Favorite YA Names

dancing-drama

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Since we talked about overused names in YA novels I was wondering if you had favorite names? Names that you came across in novels or maybe names that you would like to see more often?

I really, really like "Cassia" (from the Matched trilogy).
And for some reason, I've fallen in love with "Day" (from the Legend trilogy).

But I have a weird fascination with "V"-names, and I'd love to see more Vanessas, Viviennes, Veronicas, Victorias, Violas, Vedas and Vandas.
The only "V"-name that seems to be popular in YA fiction is Violet. :(http://www.absolutewrite.com//de.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
 

Violeta

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I don't think I have favourite names... at least, not any that I go especifically
looking for. :Shrug:But, like, in general... I do like names that start with "S", "L" and "H". :e2crown:
 

IdrisG

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I like all the YA names I make up. No, that's not self-serving at all.

I'd say Katniss is probably my favorite. Hermione and Ginevra as well.

To be honest, the names don't usually stick with me after I've stopped reading the book, so it's hard to say.
 

KTC

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I'm honestly not all that picky about names. They tend to grow on me more as I love the characters. But having said that, there are a few that stand out as favourites...so there you go.

-Theodore Finch in All the Bright Places (He's called Finch)
-Park in Eleanor & Park
-Etienne in Anna and the French Kiss (He's called St. Clair)
-Gabe in Beautiful Music for Ugly Children
 

Becca C.

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I also love Cassia. Also Liesel, from THE BOOK THIEF, and Ed Kennedy from I AM THE MESSENGER. I guess Markus Zusak has a way with names for me :p
 

Ellaroni

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Have come across several likeable LIs named Noah.
Annie is always a sweet name.
 

Smiley0501

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I love "Theodore Finch", a girl Cassidy who went by Sid (WH@T H@PP3NS N3XT by C0lleen Cl@yton), and I have a thing for S-names. In my novel (w/agent) 4 names are S-names (Sadie, Skylar, Sammy, and their horse is named Storm) …which sucks because I fell in love with "Sloane" and Sawyer for my next WIP but can't use them -- I can't write another S-name book :tongue ;)
 

lenore_x

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I really like the names Libba Bray uses in her fantasies. Gemma, Felicity, Evie, Memphis, Thea... I dunno, we just jive on names.
 

KTC

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I love "Theodore Finch", a girl Cassidy who went by Sid (WH@T H@PP3NS N3XT by C0lleen Cl@yton), and I have a thing for S-names. In my novel (w/agent) 4 names are S-names (Sadie, Skylar, Sammy, and their horse is named Storm) …which sucks because I fell in love with "Sloane" and Sawyer for my next WIP but can't use them -- I can't write another S-name book :tongue ;)

The main female character in my current WIP That's Me in the Corner is Sadie. I love the name. It's my aunt's name. (-:
 

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I loved Sidney Sage. It could have been cartoonish (like Mickey Mouse) but I think it works.
 

StormChord

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I like the name "Logan". It's all Wolverine's fault, of course.

I'm also a fan of the ordinary-first-name-badass-last-name combo, as well as any names lifted from mythology. If your protag has Osiris somewhere in their name I'm already gonna be hooked.
 

The_Ink_Goddess

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I love spelling Caitlyn like that, even though I know it's annoying and pretentious. In general, though, I find it hard to separate characters from their names, so my first thoughts were characters I love and/or am inordinately fascinated by, like Sansa Stark, Matthew Howard, Camille Preaker, Clay Tate, Maggie Leigh. Lorelei (Lori) Cranston. But I'm soooo influenced by characters that a name I hate can be utterly redeemed and turned into one I love (the first thing that came to mind was Paris, due to my love of Paris Gellar from Gilmore Girls despite not thinking very much of the show.)
 

aliensglitter

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I really like names that have nicknames, because I love characters with nicknames. Names like Isabella, Samuel, Elizabeth, etc.

My favorite name of all time is Anna, though, and not just because it's my best friend's name. I think it is so pretty. I love all variations - Annabeth, Annebell, Annie, Anne, Annaliese... I just think it's gorgeous.
 

endearing

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I actually have a friend named Cassia! :)

I usually remember my favorite names, but am having trouble thinking of some right now. I did just read The Burning Sky, and I like Iolanthe as a name (and Kashkari, one of the supporting characters--but I actually liked most of the names in this book a lot).

I also really like Adrian Ivashkov, from the VA and Bloodlines books by Richelle Mead. (Both the name, and the character.)
 

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I really like the names "Alice" and "Ryker". I'm sort of picky with names; usually by the end of a book I tend to judge if their name fits who they are. Terrible habbit, but most of the time I like the names.
 

mellymel

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I liked a lot of the names in CC's series, The M@rtal In$trument$. Lots of regular names mixed with a few unusual ones. (Clary, Simon, Jace, Isabelle, Alex, Sebastian, etc). I find names that are really unusual/strange to be distracting.
 

Becca C.

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I'm in love with the names from ASoIaF! Sansa and Daenerys especially. Don't worry, I won't name my future daughter Daenerys. Or Khaleesi.
 

ZachJPayne

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I'm in love with the names from ASoIaF! Sansa and Daenerys especially. Don't worry, I won't name my future daughter Daenerys. Or Khaleesi.

Oh God, it just hit me. Daenerys as a middle name. Daniella Daenerys, perhaps? :D

I really like Imogen, which is strange, because the character that really brought than name into my focus (Cassandra Clare's Imogen Herondale) isn't exactly the most pleasant of characters. (Though I have written essays comparing her to Javert, which is pretty apt, if I do say so myself) :D

I also like Isabelle, from that same series. As well as Isla, from Stephanie Perkins's books.
 

The Seanchai

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I really like the name Ericka. I also notice that I have a tendency to go for "A" names (for girls) and "J" names (for guys) in my writing. I have characters named Arabella and Anabelle for example. Totally different stories, though--and the latter one will likely get changed (it doesn't fit the character very well). But those are the types of names I generally go for.

Not sure what I'd like to see more of, to be honest.
 

saelyn

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I do two things for names:
1. I have to read the obits every day for my job (weird, I know), so I keep a running list of interesting/unusual/sounds right for my story names.
2. I often find myself mixing up characters whose names begin with the same letter (my CP's WIP has two love interests, both with B names, and it drives me crazy), so I keep an alphabetized list of all the names in my book and not to have too many starting with the same letter.
 

stardustx

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I love names that are unique and rare or not usually used, which are the types of names that I choose for my own characters. I also like names that are sometimes seen as "old fashioned." I like different spellings of names (than how particular names are usually spelled) and I like boy names for girls. I like female names that sound pretty.

So, some names I like: Sebastian, Gemma, Chelsie, Candace, Darcey, Naomi, Kendall, Dawson, Jude, Kennedy. I love names, so I can spend hours on baby name websites or reading baby name books.

Also, if I like a particular fictional character really well, if I didn't think much of their name at first, afterwards I will begin to especially like that name because I loved that particular character. For example (and I read comic books), Peter as in Peter Parker, Gwen as in Gwen Stacy, MJ as a nickname for Mary Jane, or Barry as in Barry Allen.
 
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