Ok so I am reading this book series called the Hunger Games. My friend turned me onto the books and my stepson is so excited about the movie that I figured I should read the books. Well I am just getting into the first half of the book and got to say it is pretty cool. There are alot of different names that you have never heard of before or just are not common names. So far here are some of the names:
Prim (sort for [name]Primrose[/name] but everyone calls her Prim)
[name]Katniss[/name]
Peeta(boy)
[name]Gale/name
Haymitch(boy)
[name]Cinna/name
[name]Portia[/name]
[name]Effie[/name]
[name]Madge/name
[name]Rue/name
Atala(girl)
I am really starting to like [name]Katniss[/name] the more I read this book and I am just in love with the name Prim. I like [name]Primrose[/name] but dh said no way but he likes Prim ok so what do you think of the two? The other names are not my style but [name]Rue[/name], [name]Katniss[/name] & Prim so are!! I probably will only get away with [name]Katniss[/name] as a middle name though. What do you think of the three names and would they be usable?
Oh, yeah, they did a blog about The Hunger Games names a little while back Hunger Game Names: Inventions and Reinventions | Nameberry I think a lot of the names are useable and I’m sure some of the names may come into mild popularity. I bet some of the actors playing the character will have their names grow in popularity too (If the names aren’t popular/common already) I just can’t get on bord with [name]Katniss[/name] thought. It looks good on paper but out loud I just don’t like the sound.
I hated (HATED) the Hunger Games, so it pulled a lot of names I relate to the series off my favourites list. I lost [name]Cressida[/name] to that series. I was devastated, but there are names I like better, so I don’t mind too much these days. I will credit this series with its interesting names. Have you noticed that each District has a distinctive naming style? Wait till you meet District 1’s (I think) [name]Glimmer[/name], if you haven’t already.
I’d say [name]Rue[/name], [name]Primrose[/name] and [name]Euphemia[/name]/[name]Euphemie[/name] nn [name]Effie[/name] are the most usable. [name]Katniss[/name] is a name I would associate instantly with the character. Compare [name]Renesmee[/name] to Twilight. And I’ve said this several times: [name]Katniss[/name] doesn’t sound particularly special next to [name]Agnes[/name], [name]Katherine[/name], [name]Frances[/name], [name]Katrina[/name], [name]Iris[/name], and all other names that either begin with [name]Kat[/name] or end in an “iss” sound.
I don’t like any of the names (in the 1st book anyway, since that’s all I’ve read and ever intend to read), except for [name]Primrose[/name], but only as a middle, and I liked that before HG anyway. I think [name]Katniss[/name] is truly awful, it’s too harsh sounding. And [name]Gale[/name] is just silly for a boy.
I’ve never read the book (despite the hounding of my friends), so I was bewildered by the chatter around some of these names. I can’t say I like a lot of them. [name]Katniss[/name] sounds too much like catnip to my ears.
I do like [name]Gale[/name] for a boy, though. My grandma’s name is [name]Gail[/name], so I would consider it as a middle name.
[name]Gale[/name] was originally a male name, like so many others (i.e., [name]Maud[/name], [name]Gillian[/name]).
As for its popularity, every fan will have his or her own reasons for loving it, but I love it because it a) has a fantastic heroine who is perfectly human and b) the text is LOADED with political and social relevance that I can unpack and write many, many papers about for years to come, meaning it’s not just some silly story and will probably stand the test of time and become a literary classic.
Guess not many people like HG on nameberry. I adored them but then again I’m only 13 sooooo…! Anyway, I really liked the names in the series! Some are so exotic and creative, but not in the way you think the author is trying to hard. My favourite names start appearing in the second book though(Catching [name]Fire[/name]). However, the only name that I detest is the heroine’s name [name]Katniss[/name]. I like [name]Katniss[/name] for her determination and for how brave she is, but I can’t wrap my head around the sound of her name! I think it’s because her friend [name]Gale[/name] calls her Catnip.
