I have fallen in love with the name [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f] almost a decade ago. [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f] feels much more like a name than its equivalent [name_u]Fortune[/name_u], at least for me.
Anyways, lately I’ve been toying with the idea for this story and [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f] fits MC just great. However, I’m a little afraid that it kind of sounds like a YA portagonists name (story is not like that, its about a couple and their past and how their past affect their present lives).
All the other names in the story are relatively normal, like you wouldnt meet someone with that name but if you were to meet someone with that name you wouldnt find it strange.
So, what are your thoughts about [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f]? Would it be okay on a normal girl, or do I have to use it in a YA story?
I also thought about normalizing it with a nickname but I just couldn’t found anything, so I’m open to any suggestion!
It’s one of those names that I’d be expecting a bit of an explanation for if it took place in a modern-day, realistic setting. Like maybe her mom had bad luck before her birth and wanted to give her daughter something lucky? Or maybe that [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f]’s life had been riddled with bad luck so the name seems ironic to the reader (even though it wasn’t meant to be that way when the character was born)?
Rory was my first thought as a nickname. [name_f]Una[/name_f] could also work.
At first I was thinking about giving her a reason to be named [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f](and I found a pretty good reason ), cause she had a brother and a sister and they had regular names, but after a while I decided to cut brother and sister out cause they were not serving to the plot.
I was changing up the story when I got to the part where she explained why she is named the way she is, and I dont know but… It just seemed too fabricated? Cause going around and explaining your name to people is not something you do in your eveeyday life. So I cut that part out.
I was kind of thinking about making her parents these fancy and bold people who wouldn’t be afraid to name their child something so unique. But I don’t know. I still have the said reason for her name, written down in my folder, so who knows, maybe I’ll end up using that reason but for now, I don’t think I will use the reasoning.
Thanks for the nn [name_u]Rory[/name_u]! Such a sweet nn for this chunky name I wouldn’t be able to come up with it by myself, even in a million years!
Personally for me, it’s a little too out there. I would be complete ok with it if I’m a fantasy novel, but in just a realistic fiction, I would want some explaining. Not that it is a gorgeous name, it’s just not one you here everyday, so I would expect a reason of why she was named that. Maybe if the character had siblings with also different names I would be fine. I also think it would be good if there was a cute nickname.
I think it’s fine for a character! I get what you mean by it feels a little YA, but I also think that ‘style’ of YA has went out of fashion now anyway. Certainly its not unusual for a main character in any type of book to have an unusual name.
I think exactly the same way! [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f] looks like a name which you can find in any old literary books, but its actually so rare! (So I feel okay using it for my book ) Thats what I like about the name!
I’m glad you feel ok using it in a book! I have a list of names that I love, but would only ever use in a story. (Not that I’m even close to having a real child, though!) Best of luck!!
I think so but I could be completely wrong! I’ve never really read any contemporary ya, but I do still read a fair amount of fantasy ya and it’s certainly out of fashion there (as much as odd names are ever removed from fantasy).
I like [name_f]Fortuna[/name_f]! Here are some other suggestions:
[name_f]Arcangela[/name_f]
[name_f]Brunhild[/name_f]
[name_f]Chardonnay[/name_f]
[name_f]Jamilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Marimba[/name_f]
[name_f]Shada[/name_f]
), cause she had a brother and a sister and they had regular names, but after a while I decided to cut brother and sister out cause they were not serving to the plot.
) Thats what I like about the name!