Character name advice?

So, I recently came across a story I had started writing when I was eleven and I think I’m going to make it my project over winter break to re-vamp it, which includes re-vamping the characters names. Its supposed to be a fantasy/futuristic type novel, so I wanted their names to be a little different while still being actual names.

The character I’m trying to rename was named Cathrynne by eleven year old me. After wincing at it once or twice I started searching for a name to replace it. I came across the name [name_f]Katell[/name_f] and instantly fell in love with it for this character. Its the [name_m]Breton[/name_m] form of [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]. However, for some reason I thought it was pronounced “[name_f]Kate[/name_f]-el”, sort of rhyming with [name_f]Gretel[/name_f]. When I discovered it was pronounced “ka-Tell” I was really bummed. I thought about changing the spelling to Katel and using it with the pronunciation I wanted but I feel it would be disrespectful to [name_m]Breton[/name_m] culture if I just took one of their names and changed the spelling and pronunciation to my liking.

I know I can’t use the name but for some reason I can not stop referring to her as “[name_f]Kate[/name_f]-el” every time I think about her. I can’t seem to find any other name that feels right for her. Can any of you help? Should I just go with [name_f]Katell[/name_f] or can any of you suggest a better alternative?

Here is a description of her: She is in her mid-teens. She is medium height with a strong build, fair skin. Her hair is a warm brown color and her eyes are medium blue. She is a very determined, ambitious girl and because of that she can be a bit abrasive at times. She is a kind, loving person deep down but she struggles with displays of affection. What would you call her?

If you’re doing fantasy/futuristic stuff, I think it’s totally fine to make up your own names, and I doubt anyone would even connect Katel to the [name_m]Breton[/name_m] name or think it disrespectful; I would probably assume you just smooshed together [name_f]Kate[/name_f] + [name_f]Elle[/name_f]. Personally, I think [name_f]Katell[/name_f] sounds prettier with the original pronounciation, but I can see why you might want a harsher sound for your character. You could play around with the spelling a bit more to be sure of the pronunciation you want e.g. Kaitel, which has the added advantage of looking less like [name_f]Katniss[/name_f].

Does your character have [name_m]Breton[/name_m] in her cultural background? If she does, it would make sense to have her named [name_f]Katell[/name_f]. Honestly, I instinctively pronounced it Kyh-tell. If the name feels right, I would try to accept the pronunciation. But that can be hard when you have an idea of what it’s supposed to sound like! I had a character named [name_f]Rosamunde[/name_f], and I always thought it was pronounced “[name_f]Roz[/name_f]-UH-mund”. But because her first language would be [name_m]German[/name_m], her name was pronounced “[name_f]Roz[/name_f]-UH-moon-duh.” :frowning:
Working with the [name_m]Breton[/name_m] culture, a few names I suggest are:
[name_f]Anaelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Enora[/name_f]
[name_f]Maelie[/name_f]
[name_f]Annick[/name_f]
[name_f]Mari[/name_f]
Maela
Rozenn
Maëll
Gwenaëlle

These names are futuristic, but a bit recognizable. If you don’t feel comfortable using [name_f]Katell[/name_f] (or spelling it Katel) then maybe one of these would work for you.