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What Is Your Favorite Character Name?

June 8, 2011 by Nathan Bransford 175 Comments

Not favorite character, favorite character name.

There are countless great characters in literature. Which of them have the best names?

Ishmael? Humbert Humbert? Bilbo Baggins? Or, heck, take your pick from the incredible character names in the Harry Potter universe. Severus Snape? Dolores Umbrage?

For me personally, I’m going with Severus Snape. What about you?

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: book recommendations, Harry Potter, You Tell Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. marion says

    June 9, 2011 at 5:51 am

    No one mentioned Frankenstein! He was the chemist, of course, not the monster. I think his first name was Victor. A nice ironic name.

    But my first thought was Uriah Heep. Famous/infamous name for a good reason! Dickens wins hands down.

    But I love all those sci-fi names that look as if your hand slipped onto the wrong keyboard keys. Weird conglomerations of infrequent consonants.

    Reply
  2. JJ Toner (euclid) says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:57 am

    Walter Mitty
    Worzel Gummidge (the scarecrow)
    Dr Velikov Vonk (from RA Lafferty)

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:24 am

    Holly Golightly .

    Reply
  4. Robert Carraher says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:34 am

    Ford Prefect Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe he knows where the best cooks and bartenders in the Universe are.

    Reply
  5. Jo-Ann says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:39 am

    Hi
    Can't believe that nobody's nominated Artemis Fowl.

    But that's not my personal favourite. My vote is split between Mr Willy Wonka and Slartibartfast.

    With an honourable mention to "Silky" from the Faraway Tree series (i loved her as a child!)

    Reply
  6. Charlotte Chase says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:09 am

    Ferney is such a wonderful name.

    Reply
  7. wendy says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:42 am

    I've always liked the character name Marigold from a children's book I read aeons ago. It sounds kind of fey and lovely.

    Reply
  8. Monica says

    June 9, 2011 at 12:43 pm

    Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!!

    Reply
  9. Laura W. says

    June 9, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Reepicheep 🙂

    Reply
  10. Phil says

    June 9, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    Kokkus Hekkus or Master Twango from the works of Jack Vance!

    Reply
  11. 47kylie says

    June 9, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Miss Trunchbull from Roald Dahl's Matilda

    Reply
  12. David Jace says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    I want to give credit where credit is due. Inspired by this post, I posted a Question on my Facebook page. Thank you, Nathan. And thank you, Lyn, for your inspirations.

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Jace/130695656973336#!/pages/David-Jace/130695656973336

    Reply
  13. Charlee Vale says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    Brennan Caldwell. 🙂

    Reply
  14. SBJones says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    Han Solo
    Rath Baldore
    Grom Hellscream
    Bastiana
    Mat Cauthon

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    June 9, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    Dr. Prunesquallor and Lord Sepulchrave from the Gormenghast trilogy

    Reply
  16. C.Smith says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    Huckleberry Fin 🙂

    Reply
  17. Laura Martone says

    June 9, 2011 at 9:57 pm

    So many awesome names, so little time.

    I'd agree with everyone who favors Rowling, Dickens, and Shakespeare – their works are filled to the brim with awesome names – though kudos to Janet Kay Jensen for calling attention to Eustacia Vye – one of my favorite Hardy inventions.

    And, for the record, I'm 100% behind Stephen Parrish's suggestion for a "hooky" character contest!

    Reply
  18. Troy Bierkortte says

    June 10, 2011 at 2:10 am

    Kilgore Trout

    Reply
  19. Jackerickson.blogspot.com says

    June 10, 2011 at 6:17 am

    This is fun . . .

    Two nominees:

    Mildred Ratched, AKA "Nurse Cratchet," as Jack Nicholson's character, Randall Patrick McMurphy, called her in the Academy Award winning movie adapted from Ken Kesey's book, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest."

    And,

    Yossarian, Milo Minderbinder, Major Major Major Major and all of the delightful characters in Joseph Heller's "Catch – 22."

    Reply
  20. Gabrielle D'Ayr says

    June 10, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Hahaha! This is too much fun!

    And so many people I'd like to reply to (Yes, I know who Jamie Fraser is ~ sigh!)

    I was always partial to Remy, and then when I discovered X-men, Remy Etienne LeBeau ~ it's just so scrumptious.

    Thought Dumas did will with D'Artagnan and Aramis.

    Oddly Harry Potter is probably the only name I don't like from JK's world.

    Rumplestiltskin has got to be offered up as well I think.

    Reply
  21. Sandy says

    June 10, 2011 at 10:37 pm

    Horatio Hornblower.

    Reply
  22. D.M. Seymour says

    June 12, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Aura in the Shade series by Jeri Smith Ready.

    Reply
  23. Creaves says

    June 12, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    Starbuck from Moby-Dick!

    Reply
  24. Noel says

    June 15, 2011 at 12:16 am

    Queequeg (because I think I say it differently every time I read Moby Dick)
    Arya Stark (and especially Arya Underfoot)
    Reepicheep
    Rikki-tikki-tavi
    …and I could keep going, but I'll save some for the other kids.

    Reply
  25. Kate Oughtibridge says

    June 16, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Milly-Molly-Mandy

    Reply
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