Eccentric English Names/Novels

erose · March 5, 2012, 8:52am

I’ve got a list of novels I’ve read recently that have a theme about them; they all involve crumbling mansions in [name]Britain[/name] and somewhat eccentric characters. Some of the names are too classic/boring for my taste, so I was wondering if you berries could perhaps dream up other appellations that would fit either the novel or just that type of story! I’ve bolded my favorites.

(Only need girl names)

Novel-Characters

Atonement-[name]Briony[/name], [name]Cecilia[/name], [name]Emily[/name], [name]Hermione[/name], [name]Pierrot[/name], [name]Lola[/name], [name]Arabella[/name]
The Stranger’s Child- [name]Cecil[/name], [name]Corinne[/name], [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Paul[/name]
[name]Jane[/name] Eyre-[name]Jane[/name], [name]Adele[/name], [name]Mary[/name], [name]Diana[/name], [name]Blanche[/name], [name]Fairfax[/name] [name]Rochester[/name] (swoon!)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle- [name]Mary[/name] [name]Katherine[/name] b[/b], [name]Constance[/name], [name]Julian[/name]
Northanger [name]Abbey[/name]- [name]Catherine[/name], [name]Isabella[/name], [name]James[/name], (all too classic, but fit the time)
Brideshead Revisisted-[name]Julia[/name], [name]Cordelia[/name] , [name]Sebastian[/name], [name]Charles[/name]
I Capture the Castle- [name]Topaz[/name], [name]Cassandra[/name] (except for the nn [name]Cassie[/name]), [name]Rose[/name] , [name]Leda[/name], [name]Simon[/name], [name]James[/name], [name]Aubrey[/name] (on a boy!)
The Turn of the Screw- [name]Miles[/name], [name]Flora[/name]

Her Fearful Symmetry- This takes place in modern day [name]London[/name], and there is a flat, not a house. There are two sets of twins, [name]Elspeth[/name] and [name]Edwina[/name] ([name]Edie[/name]), and [name]Julia[/name] and [name]Valentina[/name].

So the style is all over the place, but the feel is eccentric English, the kind of names that would not be surprising if they appeared in novels of this ilk.

cressida · March 5, 2012, 10:26am

This post reminded me of the (British uppercrust) sibset in [name]Margaret[/name] Drabble’s Jerusalem the [name]Golden[/name]: [name]Clelia[/name], [name]Amelia[/name], [name]Magnus[/name], [name]Gabriel[/name] and [name]Annunciata[/name]

moonbeampie · March 5, 2012, 12:32pm

Pride and Prejudice- [name]Georgiana[/name] ([name]Darcy[/name]) and [name]Lydia[/name] are the one’s I liked best
Wuthering Heights- [name]Heathcliff[/name],[name]Catherine[/name], [name]Edgar[/name], [name]Ellen[/name] ‘[name]Nelly[/name]’, Hareton
The Tenant of Wildfell [name]Hall[/name]- [name]Helen[/name], [name]Arthur[/name], [name]Annabella[/name], [name]Gilbert[/name], [name]Fergus[/name], [name]Walter[/name], [name]Esther[/name], [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Millicent[/name]
[name]Emma[/name]- There’s an [name]Augusta[/name] in this!
Sense and Sensibility- [name]Elinor[/name] and [name]Marianne[/name] obviously, and a [name]Fanny[/name] (though I wouldn’t recommend this!)

erose · March 5, 2012, 5:22pm

Thanks! [name]Georgiana[/name] and [name]Clelia[/name] are interesting, and although I’m only looking for girl names, [name]Heathcliff[/name] is the perfect name for the type of hero he was!

rgp19 · March 5, 2012, 5:56pm

[name]Tess[/name] of the D’Urbervilles- [name]Tess[/name] (I always thought that was interesting for the time period because I would have assumed for her name to be theresa not just [name]Tess[/name]), [name]Marian[/name], Izz, and Retty are interesting names for the time period, [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Louisa[/name] ([name]Liza[/name]-lu) which I think is very cute, and then [name]Mercy[/name].
[name]David[/name] Copperfield- [name]Agnes[/name], [name]Clara[/name], em’ly (which I think is very interesting for its time period because of the '), [name]Betsey[/name], [name]Dora[/name], [name]Rosa[/name], and annie.

erose · March 5, 2012, 7:28pm

Thanks, rgp19! I like [name]Liza[/name]-lu as a nickname, and [name]Betsey[/name], and [name]Agnes[/name], kind of.

Note: I’m just asking for suggestions for names that evoke the eccentric English sensibility, slightly country house style. Not necessarily book suggestions although I do love literature, obviously.

davisellu · March 5, 2012, 7:51pm

I always think of the Greek and [name]Roman[/name]/ancient history inspired girls’ names in this category: [name]Callista[/name], [name]Minerva[/name], [name]Diana[/name], [name]Athena[/name], [name]Calliope[/name], [name]Imogene[/name], [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Laurel[/name], [name]Julia[/name], [name]Lucia[/name], [name]Octavia[/name], [name]Cleopatra[/name], [name]Sybil[/name], etc.

