[name]Hi[/name] guys!
I’m curious to hear your opinions. I did post that other thread about looking for a humble name, and now I’m curious how much an effect naming my main characters with humble names would have. I initially went into it that way because I am personally rather put off when I go into a book and the main character has a name that is trying too hard. I wanted to give my main characters really humble names so that they are more likable upon first meeting. Is this flawed logic? Because maybe I’m the only one who feels this way.
So, do you think you would like an [name]Adam[/name] or an [name]Alistair[/name] more upon first sight? Would you like [name]Adam[/name] more because of the relatability factor, or maybe something more uncommon and foreign like [name]Alistair[/name] intrigues you?
I’m just really curious. I suspect it has to do with one’s personality, but who knows!
Thanks!
[name]Nicole[/name]
Hmm… I’d say that depends more on the setting. I chiefly read fantasy/sci-fi, so I’m usually not put off by an odd name. This coming from the girl who once named a character Lolpunee (don’t worry; I changed his name!). I think it’s a very fine line to walk, especially in spec fic. In realistic fiction, I find I’m a lot more demanding. I might read about a [name]Claire[/name], but not about a [name]Clarissa[/name]. Really, though, I find that my reading choices depend more on price and Amazon reviews ([name]Kindle[/name] owner here!) than on names.
I agree with you here. It does depend on the genre.
I’m wondering about this because I’m writing a post-apocalyptic book (no magic). At first, I gave my main characters quite strange or grandiose names, but now I’m wondering if that’s off-putting. Perhaps not? Or maybe I’ll change half and leave the other half the way they were.
Hahaha I’m glad you mentioned this. I’m an avid reader and if I had a pound for every time I haven’t bought a book because the author used stupid names…
With [name]Adam[/name] and [name]Alistair[/name] I don’t mind so much- I even prefer [name]Alistair[/name]. Neither are that uncommon. It’s when they put in names like [name]Dulcie[/name] or [name]McKenzie[/name] that I get put off. Sometimes as I read a book the character grows to suit their name, but most of the time I’m put off and I think it is down to name preference.
It can go two ways with using humble names, in my opinion. I try to use quite common but not completely plain names when I write, so I don’t think using humble names is flawed logic!
But I read a novel recently where the protagonists were called [name]John[/name] and [name]Margaret[/name], which are too dull on their own. The books I’m reading at the moment have characters called [name]Arthur[/name], [name]Meg[/name], [name]Otto[/name], [name]Eva[/name], [name]Robert[/name]… which I think are ok. Not ‘trying’ but not totally bland if you see what I mean?
Generally I think using ‘normal’ names is novels is a lot better, but it does depend on genre. Some authors try too much! 
Oh, perhaps [name]Alistair[/name] was a bad example! In the UK, I know it’s quite common, but in the US, it’s not common at all (whereas [name]Adam[/name] is). And yet, [name]Mackenzie[/name] is really common here.
I do the same! Definitely whenever I write realistic fiction, I use common (but not too plain) names.
Thanks for the advice!
A friend tried to lend me a book in which the main character was named [name]Ever[/name]. I just couldn’t bring myself to read it for that reason,
For post-apoc/dystopian, you pretty much have free reign. I mean, don’t name your character Ghoisnphelreerrfruitipiyybittujoyghiultjitknew, but as long as it’s three syllables or less, you’re probably good.
It really depends on the personality. [name]Adam[/name] is kind of a manly man name, whereas [name]Alistair[/name] suits someone more serious and polite. Plus, the place comes into account. In a suburban setting, [name]Alistair[/name] is a bit out there than it is in a city. There are just a lot of variables to consider when it comes to names.
This happens to me ALL THE TIME! Not as much when the names are trying to hard, but really ugly or trendy. For example, I started a book a while back where the main character was named [name]Rylee[/name]. I couldn’t read a few pages it bothered me so much! It even goes to a point where I’ll pick up a book where the title has an interesting name in it. I think I like normal names best though. I like reading about Joeys and Dans and Amys (that being said, if I read another book with a protaganist named [name]Emily[/name], I will die! I get that it’s a popular name, but it’s just soooooo overdone!)
