Tuesday 22 October 2013

Top Ten Unique Character Names


1. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. So pretty much all the names in this book are the best - Jem Finch, Scout Finch, Boo Radley... but Atticus is the most memorable of all.

2. Uriah Heep from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Dickens had a knack for unique names. There are sooo many to choose from, but Uriah Heep is up there for me because it perfectly encapsulates the creepy, icky character it's meant for.

3. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. The name is so brilliant he only needs one.

4. Hans Hubermann from The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. Such a friendly, delightful name for a friendly, delightful fellow.

5. Lady Amalthea from The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. A lovely name befitting a unicorn in human form.

6. Bastian Balthazar Bux from The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Not two, but THREE alliterative names. It doesn't get much better than that.

7. Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

8. Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Rowling's writing is filled with one-of-a-kind names, but Bellatrix Lestrange's is my fave.

9. Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I didn't love the book but I do love the name. It's a strong name for a strong character.

10. Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. A light, lyrical name for a deceptively dark and complex character.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

14 comments:

  1. Oooooo Inigo Montoya! That book is full of awesome names, how did I miss that... And YAY for Atticus Finch too :) And Heathcliff! Great list!!!

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    1. I know, I could have chosen pretty much any name from TPB but I had to go with Inigo because his name is part of his catchphrase after all!

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  2. I never even though of how well Lisbeth fits her name. It is so true.

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  3. I tend to really love names that have an ulterior meaning which is why I think I love most of the names given in the Harry Potter world. And you KNOW my love for Inigo. Sigh.

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  4. Love all of these! I think my favorites from your list are Atticus Finch, Inigo Montoya, and Lisbeth. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Oooo Bellatrix. I do love that name.

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  6. Oh, I love your picks! Especially Atticus Finch, Holly Golightly, Lisbeth Salander, and Bellatrix Strange. And Inigo Montoya is ICONIC.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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  7. It took some thinking but in the end I came up with more than 10

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  8. I love, love, love your list- I saw almost none of these names (pretty sure Atticus was the only one) on other lists, and now I am completely wide-eyed with horror at the realisation that I didn't put Inigo on my list. He is my favourite and I FORGOT. Aghhhhhhhh. *Queue tears*

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