I’ve been reading several of [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Chadwick[/name]'s historical novels and although they are set in the medieval period, there are a lot good names in them that could be used for this purpose: [name]Matilda[/name], Mahelt, [name]Roger[/name], [name]Ida[/name], [name]Hugh[/name], [name]Ela[/name], Sybire, [name]Ancel[/name], [name]Sybilla[/name], Alais, [name]Gilbert[/name], [name]Maud[/name], [name]Amice[/name], [name]Agnes[/name], [name]Agatha[/name], Ranulf, [name]Ralph[/name], [name]Amaury[/name], [name]Walter[/name], [name]Joan[/name], etc. in addition to the more common-- [name]Henry[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]William[/name], [name]Stephen[/name], [name]Richard[/name], [name]Geoffrey[/name], [name]John[/name], [name]Isabelle[/name], [name]Patrick[/name], [name]Nicholas[/name], [name]Joanna[/name], etc.

erose · March 6, 2012, 4:04pm

Thanks davisellu! I’m so sad [name]Minerva[/name] has been put out of use by [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]! [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Sybilla[/name] and [name]Octavia[/name] are nice, too.

davisellu · March 6, 2012, 7:23pm

Here are a bunch more mostly from biographies of famous English women. There’s definitely some overlap but several of the families had pretty unique names that were carried on through different generations.

Names from [name]Florence[/name] Nightengale’s family (see [name]Gillian[/name] [name]Gill[/name]’s The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss [name]Florence[/name] Nightengale):

[name]Florence[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Frances[/name] Parethenope
[name]Frances[/name] [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Martha[/name] [name]Frances[/name]
[name]Joanna[/name] [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Joanna[/name] [name]Hilary[/name]
[name]Blanche[/name]
[name]Blanche[/name] [name]Athena[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Thyra[/name] [name]Barbara[/name]
[name]Sibella[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Elinor[/name] [name]Marie[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Gertrude[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Edith[/name]
[name]Marianne[/name]
[name]Laura[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Mary[/name] [name]Henrietta[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Barbara[/name]
[name]Isabella[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Bertha[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]

Mitford Family names (they were related to [name]Winston[/name] [name]Churchill[/name]’s wife [name]Clementine[/name] so some names from that family are here too) from [name]Mary[/name] S. [name]Lovell[/name]’s The Sisters: The [name]Saga[/name] of the Mitford Family:

The Mitford sisters are: [name]Nancy[/name], [name]Pamela[/name], [name]Diana[/name], [name]Unity[/name], [name]Jessica[/name], and [name]Deborah[/name]

Names of other female relatives:
[name]Henrietta[/name] [name]Blanche[/name]
[name]Blanche[/name]
[name]Kitty[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Nellie[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name] [name]Marigold[/name]
[name]Mabell[/name]
[name]Helen[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Griselda[/name]
[name]Sydney[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Peggy[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]
[name]Barbara[/name]
[name]Ann[/name]
[name]Madeline[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Phyllis[/name]
[name]Pamela[/name]
[name]Dorothy[/name]
[name]Constancia[/name]
[name]Emma[/name]
[name]Sophia[/name]

Girls’ names from [name]Nancy[/name] Mitford’s The Pursuit of [name]Love[/name] and [name]Love[/name] in a Cold Climate (based largely on her own family and neighbors): [name]Sadie[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Linda[/name], [name]Emily[/name], [name]Vicki[/name], Jassy, [name]Fanny[/name], [name]Norma[/name], [name]Polly[/name], [name]Victoria[/name]

Female Names from [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name]’s family tree (from [name]Claire[/name] Tomalin’s [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name]: A Life):

[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Rebecca[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Philadelphia[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name]
[name]Leonora[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Martha[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name] [name]Esten[/name]
[name]Harriet[/name]-[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]-[name]Palmer[/name]
[name]Mary[/name]-[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name]-[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name]-[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]-[name]Sophia[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]-[name]Anna[/name]-[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Fanny[/name]
[name]Marianne[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Emma[/name]

aj_bear · March 6, 2012, 8:25pm

Ooh! I love British novels!

[name]Agnes[/name] [name]Grey[/name]- [name]Agnes[/name], [name]Mary[/name], [name]Matilda[/name], [name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Emma[/name]- [name]Harriet[/name], [name]Emma[/name], [name]Fanny[/name], [name]Isabella[/name]

I wish I could think of more, but right now I’m sort of at a blank.

[name]Athena[/name]

erose · March 7, 2012, 9:11am

Thanks! Daviesellu, your list is particularly inspiring; I am beginning to like [name]Cassandra[/name] more, and [name]Harriet[/name] is such a strong, underused name (in the States). I have a soft spot for [name]Henrietta[/name] too, especially with the nickname [name]Etta[/name]. I wish there were more quirky classics like [name]Clementine[/name] that don’t evoke the miner’s song/deep South (for me)!

stripedsocks · March 8, 2012, 11:55pm

[name]Thomasina[/name], and the very British dimunitive which is also a standalone name, [name]Tamsin[/name].

I do love [name]Bryony[/name]. A very underused botanical.

[name]Thalassa[/name] - The name of a British garden authoress (yes, she was so old she was an authoress, lol) who was born in 1909. I love her writings but I also just love her name.

[name]Vita[/name] As in [name]Vita[/name] Sackville-[name]West[/name] if you please. Another eccentric British garden-lady and incredibly classy but odd.

[name]Philomena[/name] I know a baby by this name, which makes me very happy.

[name]Penelope[/name] I know possibly the world’s coolest old Edwardian-era woman over 90 by this name. I love her to pieces.

There’s the eccentric classics: [name]Circe[/name] [name]Iseult[/name] and [name]Minerva[/name] I rather like [name]Minerva[/name].

And there’s the largely-unused-anymore botanicals, [name]Marigold[/name], [name]Dahlia[/name] and even [name]Bluebell[/name]. Part of me WANTS to do [name]Jonquil[/name] and part of me is afraid of backlash. But [name]Jessamine[/name] isn’t too odd to use, I don’t think.

erose · March 9, 2012, 8:34am

Stripedsocks, thanks for your suggestions! [name]Philomena[/name] is very interesting and pretty, as is [name]Thalassa[/name]. I like [name]Penelope[/name], but it is alas too long for my pairing!