I need a Name!

[ChrisCross]

I have the character profiled, but I need a name. She is a fairly typical midwestern girl, German Scotts-Irish, Interested in ball room dance, Theater, and fashion. Kinda old fashioned morals and opinions, which aleinates many potential maybe-more-than-friends of the opposite gender, but greatly endears her to Steve Rogers (it is a Captain America fic set after Avengers). Her history of rejection leads to shyness, which leads to confusion and french-farceish misunderstandings in her relationship with Steve. I'm aiming for a fairly average person here, with a few quirks, and maybe one deep secret, just like real people. I have it narrowed down to the names in the poll, but any other advice is welcome.

If anyone wants to read the fic before voting, it is in Marvel'verse>Marvel Movies>Avengers> Secret Bit of Right from Wrong

Edited November 23, 2012 by ChrisCross

[AquaTonic]

When I pick a name for a character, I try to think of 'meaning' associate with their personality along with their family heritage. Maybe she could have a "great grandmother's" name that would be a quirky? A site I use as reference for names is babynames.com (go into 'advance search' for the following options) where you can find names based on gender, where it comes from, and the meaning you're looking for. I'm curious, what does your character look like? Since it's an Advengers/Captain America fic, does your character have any special abilities/powers/techniques? Also, what is her relationship with her family/parents? Sometimes names can have special meanings such as: her father picked her name, which she cherishes since he passed away, or a nickname from her name (same as mother, or someone close to her).

[BronxWench]

I like this site as well: Names and Meanings

[Melrick]

Try not to pick a really weird name, because if the reader struggles to be able to pronounce it then studies have proven that people are liable to switch off a little; it makes them more difficult to be able to connect with that character.

I know nothing about Captain America or any of that (or whether it's set in current day or the future, etc) but apart from seeing the sort of names other characters in the genre have, if the character was born in a previous decade (if the series isn't futuristic, that is) then try to find out what names were popular in that decade. That would make more sense than giving the character a name that's in fashion today. Besides, most names that are in fashion today suck! But that's just my opinion.

[ChrisCross]

When I pick a name for a character, I try to think of 'meaning' associate with their personality along with their family heritage. Maybe she could have a "great grandmother's" name that would be a quirky? A site I use as reference for names is babynames.com (go into 'advance search' for the following options) where you can find names based on gender, where it comes from, and the meaning you're looking for. I'm curious, what does your character look like? Since it's an Advengers/Captain America fic, does your character have any special abilities/powers/techniques? