Let's talk about imagery

Questions to berries who often use “imagery” to help in choosing a name.

[name_m]How[/name_m] much do you feel attached to the imagery you have formed in your mind, in particular when it comes to your favourite names? If you meet someone with the name you love and he/she is nothing like what you imagine, do you (even slightly) feel disappointed? This can be different in any way, but I especially care about different attitude/personality.

For example, I imagine [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] (my favourite/top choice for a girl) to be feminine, brave, very opinionated kinda person. Someone who’ll stand up for herself and others. Someone who is passionate and energetic, though not necessarily athletic. Someone who is fiery, just like its meaning. If I meet a [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] who is tomboy or very shy, I admit I’ll be a little disappointed, though of course I won’t say anything to the person and I’ll eventually get over it. It’s just to me, a very shy person doesn’t feel like a [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]. It’s almost feel like a mismatch in my mind.

Oh and a real experience. A few years ago, I had a best friend/roommate who was baptised [name_f]Angelica[/name_f] (she went by different name previously but asked people to call her this in college). At some point we argued a lot and even didn’t speak to each other -she was just less than angelic and the way she said her own name annoyed the hell out of me (super irrational, I know). A while after that we became friends again and we let go of any problems between us, but back then, yes, it annoyed me when someone didn’t live up to the expectation (regarding names) I have in my mind.

I realise imagery is very subjective and of course a name doesn’t simply define us. I just wonder if anyone feel the same. If you love a name and imagine a kind, sweet person and then you encounter a mean girl/guy with that name, do you feel irrationally angry/annoyed? Or does it automatically alter your imagery, so you don’t imagine it to be kind and sweet anymore?

Interesting questions!
Personally, I mostly associate names with a certain scenery. For example, [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] makes me think of a green field with poppy flowers in spring. That excluded I do associate /some/ names with a certain personality, just not as strongly as with a scenery. [name_f]Madelief[/name_f] is a sweet, kind and happy person who enjoys nature. [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f] is someone fun, bold, independent and mysterious. While I wouldnt be pleased to meet people with those names that didnt fit my imaginery, my thoughts on the name wouldnt change, unless this person had a really big impact on me. My best friend’s name is [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], and while it is a very popular name I still associate [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] with my friend’s personality.

For me, it’s more that I imagine “my” [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], [name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f], etc. to be a certain way, rather than that I expect every [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], etc. to be that way.
I also try not to get too attached to particular imageries, for example; when I think of [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], one day I see a brave little brunet boy, who’s quite mischievous; the next he’s a dirty-blond toddler with a head full of curls and a sensitive soul.

However, generally I, of course, view the names positively, so when I meet someone with a favourite name of mine that just seems like such a negative person, I am a bit disappointed, I feel like they don’t deserve such an awesome name.

(The name of my boss has been on my list for years, however, when I started working for him last year, I took the name of my short list as he made me feel so bad about my work during the first few days, I started to associate the name with something negative.
I do think once I have stopped working there for a while, I’ll consider it again but for now it just makes me mad/sad.)

This is my thought about the matter.

I don’t know anyone personally with any of the names in my signature, so they’re all essentially clean slates in my mind. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because I imagine [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] as someone bookish and witty doesn’t mean I’d feel affronted if I met a [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] who was the opposite. My concept of a particular name is more just what I picture my own child with said name would be like. I’ve met a handful of people with my own name, and none of them were significantly like me. Like you said, names don’t define us entirely.

Imagery plays a big part for me, as it partially dictates whether or not I like or feel drawn to a name in the first place. I like being able to imagine a character/personality when it comes to names. It helps me connect to them and imagine what someone called X would be like, especially being so far off having kids.

With [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], I see her as strong willed, feisty, energetic, and a little mischievous and tomboyish. She’s a warrior, a fighter; passionate and stands up for what she believes in. I love a name with strength and personality, and I really want that for my daughter. Same with [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], who I see as brave, adventurous, friendly, handsome, but boyish, I adore that imagery and feel. I can almost see them in my head if that makes sense haha. There are other different imageries and personalities I love (plus loads of stuff I probably haven’t even thought of), but I’ve loved some favourites for so long, it’s difficult to imagine them any other way.

