# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/41 "2009-12-14T02:48:24Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > It’s under H for Heep, not U for Uriah. Ooops. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/42 "2009-12-14T02:49:46Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > …and Mustrum Ridcully, and Havelock Vetinari, and Nobby Nobbs… And Gephardt Sock and Grabpot Thundergust and Fat Sally (down in Squeezebelly Alley). ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/43 "2009-12-14T17:11:04Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 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. Wikipedia has an interesting section on the derivation of Cordwainer Smith’s character names. Many are based on words for numerals in other languages, such as Lord Sto Odin, which is derived from the Russian words for “one hundred and one”. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/44 "2009-12-14T17:24:13Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Wikipedia has an interesting section on the derivation of Cordwainer Smith’s character names. Many are based on words for numerals in other languages, such as Lord Sto Odin, which is derived from the Russian words for “one hundred and one”. When your name is Cordwainer, you’ll probably grow up to have some kind of name complex 😃 My contribution: Grima Wormtongue. Nothing good comes from a kid named Grima Wormtongue. You’ve pretty much mapped out his life for him when you name him Grima Wormtongue ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/45 "2009-12-14T18:37:34Z")
Pussy Galore anyone? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/46 "2009-12-14T19:03:20Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > When your name is Cordwainer, you’ll probably grow up to have some kind of name complex 😃 > > My contribution: Grima Wormtongue. Nothing good comes from a kid named Grima Wormtongue. You’ve pretty much mapped out his life for him when you name him Grima Wormtongue Well his name wasn’t really Cordwainer (he was born Paul Linebarger). Also… IIRC, “Wormtongue” was an epithet rather than a name. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/47 "2009-12-14T19:08:59Z")
> [@Encinitas](#): > > Pussy Galore anyone? Yes, please. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/48 "2009-12-14T19:10:10Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Well his name wasn’t really Cordwainer (he was born Paul Linebarger). Other than moving the weights to the other side of the balance, I fail to see an improvement here… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/49 "2009-12-14T19:15:15Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > As for a new venue, even serious fantasy is replete with silly names for the characters, but Modesitt’s _The Spellsong War_ series has a particularly egregious example. The heir to the throne of this totally alien world where they don’t even speak English is Lord _Jimbob_. No joke. It pulled me out of the story so abruptly and completely on his first appearance it was like someone had turned on one of those junkyard electromagnets and I was made of iron. Ugh, yes; while I like the series that got to me. Another example of a normal-ish name that’s silly in context would be the dragon named _Robert_ in R.A. Salvatore’s Spearwielder’s Tales trilogy. This actually had a good if amusing explanation; while a giant evil monster, he was a polite giant evil monster. So he chose a pseudonym that would be more pronounceable to humans than his actual draconic name. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/50 "2009-12-14T19:31:04Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Ugh, yes; while I like the series that got to me. I did like what I read of the series. I lost track of it after the second book, but I generally enjoyed it. It was just that ONE element that pulled me out of it. I had one foot out the exit door of Wicca at the time, and her utter and complete disregard for any kind of magical ethics (mentally enslaving all those people when she secured Jimbob’s reign after his parents were killed) made me wince a little. Otherwise, I liked 99% of it, although I didn’t get any kind of real sense of the magical “rules” overall until they brought in the major societal taboo against drums and dancing…that part made me feel like there might be an underlying system with different branches underneath it all. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/51 "2009-12-14T19:49:00Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Otherwise, I liked 99% of it, although I didn’t get any kind of real sense of the magical “rules” overall until they brought in the major societal taboo against drums and dancing…that part made me feel like there might be an underlying system with different branches underneath it all. Interestingly, in later books that was revealed to be an irrational prejudice. Darksong, magic over living things is regarded as bad; dancing to drums is music + living things moving to it; so that made it like Darksong and therefore a bad thing. EDIT: Oh, and in the second triplet of books Jimbob has changed his name to “Robero”; much less irritating. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/52 "2009-12-14T20:25:32Z")
Ah, good, other Uriah Heep fans. Such an oily name. My favorite from Pratchett is “Adora Belle Dearheart”, especially since she’s a cigarette-smoking, crossbow-carrying, tough chick. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/53 "2009-12-15T06:24:23Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Zaphod Beeblebrox! Slartibartfast! (“My name is not important.”) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/54 "2009-12-15T07:28:15Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Anyone named “Humbert Humbert” was _bound_ to have issues. True, but in the novel it’s supposed to be a pen name. And most of the other names (except Lolita’s first name) are supposed to have been changed by the doctor who edits Humbert’s posthumous manuscript. He’s protecting the privacy of the fictional characters. 😉 The most ridiculous character name I can think of from _Illuminatus!_ is Markoff Chaney, but I’m probably forgetting some minor characters with odder names. ---
**Author:** ![There\_is\_no\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@There\_is\_no\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/There_is_no_God)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/55 "2009-12-15T08:34:26Z")
In Jonathon Lethem’s latest book, _Chronic City,_ there are Chase Insteadman (who is once mis-remembered as Chase Unperson), Perkus Tooth, Oona Laszlo, Georgina “The Hawkman” Hawkmanaji, and more. ---
**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 15, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/56 "2009-12-15T08:43:46Z")
I sort of meant characters in novels which are in a more or less realistic, true-to-life setting - the world that we actually live in - and not in either future or fantasy settings, in which case strange-sounding names would be pretty standard. I should have specified this in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/57 "2009-12-15T10:07:42Z")
I always find it hard to take the caddish hunk lead male character in \*Valley of the Dolls \* by Jacqueline Susann seriously because of his name. He’s called Lyon Burke. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/58 "2009-12-15T11:21:14Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I sort of meant characters in novels which are in a more or less realistic, true-to-life setting - the world that we actually live in - and not in either future or fantasy settings, in which case strange-sounding names would be pretty standard. I should have specified this in the OP. There is a police detective by the name of Del Capslock (DELETE; CAPS LOCK) in John Sandford’s _Prey_ series of crime thrillers. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/59 "2009-12-15T12:19:42Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It was the real name of a 15th century Dutch artist, though. The character (Hieronymous Bosch) does mention in one of the books that his mother named him after the artist. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088/60 "2009-12-15T22:27:25Z")
OK, not a novel, but Larry Gelbart’s made-for-cable movie [Mastergate (1992)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186336/) is full of fun names. I thought the movie was stupid, but I got a chuckle out of the names. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-novels-with-ridiculous-names/521088.md?page=4)