See the results of this poll: What 2 surnames do you like best for Jimmy?
Respondents: 27 (This poll is closed)
- Beaudry : 3 (8%)
- Buchanan : 12 (33%)
- Ladd : 3 (8%)
- Langston : 8 (22%)
- Riggins: 10 (28%)
[name]Buchanan[/name] is the only one without problems.
If [name]Jimmy[/name] were [name]Jim[/name], Beaudry would be great, but not with the double -y ending.
[name]Ladd[/name] is ‘lad,’ a young boy.
[name]Langston[/name] either [name]Langston[/name] [name]Hughes[/name] or the ‘hero’ from the Da [name]Vinci[/name] Code.
Riggins sounds like a fictional pirate. Rigging, etc. More importantly, [name]Jimmy[/name] Riggins has an internal rhyme which makes the name sound silly.
So I vote [name]Buchanan[/name].
However, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but each and every surname you picked is completely English/Scottish in origins. As you’ve said your story is set in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name], this isn’t plausible for your cohort.
[name]James[/name]/[name]Jimmy[/name] [name]Buchanan[/name] is the only option I like from your list. Since [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name] is the land of immigrants, I don’t see anything wrong with English/Scottish surnames. [name]Buchanan[/name] “sounds” like a sexy cowboy surname to me. 
Is the rule about double letter endings really that much of a no no?
In regards to the meaning of [name]Ladd[/name] and the whole young boy thing, this is a case of myself as the writer needing to make the character the opposite of what the name means or refers to. When the writer of The Vampire Diaries came up with the character [name]Meredith[/name] Fell, I doubt very much she was going to make the character trip all the time and fall down, or fall for every guy she is around, etc. [name]Meredith[/name] is the complete oposite. Obviously, if I use [name]Ladd[/name] for the surname, I’m not going to make [name]Jimmy[/name] (a grown man) behave like a young boy.
I had to google [name]Langston[/name] [name]Hughes[/name] because I had no idea who they are. And, thank you for pointing out [name]Tom[/name] Hanks’ character on The Da [name]Vinci[/name] Code. The characters name was [name]Robert[/name] [name]Langdon[/name], but still that is close enough to [name]Langston[/name].
As for Riggins…everyone is entitled to their opinion. Not everyone is going to like a name. Obviously, there are a few people who like it juding by the poll results.
“Since [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name] is the land of immigrants, I don’t see anything wrong with English/Scottish surnames.”
I agree, mischa. I know someone who’s name is [name]Natalia[/name] (Russian name) and their last name is very Anglo-[name]Saxon[/name]. Her mother gave her the name [name]Natalia[/name] not because she’s Russian but because she liked the name.
[name]Jimmy[/name] [name]Ladd[/name] ([name]Jim[/name] [name]Lad[/name]) in particular makes me think of [name]Treasure[/name] Island. It’s what [name]Long[/name] [name]John[/name] [name]Silver[/name] nicknames [name]James[/name] Hawkins.
Oh really, I didn’t know that. I didn’t watch too much t.v. growing up; my mom didn’t allow it. And even though I’m an adult now, I only have a few shows I watch faithfully every week. My hubby watches enough t.v. for the both of us. 
[name]James[/name] [name]Buchanan[/name] is a former US president, and one known for being a bit of a bad president at that. I noticed [name]Buchanan[/name] is a popular choice here, but people who know their US history might recognize your character shares his name with a president. So that’s something to keep in mind. Maybe he started calling himself [name]Jimmy[/name] after learning about the president in school. It’s an option if you want to use [name]Buchanan[/name] anyway. It seems strange to me that [name]Buchanan[/name] might be seen as a “sexy cowboy” name, but then again, I have the image of the president in my head. Not exactly sexy cowboy material.
I personally like Beaudry the best, rhyme-y ending and all. Strangely, [name]Buchanan[/name] is actually my second choice. Mostly because I don’t like how [name]Jimmy[/name] sounds with the rest of your options. But [name]James[/name] “[name]Jimmy[/name]” Beaudry seems like a solid real name. [name]James[/name] [name]Buchanan[/name] already is one.
Looks like I’d tank in Jeopardy’s Former U.S Presidents category. LOL I’m from [name]Canada[/name]. I try not to name after famous people. Sometimes I toss out a name not knowing it’s already an important person.
I really like Beaudry too.
It’s a book by Robert Louis Stevenson. A classic.