Anyway, here are some of my favourites from the series:
girls:
[name]Primrose[/name] (I have adored it ever since I first laid eyes on it)
[name]Rue[/name] (It has three possible meanings, it could be the flower, it could mean street en français, or it could mean regret)
[name]Annie[/name] (I have loved this name since I was two)
[name]Johanna[/name] ( I love the feel to it)
[name]Octavia[/name]
Venia (it sounds so cool to me)
[name]Effie[/name] (even though it may sound quite backwoods hillbilly to some people I find it adorable as a nickname)
[name]Clove[/name] (I find it earthy sounding)
[name]Lavinia[/name] ( beautiful :))
boys:
[name]Cato[/name] (even though the caracter is quite scary, I like the name a LOT)
[name]Cinna[/name] (love it)
[name]Flavius[/name]
Finnick (my most FAVOURITE name)
Peeta (okay, so not the most wearable name in the entire world, but I love the character!:))
I’m a major fan of the Hunger Games and I love that the names of the characters go from completely normal ([name]Gale[/name], [name]Rory[/name], [name]Johanna[/name]) to really out there (Wiress, Plutarch, [name]Tigris[/name]), and everything in between.
@ edenlyla13: [name]ITA[/name] with you on Finnick’s name. His is the only character name that I would use that would most likely cause people to ask, “Oh, like the character?” Whereas if I used [name]Octavia[/name] or [name]Gale[/name] or [name]Madge[/name] or even [name]Primrose[/name], their minds may not automatically jump to the character. KWIM?
What!? People hated The Hunger Games series? I thought that both [name]Katniss[/name] and Peeta were very likeable characters. Brave, true, honorable… I loved how the world of Panem was divided into Districts and that the people in The Capital were obsessed with “reality tv” and their looks.
The names are awesome! I adore the nn [name]Cat[/name], cuz I am a cat person. While I thought [name]Katniss[/name] was an amazing role-model, her name is a bit odd. I would totally consider using Everdeen (her last name) as a middle name.
My two favorite names from the series are Haymitch and Finnick! Haymitch is similar to [name]Hamish[/name], but seems more useable. [name]Mitch[/name] is a better nickname than [name]Ham[/name]! [name]Finn[/name] has never been a favorite name of mine. I can’t get passed the “fin” fishy-ness of it…but I love Finnick!
My favorite girl’s name from it is [name]Primrose[/name] (Prim). I love [name]Rue[/name] too!
[name]Effie[/name] seems to be popular, but I wasn’t a big fan of the character. I can see [name]Effie[/name] and [name]Primrose[/name] catching on.
While I loved the series, I dont think [name]Katniss[/name] is a nice name! However I do like [name]Gale[/name] for a boy, and peeta only because I like the character alot. And I like Finnick too but he doesnt appear until the second book.
I love [name]Katniss[/name]. I heard of it on Nameberry once or twice even before I’d read the books (I didn’t know it had any connection whatsoever) and liked it even then. I remember thinking [name]Katniss[/name] [name]Evangeline[/name] would be gorgeous the first time I heard it.
[name]Madge[/name] and Atala are great too.
I don’t like [name]Effie[/name] at all, and I do not see why so many people like it, honestly. [name]Both[/name] the pns, ee-fee and eh-fee sound ugly and awkward to say. [name]Rue[/name] is alright, but sounds very masculine to me. I’ve known a few boys named [name]Rue[/name], as nns for either [name]Rupert[/name] or [name]Reuben[/name]. It also makes me think of the French word for ‘street’. [name]Gale[/name] is OK. I don’t like Haymitch. [name]Hamish[/name] is slightly better. The ‘[name]Mitch[/name]’ part reminds me of an unpleasant person named [name]Mitchel[/name]/‘[name]Mitch[/name]’ I knew. shiver
On a different note, I liked the books. I agree they’re rather overrated, possibly due to the film which is out soon - but I think they’re well-written and I loved the characters/story line. I REALLY hope they don’t become the new Twilight, although if [name]Primrose[/name] and [name]Gale[/name] take over [name]Isabella[/name] and [name]Jacob[/name] then I don’t have an issue at all!
To add to what I said the other day, I’m not fond of the name Haymitch. All the way through the books I thought [name]Katniss[/name] was addressing him by his surname, which in my defence wasn’t impossible considering they were both really horrible and annoying to each other. Either Haymitch is too surnamey or I just wasn’t paying much attention.