I totally get where you’re coming from. I think a lot of the reason I struggle with some names is because I don’t have a good imagery to go along with them. And it’s probably why characters and people can have a big effect on whether or not I like/love a name. I used to absolutely love [name_f]Saffron[/name_f], and then one moved to my school who didn’t quite fit the image I had. She wasn’t a horrible person, and I’ll admit I don’t think I even had a conversation with her, but I know she smoked, drank a lot, super short skirts etc. Not to say that stuff is bad, but in my head [name_f]Saffron[/name_f] is tomboyish, and really chill, but not because of recreational drugs haha. If anything it just put me off for a while, but now I’m starting to revert back to the imagery I had and like [name_f]Saffron[/name_f] more again.

I’m wondering if I met someone, no matter how different they were to how I imagined a name, who I really liked if I would still love the name regardless. So far that hasn’t happened yet, and I feel a bit weird using friends’ names anyway (but that’s a whole different story). I feel like I’m quite stubborn, and depending how strong an imagery I already have with a name, it’d be a shock, but I’d just go back to it after a while.

I’ve also go to say this is a really good idea. I’m trying to imagine more what my own kids would be or at least look like right now. This is clever :).

Yeah, of course I don’t expect people with the same name to be roughly the same / always match the image I have in my mind. I tend to imagine [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] to be elegant and fashionable and [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] to be sweet, musical and a little eccentric (in the best way), but of course I have no problem with [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] and [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] who aren’t like that. I can imagine [name_m]Leon[/name_m] to be brunette or blonde or fair-skinned or tanned - appearance, too, doesn’t matter much. It’s just I can’t help but feeling a little disappointed if someone with my favourite names don’t possess certain qualities associated with the name. Like I picture [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] as someone who is friendly and adventurous, and will be disappointed if I meet an arrogant or cowardly one.

Same with [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]. To me, a very shy person just doesn’t suit this name at all. She is not a bad person and I certainly don’t dislike her, it’s just the name (or the association) doesn’t suit her. I know most berries don’t care too much about meaning, but to some extent, I do. Or at least it influences the imagery I have in mind. I picture [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] to be fiery the same way I expect (or hope) an [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] to be a bearer of good news (I am not religious, so let’s just say I hope my [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] to be a kind, helpful person) or a [name_f]Valentina[/name_f] to be brave. So a shy, docile [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f], a bearer of bad news [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] and a scaredy-cat [name_f]Valentina[/name_f] seem to me like they don’t deserve such awesome names.

Actually, (weirdly?) I am not so strict in projecting the imagery I have to my future kids. Babies and little kids are clean slates to me. I hope they grow up possessing the positive qualities I hope they possess (and of course will be disappointed too if they don’t, but that’s for latter), but other than that my imagery is either versatile or limited.

Ha, I feel weird using friends’ names too. If I already strongly associate a name with someone else, I don’t think I want to use the exact same name again -maybe as a middle, but not a first. This is partly why I try to avoid overly popular names, but then again, there’s no guarantee I won’t meet anyone with non-popular names I love. [name_m]Marius[/name_m] used to be among my favourites for a possible future son, but then I have a friend called Mariusz…

I mentioned that meaning, to some extent, influences my imagery. Namesakes, history of the name or scenery too, but I have much easier time coming up with a scenery for nature-related names (like [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] makes me think of northern lights and snow, while [name_f]Azure[/name_f] is a clear blue sky and sea. The obvious). What influences your imagery? :slight_smile:

I definitely find nature/word names easier to imagine too. It’s like they have a preset image. I think they can make some of the best, most whimsical, storybook combos. Sometimes I have to stop myself from using two word or nature names together because they sound so good and have such great vibes, but sound more like descriptions than names (like [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] [name_u]Blue[/name_u] or [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_u]Sky[/name_u]).

Other than that people (real or not) affect how I see names of course, but I think most of the time I base imagery on sound and look I guess. I just get a certain vibe from a name when I say it, and run with it. Oddly enough, even though meanings do interest me, and I really appreciate a good one, they don’t influence my imagery, or at least not consciously. Like I used to see [name_f]Valencia[/name_f] as a pretty, exotic name, but I didn’t immediately think ‘strong’ like her meaning. I do now, but that’s very much to do with [name_f]Pandora[/name_f]'s personality rubbing off on [name_f]Valencia[/name_f]. Ooh, and [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m]'s a good example. To me he’s the complete opposite of his ‘warlike, aggressive’ meaning and sounds and feels kind, gentle, super friendly and always looking to help and please. The meaning doesn’t affect how I see [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] at all (thankfully).