LOL…Sorry, I just assumed a t.v. show. As one who reads at 175 books a year, one would think I’d know that. My favorite genre is mystery and least favorite are the classics. So that is my excuse.
Thank you to everyone who voted and commented so far. I’m still undecided. I am surprised that Riggins is getting the response that it is. I just saw it in the phone book, thought it was different so I tossed it in the poll.
I am still liking Beaudry the best. I was talking to a close friend, she’s an inspiring author and she reads even more books a year then I do. I mentioned the whole double letter ending rule and she looked at me like I’d grown two heads. She then said that the average reader isn’t going to analyze a character’s name in that great of detail. They are reading the book for enjoyment, to relax after a hard day at work, etc. Later in the evening, I got an email from her. She listed some characters from t.v. shows and the names have the double letter on the end:
[name]Johnston[/name] [name]Green[/name]
[name]Mary[/name] [name]Bailey[/name]
[name]Sookie[/name] Stackhouse…from [name]True[/name] Blood
[name]Holly[/name] [name]Cleary[/name]
[name]Luna[/name] Garza
[name]Maria[/name] LaGuerta…from [name]Dexter[/name]
[name]Stan[/name] [name]McQueen[/name]
[name]Grant[/name] Test
[name]Natalia[/name] Boa Vista
[name]John[/name] Stillman
[name]Jin[/name] Kwon…from Lost
[name]Sun[/name] Kwon…from Lost
[name]Charlie[/name] [name]Pace[/name]…from Lost
[name]Maggie[/name] [name]Greene[/name]…from The Walking Dead
[name]Gretchen[/name] [name]Morgan[/name]
[name]Carlos[/name] Solis
I don’t know what shows some of the characters are from, she watches more t.v. then me.
@crissy have you thought instead of Beaumont? I really like [name]Jimmy[/name] Beaumont.
Also the key is rhyming ending sounds, not the letter itself. [name]Sookie[/name] Stackhouse ends in silent es; the relevant sounds are -ee and -s. Honestly, just because other people name characters poorly doesn’t mean you should! Your friend is right in that most people don’t analyze names and won’t be able to put their fingers on what’s off about the name or the character, but this sort of minor infelicity will nag at the back of readers’ minds.
And while we’re nitpicking-- you and I are about the same age. [name]Do[/name] you know anyone in our peer group who is named [name]Jimmy[/name], or [name]Tommy[/name], or [name]Billy[/name]? Men in their late 30s are more likely to be [name]Jim[/name] versus [name]Jimmy[/name], don’t you think?
Yeah, good suggestion. I don’t mind [name]Jimmy[/name] Beaumont. But, does it sound a little to ‘high class’?
I work in a hotel and one of the perks is getting to see the guest list and all the names. I’m at work right now and one of the surnames from one of the guests is Brumpton. I think that is different…I’ve never heard it before. What I like about Beaudry and Beaumont is the ‘beau’ in the name. It suits the character because one of his conflicts is being in love with two women. I suppose something like [name]Boden[/name] would work too because ‘bo’ and ‘beau’ sound the same. I’ve wanted to go with a "B’ or a “G” sound for this character. I also like Goswell. One expression Jimmy uses a lot is dandy. “Oh that’s just dandy.” and Goswell has ‘swell’ in it. LOL
I knew two guys with the name [name]Jimmy[/name] in school. Their birth names are [name]James[/name], of course. I know more [name]Tom[/name]'s then [name]Tommy[/name]'s. As for [name]Billy[/name], I can’t think of that name without laughing. When I was like 6, I used to play with this little boy named [name]Billy[/name]…he was such a pain in the butt. His uncle used to live next door and he’s come up every [name]Easter[/name] and he used to eat all the heads off his easter bunnies before any other part. I also have a cousin who is two years older then me and his birth name is [name]William[/name], but he went by [name]Billy[/name] all through school. I think some people just fit a name or a nickname differently. Sometimes it depends on the father’s name too. If father and son both are named [name]James[/name]. The dad may go by [name]Jim[/name] and the son [name]Jimmy[/name], etc. My grandfathers name is [name]William[/name] [name]James[/name] and he always went by [name]Bill[/name]. My dad is [name]William[/name] [name]Calvin[/name] [name]Grant[/name] and my grandma thought having two [name]Bill[/name]'s in the house was too much so she started refering to my dad as [name]Grant[/name]…that has stuck with my dad his whole life. I can’t imagine my dad being a [name]Bill[/name].
In regards to [name]Jimmy[/name]…I’ve never thought of him as anything else.