Saturday 25 February 2012

The importance of names

Just realising that the names in my books are pretty randomly chosen and I need to think more carefully about them. A name can tell so much about a person, their age, their social status, their country of origin...

I often think about the whole thing of double barreled names. It used to denote upper classness, but ironically, these days when parents don't marry but give their children both parents' names, the whole class distinction thing is being undermined. No longer can one guarantee the 'breeding' implied by double barrelness - whatever 'breeding' actually means? I love the levelling aspect of it, that you might, in fact, not be in DeBretts, but actually be (in very old fashioned speak) a 'bastard'. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I got to thinking about names because we've been looking for a builder in London recently and went on some website which allows you to find one (hopefully someone reliable and not about to rip you off - is that possible???) And I contacted a very nice gentleman called 'Rimantas Sukackas'. Wow. Try saying that a few times after a night out. It sounds like the heroine in a Mills and Boon novel. My favourite names are both men I actually know. Andrei Constantine Vaselescu - swarthy daggered foreigner comes to mind. And Tobias Alexander Wuttke. That one just makes me want to jump up and salute. Names like Horatio and Tarquin are just mad.

Anyone got any names which are evocative? Let me know. I'm looking for an older man's name, the whole package, I need first, middle (or two) and last.

1 comment:

Melissa KyoCat =^.^= said...

Which page did you get Rimantas' contact from? Because I'm also looking for a builder