Imagery is influenced by so many factors for me. To start with, I think of the alphabet in colour, and this gives all words an essential imagery for me: for example, the name [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] makes me think of woody imagery and a down-to-earth personality, just because the name is a warm khaki-green. I can’t think of an [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] as having anything other than a fair complexion and dark brown hair, which is something to do with the purple tones of the name.
This combines with the name’s cultural heritage and a bit of fantasy to make quite specific imagery for each name. It can be the persona of a name, or just the general aesthetic it has in my mind’s eye. [name_f]Edith[/name_f], as another example, makes me think of the ethereal, frozen world of a winter morning, or a reserved, principled young woman I have a distinct picture of.

My sources of imagery wary, however, usually it’s one instance (movie, show, book, etc.) that establishes the tone/vibe/feel of the name and my mind takes it from there, using things I like that seem to fit said tone/vibe/feel.

For example, I first encountered [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] in “[name_f]Narnia[/name_f]” (the movie), the setting, the time, the way he was dressed all gave the name a vintage vibe. This vintage vibe it had from then on influenced all further imageries.
There are still some things “[name_f]Narnia[/name_f]” added to the imagery, though mostly it set the tone of what my mind does with the name.
For me, [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is brunet, never blond. I don’t think I could call a child of mine [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] if he was blond.
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m]? Yes. [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]? Sure. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]? It just doesn’t feel right.
He also has brown eyes.
Another thing is the scenic-imagery I get for [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]; (snowed-in) woods with lots of browns and dark greens.
[Like this: http://pin.it/qwI4p8L or this: http://pin.it/Jes2vG9]

What my mind adds depends on the day, depends on what I’m thinking about, what movie I just watched, what music I’m listening to, etc.
Sometimes [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is a boy with a sensitive soul, others he is a mischievous little lad. Somedays he’s bookish, other times he loves the great wide somewhere, running through the forest, collecting rocks and bathing in the river.

What happens a lot, is that instead of different pictures, I get a film sequence in my head that combines many of my imageries for one name.

The letter-color thing is called synesthesia if you didn’t know (and if you didn’t and now you do, you can go look it up and connect with a bunch of other synesthetes and such). I don’t have it but I think it’s such an interesting thing.

But to reply to the actual subject of this thread, I don’t get the name-specific images/personalities too much, which is unfortunate because as a writer who struggles with character creation, having characters for names would help a lot. I mean, sometimes I’ll get a vague sense of a thing, like [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] is an elegant, royal kind of name and I associate it with maybe deep red, and dark brown ringlets, but that isn’t a fixed image and I could easily imagine a [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] who loves blue. I don’t know about blonde hair though… so I have some associations. Most names are just a confusion of vague colors and ideas until they have a person or a character though (or someone else’s description).
However, name combinations will sometimes have a color or kind of personality, like I imagine Elowen Lilibeth Bee to be a little blonde girl laughing on a sunny lawn, lots of yellows and just a very sweet name in general. Names like Lavender and Honey and Sky that have obvious color connotations will of course make me associate combinations with them, with those colors.

Oh, that’s so interesting! I’ve heard of synaesthesic experiences but I was unsure of whether my coloured letters merited a scientific explanation, since I only perceive the colours in my mind’s eye. It’s a fascinating topic which I will definitely look into.

This pretty much sums up my feelings.

Imagery is of vital importance to me personally. If I don’t see or feel an image when I think of a name, it becomes lackluster very quickly and I lose interest.

A huge part of why I turned to [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f] in lieu of [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f] [name_f]Elin[/name_f], “[name_f]Hildie[/name_f],” was that my imagery for her ultimately didn’t match the baby I feel growing inside me. I still love my [name_f]Hildie[/name_f], but the imagery was just all wrong.

My feelings exactly. Different names give off very different colours, auras, and scenes [e.g. snow-covered forest with deer and a heavy silence] to me, and when creating combos this is extremely important - I treat combos like a recipe, where, rather than just throwing in three of my favourite ingredients that vaguely go with each other, I have to weigh up and evaluate the feeling and inagery that different combinations give me, as well as the sound and initials. [name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f], for example, feels completely different to [name_f]Margery[/name_f] [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Katherine[/name_f].