naming after a fictional character or famous person?

[marigoldchurch.livejournal.com]

My birth name is that of an Enid Blyton character... which is what happens when you tell a five year old that she can name her new baby sister.

Has something like this happened to anyone here or anyone you know of?

Comments

[wolf-shadow.livejournal.com]

I am in two minds about it:

On the one hand, being a librarian/bookworm I get an inner squee when told that someone is named after a book.
On the other hand, I dislike it when a name is intrinsically and solely linked to that book/film/song, e.g. Aragon, Legolas, Peeta, Starbuck

I guess "real" names that are also used in books are awesome, but I'm a bit *sideeye* when the name is only linked to the book and was invented by the author.

All that said, my elder sister is named after the main character in What Katy Did. However I'm glad said sister wasn't allowed to name me, or 3 yr old her would have called me Sooty.

[saltskin.livejournal.com]

I have to ask, of course: what do you make the name Wendy? Has enough time passed since its invention or would you still sideeye it?

[wolf-shadow.livejournal.com]

Wendy is one of those names that was common enough for me before reading the book, and that definitely surprised me to find out it was made up. So yeah, no sideeye :)

I admit, like everyone, I have distinct double standards, lol :P

[saltskin.livejournal.com]

Fair enough! Hehe. Was just curious as when it comes to made up names that have come into common usage it's the first one that springs to mind.

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

I know an Ethan Starbuck, and I've always found it dashing. Parents were historians, and Starbuck is actually a common surname on Nantucket with a lot of history behind it. (Ha, Melville actually did some research!)