To answer your question, niether [name]Adam[/name] or [name]Alistair[/name] would bother me particuarily, but I think I’d be more inclined to read about an [name]Adam[/name].
I think it depends on the character. I have a character named [name]Lucian[/name], but he and his mother who named him are both somewhat snobby and pretentious, so the name suits him. His twin brother is named [name]Jonathan[/name], and [name]Jonathan[/name] (named by his father) is much more down-to-earth. (Well except the fact that he’s a ghost…)
If I was writing a story about, say, a construction worker, his name would be [name]Jim[/name] rather than say [name]Jameson[/name]. It just depends.
I read a book about a girl called [name]Ever[/name]. Her surname was pretty majestic as well. I didn’t like the book, but it wasn’t because of her name. OK, it was partly to do with that - it was set in present-day and [name]Ever[/name]'s sister was called [name]Riley[/name]. Probably the worst sibset ever… nothing wrong with the name [name]Riley[/name] at all but the names are unbelievably mismatched. So I think authors need to be careful about that sort of thing. 
I agree it’s all about the genre. As I mentioned, the [name]Ever[/name] in the book I know was present-day, which made it kind of silly. Had it been a fantasy/dystopian setting I wouldn’t have minded, though I probably still would have been confused if her sister was [name]Riley[/name]. When I do dystopian names I try to think ahead of trends, which is difficult but it can be amusing - I have one story where [name]Nevaeh[/name] is considered an old lady name. ^^ I also give my MC a name that is common within the dystopia.
I think it depends on the character. If they’re an upper-class, wealthy Victorian, anything other than a pretentious name would seem out of place. If they’re a modern-day kid born to a young parent, I’d expect them to be called something popular and maybe even quite trendy (though any hideous misspellings would instantly put me off - [name]Taylor[/name], fine, Taelah, not fine). I’d have [name]Adam[/name] to be a down-to-earth [name]Jack[/name]-the-lad type, while I’d have [name]Alistair[/name] more as a career-focused city banker.
Depending on the character and/or character’s background, I don’t mind the names so much. I’m in the middle of editing a story I wrote in which four sisters have noticeably male names because their father desperately wanted a son. The fifth daughter has a female name because their mother put her foot down and said no more (It’s explained in the story). But if there’s a randomly placed name in a book and I can’t guess or see the reasoning behind the name then I’ll put the book down and move on.
It depends. I like made-up and unusual names but prefer it when it seems like that name should have been a common name all along, if you know what I mean.
I have been known to change the names of characters! Seriously. [name]Candice[/name] for example I would read a [name]Clare[/name].
I won’t read it if I can’t pronounce it. I can’t remember an example right now, but there were a couple.
I read a book where the main character was [name]Skyla[/name]. The book’s and all it’s continuations are pretty awful, and [name]Skyla[/name] is whiny and ridiculous, kinda like her name… Also, every book I’ve ever read and every movie I’ve ever seen that were about werewolves has a [name]Lucien[/name]/[name]Lucian[/name]… getting tired of it.
Well even if the characters have pretentious names, it could still be an amazing book. I read all genres of literature so I’m not put off by different names. But if the character is very laid back and easy going you wouldn’t want to name them [name]Prudence[/name].
I can’t say I’ve ever left off a book just because I don’t like the character names. I go into most stories trusting the author to have found a name that fits the character that’s been created. There are names I don’t like - [name]Cornelius[/name], [name]Ophelia[/name], etc. But that’s just personal preference. I wouldn’t pass on a book just because a character had one of those particular names.
I mostly read fantasy, but in all the more realistic books I like I’m usually only put off if the character has a truly weird or trashy name (for example, there’s this book I like where the girls are called [name]Destiny[/name] and Sunset… cool words, but not good names). I like seeing names that are labelled as “pretentious” by most people in books, because I find them much more interesting than things like [name]Grace[/name] and [name]Samuel[/name] (couple in the series I’m reading at the moment). If I saw a book with a dude called [name]Alasdair[/name] (I hate the [name]Alistair[/name] spelling, it’s just not as cool), I’d be impressed at the author’s good taste in names.