Top Ten Tuesday (98): Character Names

Top Ten Best/Most Unusual Character Names

OMG friends, I was BEYOND excited for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday. Best character names? I died. For me, one of the more underrated aspects of books are the names of the characters, in good or bad ways. Guys named Oliver? Well, YES PLEASE. A girl whose nickname is Belly? ICK. But this list doesn’t just ask about my favorite or least favorite character names, but the most unusual as well. I can always get behind that, friends. And so, here is my longer-than-ten-items list of the best unusual character names from books that I’ve read. (I did, for a while, have names on here from books I haven’t read, but that turned out to make for a ridiculously long list.)

I’ll be the first to tell you that Evanjalin is not my favorite character in Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles. But I’ve always liked the way her name sounded, and there are certainly no other characters named Evanjalin. Likewise Phaedra. The way that one rolls off my tongue is just so…pretty. I still need to read the last book in this series, but I’m already a big fan of these names.

DUH, Daenerys. Sometimes GRRM is not so creative with his names, adding an extra letter for no reason (Robb) or moving one around just…because (Jaime instead of Jamie). But he pulled out all his creative juices when it came to those Targaryens. Also, because Dany is the Mother of Dragons, I have to shout out the names of her pretties. Some of my favorite names in this series are the dragons: Balerion the Black Dread, Meraxes, Viserion, Rhaegal, Drogon. I LOVE THEM. Also, I can’t pronounce these names without a British accent. If you can figure out why they sound better that way, let me know.

I just listened to ANGELFALL not too long ago (review coming soon), and I not only loved Penryn’s name because it sounds very angel-ish for a human girl, but because I loved HER, and that made me love her name. Does that happen to you? Where you associate a name with positive things because the character is awesome? Penryn is definitely one of those cases for me.

Nothing quite like a good, strong VIKING name, amirite? This one is another case of awesome character making the name awesome. Solveig makes EVERYTHING more awesome. Her name suits her, the way it sounds, how it starts smooth but ends hard. She has both of those qualities.

THE GOOSE GIRL is one of my favorite books. In fact, I think it’s nearly time for a reread. But take a look at that moniker there. Shannon Hale doesn’t just give us ONE lovely name, she gives us FOUR.  Ani is a princess, and her name has that regal vibe, and not only just because she has so freaking many. They just have that Pretty, Pretty Princess air. Thankfully, Ani is so much more than that.

I’ve only read the first book in Veronica Rossi’s series (I KNOW, I KNOW), but what a badass name! ROAR. I feel like I need to write it in CAPSLOCK to convey the sheer POWER of it. It helps that ROAR himself is charming and confident and good friend. Big fan of him. Plus his name is way better than Peregrine, a name that always reminds me of that fool of a Took from Lord of the Rings. I love both Peregrines, but not flattering. ROAR (see? I have to do it) is so much cooler.

I’m just going to say that Laini Taylor is a great namer of characters. Akiva is an old Hebrew name (I might have looked it up. Maybe), but Karou is something totally new. And it’s another gorgeous name that just rolls off the tongue. I love so many names from the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (Madrigal is another all-time favorite), but this series wouldn’t even be half as wonderful as it is without these two, so I’m shouting out their names here. Saying them out loud is like magic in my mouth.

Another series of books with great names: Katsa, Prince Greening Grandemalion (Um, HELLO AMY, what are you doing not putting that name on this list). But one of my favorites is Bitterblue. It’s kind of a double downer name–Bitter and Blue–and she Bitterblue is a serious girl. I like the alliteration of her name, though. And how she isn’t really as much of a downer as her name indicates.

Aww, BATTY!! The youngest Penderwick sister is just the most adorable thing EVER. I believe her name–like her actual name–is Elizabeth, and everyone just calls her Batty, but that’s neither here nor there. She is Batty, and it’s perfectly sweet and quirky. It just makes me want to squish her with hugs. *SQUISH*

Ok, so this is maybe cheating a touch. Festival is not really a character in a direct way. But it’s a name that means something to Akiva, and his coming to know it is lovely. And SERIOUSLY. Festival? So joyous. I love it.

The hottest, most charming ginger in the land. It’s not the easiest name to say, but it’s so different, and there could never be another character who could possibly embody this name and its uniqueness. If that’s not the sign of an excellent name paired with an excellent character, I don’t know what is. Honorable mention from this series goes to Felurian. SO PRETTY.

I don’t know if I can pinpoint why exactly I love this name. I mean, it’s not that outrageously different; it kind of sounds like Renesmee, which is a TERRIBLE name. I don’t know what it is, but it’s another name that totally FITS the character. No nonsense, which is certainly Ismae. Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassin series has lots of characters with great names, but Ismae is my favorite.