It is all in a name...

My name was invented by Jonathan Swift

This week an interview from the TV programme This Morning went viral and understandably so. It was truly unbelievable. It was an interview between Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby and Katie Hopkins and Anna May Mangan. It was a 'discussion' about children's names. Katie Hopkins apparently stops her children playing with other children if she feels their first names are not appropriate. It is well worth watching but be prepared to get more than a little irritated with this woman. A classic moment was when she mentioned she didn't like children named after geographical locations and Philip pointed out her daughter was called India. This was apparently not the same! Both Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby were the ultimate professionals by not losing their tempers with her. I am not sure I could have done the same.

This argument, however, made me stop and think. Am I guilty of this as a writer? I spend ages trying to work out the best name and fit it to my character.  I use photographs and ask lots of questions of them - their background, where they live, what they do etc etc. I create a whole character biog. Therefore, am I creating these stereotypes that she is using? Am I as bad as her...oh I hope not.

I have been known to spend days trawling through baby name books, looking on the internet and reading other books searching for the right character name. Why? Because a name can tell you so much but it also can tell you nothing if you want it to that is. In my WIP, Trafficking, I have two characters one called Saba and her mother is called Belqis. Both names give a clue as to where they might have come from. But also I know that Belqis means Queen of Saba. My readers will never know that but it meant a lot to me to use the name. The other two names of my main characters are Amina and Ben. Amina gives a slight hint to her heritage and Ben, is pretty nondescript. No offense meant if you are called Ben. I had an English Setter called Ben who was lovely and very elegant; my sons have numerous friends called Ben and they are lovely, so is that where the name came from? Who knows.. It is a name that doesn't say anything and that was deliberate. Maybe I should call him Tyler (see interview)...

If I said the name Harry to you I imagine you would come back with the name of a certain wizard. If I even said Bella or Edward, if you are of a certain age, the same vampirish images might appear in your head. This isn't new. Books, films, TV programmes, stage plays can all potentially have an impact on a name as can celebrities. Making it popular or equally ensuring it looses its popularity because a vile character has been allocated it. I haven't met many Voldemorts I must be honest.

As I said this interview has made me stop and think. I will consider even more carefully what names I am going to use and what characteristics they are going to have. I don't want to do anything that might add fuel to this woman's unreasonable biases.

How do you pick the names for your characters?

And here is an appropriate song: Barry Gibb and Michael Jackson singing 'All in your name.'