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When does a name become a "real name"?

abbyfulabbyful member
in Baby Names
Especially for literary names. I see a lot of "that name was made up by author so-and-so, it's not a real name". But then I see origins of names, even reputable sites like Behind The Name, that say "invented by author so-and-so in bookname in 1895".

So where's the line, in your opinion? When does a name graduate to being a "real name"?
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Re: When does a name become a "real name"?

  • plunderbplunderb member
    Well, I made up a name for my kid, so I guess I'd have to put myself in the "anything goes" camp.
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  • Envy1328Envy1328 member
    What's the name plunder?
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  • Marshmallow&LilypadMarshmallow&Lilypad member
    Well, I suppose some would say I named my daughter a made up name (and I believe the author of Les Mis DID make it up so it's a legit presumption) however, I feel like her name is a real name. I don't know, I don't have a great answer for this but just to say I consider my DD to have a "real" name even though it's been made up in the past few centuries :)
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  • HelenahhandbasketHelenahhandbasket member

    I agree that this is a grey area.

    For me personally it has to do with how long the name has been historically used as a "name".

    So for me, Elizabeth and John-- have been used for centuries as names on people of all walks of life.  Those are "real" names.

    Poet and Maverick- both have been documented as names of people who exist, but they are not traditionally used as "names".  Maybe in 250 years they will have rich histories.  Language is always evolving, and names are part of language, so it makes sense that perceptions would also evolve over time.

    HOWEVER, I have said this before and I will say it again-- I would 100x over rather meet a little Poet or a Maverick (correclty spelled words) over a Mickaylah (a "real" name but a busted spelling) any day of the week.

     

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  • NerdyLucyNerdyLucy member
    Helenahhandbasket said:


    HOWEVER, I have said this before and I will say it again-- I would 100x over rather meet a little Poet or a Maverick (correclty spelled words) over a Mickaylah (a "real" name but a busted spelling) any day of the week.

    I can agree with this.


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  • Pepper6Pepper6 member
    To me, it depends on the length of time, but also the quality of the work for which name was made.  For example, the name Cora was made up for Last of the Mohicans, which has been around for over 100 years AND is a great piece of literature, even today.  If there were a name made up for 50 Shades of Grey, on the other hand, even in 100 years, it most definitely is NOT the quality of work that can justify establishing a name.

    Even still, it will always be a 'made up' name, but given time, it establishes a sufficient history that I would qualify as being 'real'.


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  • Marshmallow&LilypadMarshmallow&Lilypad member
    Joy2611 said:

    Shoot.  My post was timed badly.  I had no idea that you posted right before me, @SNMA310.  I was just talking off the top of my head.  :-(

    Haha! You're fine, Cosette is not everyone's cup of tea and that's ok!! At least it's spelled correctly, amiright... ;)

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  • Pepper6Pepper6 member
    bromios said:
    Pepper6 said:
    To me, it depends on the length of time, but also the quality of the work for which name was made.  For example, the name Cora was made up for Last of the Mohicans, which has been around for over 100 years AND is a great piece of literature, even today.  If there were a name made up for 50 Shades of Grey, on the other hand, even in 100 years, it most definitely is NOT the quality of work that can justify establishing a name.

    Even still, it will always be a 'made up' name, but given time, it establishes a sufficient history that I would qualify as being 'real'.


    I agree with this in general (except that Cora is also a very ancient word that already had one name (Corinna) derived from it. In fact, Persephone was often referred to in antiquity as Kore (which is the same as Cora), which just means "girl." So I kind of question the legitimacy of the claim that J.F.C. made the name up, although LotM may have triggered it becoming more commonly used. Also, my opinion of J.F.C. is very much the same as Mark Twain's. If anyone hasn't read "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses," stop what you are doing right now and google it.). 


    Yeah, I looked a little more into the history of this name because I absolutely love Cora (couldn't get H on board with it unless we used it as a NN), but it was the first example I thought of.  Still, it goes to show that the more successful "made up" names actually have roots in linguistic history.  
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