I’ve just finished re-reading Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’, and it’s got me wondering what the narrator’s name would be. I know Du Maurier intentionally left it out to allow her to be completely overpowered by her husband’s moods and his first wife, Rebecca’s, presence, yet it always fascinated me what she would have been called. The narrator is said to have had a rare and beautiful name (and I think it was mentioned somewhere that she was named by her father). In the beginning of the book, it was said that Maxim had spelt her name correctly after their meeting, which the narrator was taken by since it was unusual for people to know how to spell her name.
I’m curious to think of what guys would you name her and why?
Oh by the way, I’m fairly new to nameberry and this is my first time posting. I don’t entirely know what I’m doing so please tell me if I am doing anything strange.
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[name_u]Welcome[/name_u]!
It’s an interesting question for sure! Seeing as she is American in the 1930s, my first instinct would be [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] but that isn’t nearly rare enough as it was in the 100s even then.
A few other guesses:
[name_f]Isannah[/name_f] (a name very rarely used but does pop up occasionally throughout American history and is a personal favorite of mine)
[name_f]Nichelle[/name_f] (popularized by [name_f]Nichelle[/name_f] [name_m]Nichols[/name_m] in [name_f]Star[/name_f] Trek, this name is lovely yet very American and would have been virtually unheard of, excepting that [name_f]Nichelle[/name_f] [name_m]Nichols[/name_m] was born in 1932).
[name_f]Tallulah[/name_f] (upon reading a synopsis of her life, this name might make sense).
That’s all I’ve got lol
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I’ve always imagined it was [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], after the author herself! I am unsure why I’ve felt this, however.
Otherwise, if her name was said to be “rare and beautiful”, I’d go with…
[name_f]Lavinia[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Yvonne[/name_f]
[name_f]Elvira[/name_f]
[name_f]Catharina[/name_f]
[name_f]Elisaveta[/name_f]
[name_f]Philomena[/name_f]
[name_f]Cressida[/name_f]
Interesting topic, thank you for making it!
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[name_u]Welcome[/name_u] to NB!
I always wondered too!
I was thinking something like:
[name_f]Jacquetta[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelita[/name_f]
[name_f]Iolanthe[/name_f]
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[name_f]My[/name_f] only experience with [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] is the [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] [name_m]Hitchcock[/name_m] adaptation, so these are based off of the new Mrs. DeWinter in the movie.
[name_f]Constance[/name_f]
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_u]Florence[/name_u]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
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[name_f]Philomena[/name_f] was my first thought and after some research on popularity around when the character would’ve been born, I’m sticking with it!
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