Top Ten Tuesday #20: Favorite Character Names

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Top Ten Favorite & Unique Character Names
This was a tough week for me. I've been thinking for months, and I just have had the hardest time thinking of characters whose names really stood out to me. I think it's hard because so many names are reused. That's not a bad thing, and it doesn't mean that the characters themselves don't stand out, but it does mean that it's hard to be unique without being weird. Because, for me, spelling a name differently from its traditional does not make it unique. It makes you kinda desperate to be unique without having the imagination to do so. Just sayin'. If you don't agree with me, watch this video, and then tell me you didn't roll your eyes from that nonsense. Anywho, onto my abbreviated picks this week (I told you I had a hard time!).

8. Johnafter from Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. No, that is not a typo. One of the jokes from the novel is that John's nickname in high school was Johnafter. I am so in love with him it isn't funny.

7. Jack Dandy from Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross. The name totally fits this crime lord of Whitechapel. He's a gentleman by birth, but he's a naughty boy indeed, and that's fine and dandy with me! :P

6. Miss Texas Taylor Renee Crystal Hawkins from Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Oh, heavens. I just can't even with this book and this name and Libba's accent while saying this name in the audiobook.

5. Ryan Dean West from Winger by Andrew Smith. Not Ryan. Not Dean. It's Ryan Dean. This name is normal but ridiculous, and I love it.

4. The Darkling from The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It drives me a little mad that the Darkling doesn't have a "real" name yet, but at the same time, it fits the man who is a complete mystery.

3. W. W. Hale the fifth from the Heist Society series by Ally Carter. I know Ally's busy with Embassy Row right now, but I need her to hurry up and work on Heist 4 so that I can get closer to discover Hale's full name!

2. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Because somehow the world most normal-seeming name turned this whole thing from eccentric to fits-o-giggle silly when thrown in as a third middle name. Especially when he emphasized it so much in the movies.

Award for craziest, most convoluted, most memorable and yet confusing-to-the-point-of-forgetting-what-it-really-is name goes to: Jonathan Christopher Jace Wayland Morgenstern Herondale Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I like Cassie and TMI and Jace, but at this point, I think she adds the names just to f--- with us.

21 comments:

  1. Oh! Jack Dandy is a good call. Love that dude. And anything from Harry Potter rocks, but especially Dumbledore. Great list!

    Thanks for visiting my TTT post!

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  2. Ahahah good list! Dumbledore... That Brian fits in like nipples on a breastplate. Hilarious, indeed XD Love it though :D
    Happy reading!

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    1. *dies laughing* Nipples on a breastplate. That is PRICELESS.

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  3. Great list! Johnafter is pretty funny, I totally would think that it's a typo!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier!

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    1. My pleasure! When you read the book, you can tell it's intended to be written that way, but I wanted to make sure everybody who read this post would know I wrote it intentionally. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Wow as soon as I read the name Jack Dandy I was like: serial killer. Is that what he is in the book? I love the name Ryan Dean... I haven't read Winger yet though :( I need to!!

    Thanks for stopping by My TTT

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    1. Jack is not a serial killer, but he is a criminal, and I adore him. Winder is fantastic. I highly, highly recommend it. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Haha, Cool list! I must agree with you on Jace's name. WHAT IF HE GETS A NEW NAME IN CoHF?!?!?!? That would just be confusing. Hahaha ;D

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    1. I think I'd throw the book if he got a new name. Then I'd go pick it up, caress it and say I was sorry. ;)

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  6. hahahaha I love both Jace and Dumbledore on this list, you're so right!!

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    1. Oh, long names. You are so ridiculous, but so very memorable!

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  7. I haven't read any of these yet but the names are pretty awesome! I have some serious reading to do!

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  8. hahaha I love this! You have an awesome list. Johnafter is super strange. I think i'll have to read it now to find out the back story. I LOVED Winger. It's one of my absolute favourite books this year, and Ryan Dean West is so amazing. And the fact that The Darkling literally just has a title kills me.

    Love it! Thanks for stopping by Swept Away By Books!

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    1. Oh, I hope you do read Going Too Far. It's one of my favorites! I wonder if we'll get a name for the Darkling in R&R. I can't decide if I want that or not... Thank you for stopping by!

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  9. How do writers even come up with these unique names! Too funny haha:)

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  10. I haven't read The Grisha series but just referring to someone as "the Darkling" would irk me as well. Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. O_O #2 was like, whoa. I love Rowling for her innovative names!

    #4 is interesting because it must be awkward not having a name to refer to him by, without using the word "the."

    Thanks for sharing!

    My TTT

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  12. Hehe, Jack Dandy - that's an adorable name!

    Thanks for stopping by my TTT :)

    - Allie @ Little Birdie Books

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  13. The Darkling is definitely my favorite from that list. Insta-swoon.

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