Top Ten Unfortunate Character Names in Books
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
Why oh why can I not think of these? I know I’ve read books and thought, “Really? That’s what you want to name the character?!?” I just can’t think!! Well, one and two were easy. The rest? Quite tough!
**Note: Just because I think the name is unfortunate doesn’t mean that I don’t like the character/book/author.**
1. Renesmee Cullen from Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Do I even need to go in to why this name tops my list? It really, really bugs me. When I polled the teachers I work with every single one who had read the series (which was most of them!) came up with this name. When I hear Renesmee I think Gesundheit.
2. Albus Severus from The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
I maintain that Snape was not a nice person and should not have a character named after him. I don’t want to give anything away (there are still people out there who don’t know right?) so I won’t say more. If you want my argument I’ll happily discuss it in email. yabibliophile at gmail dot com.
3. Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The man didn’t stand a chance! With a name like that who wouldn’t be crabby?
4. Henry York from 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
Henry isn’t a bad name by itself. I actually like it. The problem with Henry York is that he goes to live in a town named Henry with his aunt, uncle, and three female cousins. Guess what one of those cousins is named? Henrietta… Henri for short. Talk about unfortunate! Note: It does fit the book and I can see why the author did it.
5. Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Okay, this one was hard to include. I am Team Peeta all the way. I loves him 🙂 Still…. A baker’s son named Peeta? Really? I guess he’s just lucky in wasn’t “Hot Crossed Buns.”
6. Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
When I first read this book I had a really hard time with it. Everything was just so similar to things I had read. The thing that bugged me the most? Eragon… Aragorn… could they be any closer? I did end up liking the book though.
7. Prince Humperdink from The Princess Bride by William Goldman
“Humperdink, Humperdink Humperdink!” Oh what a name. Again, how could he not be the bad guy? I did a project with middle schoolers using scenes from this book. The giggles were uncontrollable when Humperdink was in a scene!
8. Winnie the Pooh from Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
What the heck is a “pooh?!?” Ummmm, never mind. Let’s not go there.
9. Stanley Yelnats from Holes by Louis Sachar (Thanks to David Lubar for reminding me!)
Oh Stanley. You poor, poor thing you. As if your life wasn’t hard enough! I don’t care how many generations it’s been in the family… don’t do that to your kids! Also, well done Mr. Sachar! It’s perfect for the boy and the story!
10. Ever Bloom from The Immortals series by Alyson Noel (Thanks to Bree @ All the Books I can Read for the reminder!)
An immortal named Ever Bloom…. as much as I love Alyson Noel this is just too cheesy for me!
11. Capricorn Anderson from Schooled by Gordon Korman
This name is totally appropriate for the story/character…. Still, very unfortunate!
Krystal
Love the list! BUT I like #1 and #2! I do! At first I didn’t like Renesmee, but it grew on me, and I think it worked out great for them! Humperdink is very funny, and your Peeta comment about being named Hot crossed buns made me laugh!
Great list!
Here’s My Top Ten
GMR
I hear you on the “can’t think of it right now” issue. Perhaps a notebook to jot stuff like that down when we’re reading would work. Anywho…to your list!
1. Agreed…it was sweet where it stemmed from but OY! Try growing up with that name (the first one)
2. Yeah…I’ve read the books and eagerly awaiting the movie, but still up in the air on Snape. Can’t decide really if he was rotten to the core or only playing house to a worm (hehe)…but agreed on the name combo especially with what he did to…well, you know who.
3. Good point.
4. On the surface the name is good, but yeah, not when it ends up in a johnjacobjingleheimerschmit situation. O_O (Lucky for me I was only a “double” in a class one time. )
5. ROTFL
6. Hmm…not sure I agree on the similarity…perhaps it only came to light because of what was popular at the time.
7. Yes…LOL….but it was suppose to be funny so it works.
8. LOL
9. Eh on the last name…
10. I don’t know…it’s different enough to be lovely but in really life, not so much.
11. Huh?
Jami
Am I the only one who thinks of “erection” when they hear “Eragon”? Maybe that is just my dirty mind. 😉
hmz1505
Jami, HA! I can honestly say I’ve never thought that. Of course now I will from now on… so basically daily! Of the joys of working in a middle school LMC!
La Coccinelle
I forgot about some of these! Definitely agree with 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. I’m not sure about #4. Aside from the town being named Henry as well (which was slightly confusing), I didn’t find it odd that cousins would have similar names. And I don’t remember anyone calling Henrietta “Henri”…
bibliophile brouhaha
Snicker, snicker – Eragon will never sound the same again – thanks Jami!
Oh and renesmee – forgot about her! Creepy baby.
-Linds
readerbuzz
Ebenezer has just about died as a name, hasn’t it? Shall we blame this man?
Mine is here:
http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2010/11/nearly-ten-most-unfortunate-character.html
Kayla + Cyna
Yeah, I appreciated that Rowling was trying to show Harry had moved on, or whatever, from his hatred for Snape, but Albus Severus? Really? Most awkward-sounding name ever, y/y?
Should have been Severus Brian, amirite?
1girl2manybooks
No worries! It is quite a cheesy name! Good list – why is a child’s character called Winnie the Pooh? Why would anyone choose that name?!