Top Ten Tuesday: Namesakes
Before my list, I have to admit that as a ten year old budding writer, I used to carry around a "What to Name Your Baby"book and I was a bit obsessed with naming. Still am, so this is kind of the perfect post for me.
Here are my names, in no particular order.
10. Turtle (Barbara Kingsolver, The Bean Trees): I was pretty serious about this one in high school.
9. Jordan Baker (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby): Such an understated character and a great unisex name.
8. Nathaniel Hawthorne: I told you I could probably get him on most lists. And I'm serious about naming my child after this one.
7. Paterson (William Carlos Williams, Paterson): My husband and I joke about this one. I really like it; let's just say he isn't a fan.
6. Jane (lots of literary Janes, but I'll go with Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre): I like the simplicity.
5. Lucy (J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace): This is currently a name that I'm stuck on, and might actually name a child. It would really be after my husband's mother, but also has some literary forbears. I chose Coetzee because it is a wonderful book.
4. Brett Ashley (Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises) - "Isn't it pretty to think so?" Another great unisex name.
3. Atticus Finch (Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird): If I believed that naming affected character, I would go this route for sure. I also like Scout.
2. Lily Bart (Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth): It is a lovely name, Lily.
1. Molly Bloom (James Joyce, Ulysses): Her chapter is my favorite in the book.
I have Lucy on my list, too, but from Chronicles of Narnia.
ReplyDeleteLike Ronnica, I've got Lucy - but from Narnia - on my list. Like you, I considered Atticus and Scout but - as a person who's taught TKAM over 15 times - decided on the less-travelled Jem and Harper. :-)
ReplyDeleteJane is a fine, clean name, and Nathaniel's great because it allows for a number of upstanding nicknames while evoking a literary giant.
L
I like that you fit Hawthorne on here. And honestly, the more I think about it the more I like both halves of the name.
ReplyDeleteThey are different to a lot of the other one's that I have seen. I would name a daughter Charlotte in honour of Jane Eyre and Charlotte Bronte
ReplyDeleteGood list! Isn't there also a Turtle in The Westing Game? I love The Bean Trees, too.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who named their son Atticus. Love it.
ReplyDeleteWe have Atticus in common. I have every intention of using it if I ever have children. :)
ReplyDeleteReading Lark's Top 10
I like your list -- lots of good, simple names, but ones that have lots of meaning behind them. Excellent choices.
ReplyDeleteScore! What a great list.
ReplyDeleteYou're the only other one I've seen with "Brett Ashley". I love that name. One of my cousins married a man whose last name was Ashley and I BEGGED her to name her child Brett. Alas, she did not. *dramatic sigh*
I liked Jordan in high school when reading Gatsby. Great unisex name (Brett is another good one). I think I agree with your hubby about Paterson...maybe as a middle name?
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