I recall an incredibly minor character in the HGs who was called [name]Mitchell[/name], but I think he barely got a page so I don’t think the popularity of [name]Mitchell[/name] is going anywhere too fast. I thought the name [name]Tigris[/name] was cute but unusable. Same goes for [name]Delly[/name] and also Coin (unless… unless that was her surname and I wasn’t paying attention at all, ha-ha.)
[name]Rue[/name] would be cute on its own, or as a nickname for Runa.
I don’t suppose we’ll see a rise in popularity for [name]Snow[/name] on either gender. [name]Shame[/name]; it’s a cute nature name or middle name at least.
[name]Primrose[/name] is one of my favourites, and is a name I was a fan of before I read the books.
I was the first to shoot down the name [name]Katniss[/name] prior to reading the series, thinking it was an ugly, harsh sound.
Having read the series, I still wouldn’t use it, but I can definitely see the appeal and would maybe consider it as a middle name in the future.
[name]Gale[/name], I love, and is on my list as a middle name for a future son. [name]Rue[/name] is another one I’d consider in the middle.
The rest either don’t appeal to me (Peeta thought I love the character, Finnick, Wiress), or are too out there to be usable ([name]Cinna[/name]).
@amberdaydream: Coin’s first name is actually [name]Alma[/name]. And Haymitch is Haymitch Abernathy. I can’t recall if there was ever a [name]Mitchell[/name]. If there was, he was probably a character from the third book.
I don’t think [name]Katniss[/name] is too tied to the character to overcome (although I wouldn’t necessarily use it on my own child), but Peeta definitely is.
What about Maysilee Donner, [name]Madge[/name]'s late aunt? Would you say that her name is usable or not?
A lot of people are going on and on about how they hate the names in the series, but it’s not really a point that I think should even be brought up. In the book, it’s supposed to be a completely different world, so why wouldn’t there be a lot of ‘unusable’ and ‘silly’ names? Like, if you’re reading a book set in the future, you’re not gonna read about a lot of [name]Rosemary[/name]'s or [name]Elizabeth[/name]'s. Tons of authors make up names for their series, simply because if it’s a different place and time, the names and popularity won’t be the same at all. You know?
And anyway, I loved all the names, I thought they fit the series perfectly.
[name]Ah[/name], thank you. I like the name [name]Alma[/name], actually. Prefer [name]Alva[/name], but like [name]Alma[/name]. And yes, [name]Mitchell[/name] has roughly a a page of fame in Mockingjay. I wouldn’t associate Peeta exclusively with the books because in my accent, Peeta and [name]Peter[/name] sound exactly the same. If I saw it spelled out, I would probably think Hunger Games.
I like the name Maysilee, but I think [name]Maisy[/name]-[name]Lee[/name], [name]Maisie[/name]-[name]Lee[/name], [name]Maisy[/name]-[name]Leigh[/name] or [name]Maisie[/name]-[name]Leigh[/name] is more usable. Oh, and [name]Madge[/name] is a cute nickname!
I am a HGs fan, but there are only a few names I would consider using.
Girls: Prim(rose), [name]Rue[/name], Maysilee, [name]Annie[/name] (though it’s too close to my name), [name]Johanna[/name] (again too close to my name).
Boys: [name]Gale[/name], Peeta (though I’d always associate it with the character, who wasn’t my favourite), possibly [name]Snow[/name] but only as a middle.
I am not brave enough to use [name]Primrose[/name] but leaving aside Hunger Games its one of my favourite flowers.
[name]Rue[/name] is interesting, it has the bitterness connotations of [name]Miriam[/name] and the herbal feel of [name]Tansy[/name]. I would consider [name]Rue[/name] for a middle name.
I like Sagittaria more than [name]Katniss[/name] and they are the same plant.
Sorry for going off on such a garden-y spin but I’m always happy to see botanical names.
Now that the first movie has already come out with a big bang and is already proving to be majorly profitable, I’ll bet we’ll start seeing some little ones being given Hunger Games-inspired names at some point in the future. I saw recently where a fellow name enthusiast spotted a [name]Rue[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] (not sure on the middle name), and there’s also a baby [name]Berry[/name] with the middle name Finnick.
I will credit this series with its interesting names. Have you noticed that each District has a distinctive naming style? Wait till you meet District 1’s (I think) [name]Glimmer[/name], if you haven’t already.