Ten Characters I'd Name Someone Else's Kid After

Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is Ten Characters I'd Name a Child/Dog/Cat/Car, etc after. I won't be having any kids, and don't love people names for pets, so I'm going to fantasize that other people will let me name their children. I'm always fascinated by what people choose to name their babies, and I kind of love naming, but not enough to make a person so I can name them.

The trick is coming up with ten characters I really like who also have names that I like. Here goes!

1. Lyra Belacqua from His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Ok, this one was too easy because my coworker did, in fact, name her daughter Lyra after this character and I find it incredibly satisfying. It's such a great name I'm glad someone I know is using it.

2. Frankie Landau-Banks from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I admire her so much, and I kind of love the name Frankie for a girl.

3. Eleanor from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I like old-timey names and have always admired Eleanor Roosevelt, so.

4. Simon Snow from Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
It's so British and charming.

5. Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice
I mean, Lizzie is my favorite character but I really like the name Jane more.

6. Natasha Rostova from War and Peace by Lev Tolstoy
I think the character I liked best was Marya, but I'm not crazy about that name. It's fine, but it's no Natasha. Her character was naive and annoying and dramatic, but it's still a great name.

7. Alice from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
As mentioned earlier, I like old-timey classic names, and this is one of my favorites.

8. Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I especially like the kind of name that makes you picture an elderly lady but actually belongs to a teenage girl.

9. Grace from Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm
Such a classic, elegant name.

10. Cameron Quick from Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
I felt like I needed another male name to round this out. But it can't just be Cameron, it has to be both names: Cameron Quick!

So what I've learned from this little exercise is that there isn't a ton of crossover between names I like and characters I like. I kept thinking of great characters who had names that are fine but not special, or great names belonging to characters who I wouldn't want to name anyone after. Also I apparently don't like many male names, or at least very few of them stand out.

What characters would you name a person or pet after?