think I’ll sit on it as by the time I am, there’s going to at least be one more book that’ll give me some idea of whether that seems like a smart move or not. Food for thought though - these type of names are probably “safer” as middle names so that their wearability isn’t as much of a factor - a person doesn’t go by their MN nearly as much. In general though, I’m enthusiastic about character names.