# Characters in novels with ridiculous names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088 "2009-12-13T07:44:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/1 "2009-12-13T07:44:17Z")
Some writers of fiction are known for giving their characters extremely outlandish names. Tom Wolfe’s novels feature people named Ray Peepgass, Wismer Stroock, Freddie Button, Fareek Fanon, Virgil Ziggefoos, and law firms with names like “Clockett, Padett, Skynnham and Glote”, “Dunning, Sponget and Leach” and “Curry, Goad and Pesterall.” _Cockpit_ by Steve Keshner features “Ahmed Slitherian” and “Bob Foreskeen”. The book is a “DocuNovel,” meaning that the events are real but some of the names are changed. I’m assuming those two were among them. _The Crying of Lot 49_ has Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Mike Fallopian and Genghis Cohen. (This has to be the winner, I would think.) What are some other absolutely absurd names from literature? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/2 "2009-12-13T09:43:14Z")
I’m extremely fond of _Snow Crash_’s main character’s name : Hiro Protagonist. Spells things out nicely 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/3 "2009-12-13T14:56:58Z")
Charles Dickens was known for this. Here is a listing of some of them: [List of Dickensian characters - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dickensian_characters) ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/4 "2009-12-13T15:06:13Z")
I recently was distracted reading an otherwise-good book because a character was named Jack Spratt. No reason, no allusions to nursery rhymes- just Jack Spratt Jr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Spratt. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/5 "2009-12-13T15:19:15Z")
Major Major Major, _Catch-22_. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/6 "2009-12-13T15:35:52Z")
Peregrine Pickle from _The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/7 "2009-12-13T15:52:53Z")
Cordwainer Smith was a master of this. He had character names like Go-Captain Alverez, Father Moontree, Captain Wow, Lady May, C’mell, Dolores Oh, Mother Hitton (and her Littul Kittons), Benjacoman Bozart, Lord Sto Odin, and Doctor Vomact. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/8 "2009-12-13T16:07:31Z")
Have to nominate P.G. Wodehouse, the creator of Gussie Fink-Nottle and Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/9 "2009-12-13T17:26:00Z")
The protag in one of my favorite series of novels is named Atticus Kodiak. Love it. I don’t know what his middle name is, but I hope it’s Winnipeg. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/10 "2009-12-13T17:32:55Z")
I never could get used to ‘Bigger’ in Native Son. Usually, no matter how bizarre a character name, I get used to it as I learn the character. Bigger never gelled for me, though. Just didn’t seem like a name at all. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/11 "2009-12-13T17:38:14Z")
Keith Laumer’s \*Retief \*stories abound with outlandishly-named characters, primarily the Ambassadors of the various missions. I can recall Ambassador Clawhammer, Ambassador Grossblunder, Ambassador Crapwell, Ambassador Longspoon, and Ambassador Sternwheeler. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/12 "2009-12-13T18:07:50Z")
Garp ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/13 "2009-12-13T18:22:28Z")
The protagonist of one of the most famous works of American literature is named **Huckleberry Finn**. **Natty Bumpo** was the hero of an immensely popular series of books by James Fenimore Cooper, although to be fair his “real” name was Nathaniel and he had several other nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/14 "2009-12-13T18:29:15Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Charles Dickens was known for this. Here is a listing of some of them: [List of Dickensian characters - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dickensian_characters) I was going to mention Dickens, curse you. One of Harry Turtledove’s Great War novels (either American Front or Walk in Hell) had a Canadian army officer named Pierre Lapin. Which is pretty ridiculous if you know a bit of French. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/15 "2009-12-13T18:58:01Z")
Open any Kurt Vonnegut novel to a random page. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/16 "2009-12-13T19:46:22Z")
Terry Pratchett is well known for giving his characters unusual names, although he has said you can find equally odd names in any local phone book. He’s also had a fair number of major characters with quite ordinary names like Susan, Sam Vimes, Fred Colon, and Agnes Nitt, but there’s also the likes of Magrat Garlick, Rincewind, Ponder Stibbons, Cheery Littlebottom, and Moist von Lipwig. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/17 "2009-12-13T20:04:31Z")
Not really ridiculous in-and-of-itself, but David Weber’s revolution-starting, people’s-committee-leading, noble-executing character Robert S. Pierre is a bit over the top. Honor Harrington is pretty silly, too. Also, Pooh. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/18 "2009-12-13T20:40:18Z")
Anyone named “Humbert Humbert” was _bound_ to have issues. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/19 "2009-12-13T20:43:52Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Terry Pratchett is well known for giving his characters unusual names, although he has said you can find equally odd names in any local phone book. He’s also had a fair number of major characters with quite ordinary names like Susan, Sam Vimes, Fred Colon, and Agnes Nitt, but there’s also the likes of Magrat Garlick, Rincewind, Ponder Stibbons, Cheery Littlebottom, and Moist von Lipwig. …and Mustrum Ridcully, and Havelock Vetinari, and Nobby Nobbs… ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/20 "2009-12-13T20:48:30Z")
I hardly notice it now, but Hieronymous Bosch is a pretty ridiculous name for a cop (Michael Connelly’s series character). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088.md?page=2)