Books can be an important part of childhood memories, and often we take the characters and form a positive (or negative) association around that name that carries us through life. Sometimes the book itself gets forgotten but the association sticks. You can't quite put your finger on why, but these names just make you smile when you hear them.
How many people get a friendly, happy feeling from the name Rupert? They are not necessarily picturing a bear with a yellow scarf, but the positive association has, none-the-less, left a mark. Upon hearing the name Josephine I wonder how many people picture feisty Jo from Little Women.
The classics are still going strong amongst the younger generation. I frequently see children reading classic books from my own childhood -- especially if it has had recent film adaptation -- such as Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Roald Dahl's delights. There are also many new books out at the moment which children love and are growing associations with the names they contain.
When writing a children's book authors tend to use names that reflect their audience. But often take style a little further to make a contrast between the everyday characters young readers relate to and the more flamboyant or exotic figures. Thus,we commonly find characters called Sophie, Luke and Amy leading the way, but with dazzling friends or alter-egos named Seraphina, Dante and Ophelia.
Let's have a brief look at some of the name gems in these books and the choices British authors are making in using them.
Secret Mermaid
Molly
Carlotta
Coral
Delphi
Ella
Eloise
Iona
Leila
Luna
Pearl
Phoebe
Shanti
Shivana
Silva
The Fantastic Diary of Bathsheba Clarice de Trop
Bathsheba "Bath"
Aurelia & Fifi -- make-believe friends of Bathsheba
Avocado
Keisha
Natasha
Mr Gum
Alan
Billy William
Jake -- a dog, admittedly
Jonathan
Friday
Polly
Totally Lucy
Lucy Jessica
Aisha
Alex
Benito & Benita -- twins
Delia
Gabriel
Isabella
Juan-José "JJ"
Julietta "Jules"
Matilda "Tilda"
Ramona
Stella
Suzanna
Wayne
Silverlake Fairy School
Lila
Bella
Meggie
