hello friends!
im revisiting a project for a workshop class im taking this term and I need some help with a character name. currently, his name is [name_m]Dacre[/name_m], however the project is upper MG (target audience ages 10-12 years old), and im worried that this would be too difficult or unintuitive for a reader at that age.
the story takes place in a kingdom which has banned the use of magic by its citizens. there is a traveling bazaar of individuals who still produce and sell wares that are secretly entwined with magic, and this character has been part of this bazaar since he was very little. the main character, a 12-year-old girl named [name_f]Esti[/name_f], also lives within this bazaar community, after her mother, a leader in the rebellion against the kingdom’s nobles, traded her for a magical sword with the power to kill anything it touches. [name_f]Esti[/name_f] comes across this sword when she’s thrust into the rebellion, and discovers that she’s inherited her mother’s ability to wield it without dying herself.
a bit about the character:
he is around 21 years old, an orphan, and was raised by others in the bazaar caravan following the passing of his father. when [name_f]Esti[/name_f] joined the bazaar community, he became a big brother figure to her, and continues to be the person she’s closest to as he’s closest to her age. his father was a jeweler, and he’s continued in his footsteps, creating beautiful bead strands and mosaic pendants with magic embedded in the gems.
he is fiercely protective of [name_f]Esti[/name_f] and wants to shield her from the reality of what would happen if the nobles’ guards ever catch on to the true dealings in the bazaar (which is what ends up happening). if he hadn’t taken over his family’s legacy in the bazaar, he probably would’ve joined the rebellion.
the story’s naming style:
a bit quirky, definitely uncommon, but still recognizable enough that kids won’t be turned off by names they think are too weird or strange. ive used a handful of Basque names for characters (such as Esti) but I haven’t found any Basque names that I think fit this character. I also don’t need everyone to have Basque names as the world isn’t based on that culture anyway (I just found that Basque names often have the quirky but recognizable vibe that im going for).
ive considered just changing his name to [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] but that feels too easy, and I want some other ideas. any help would be greatly appreciated!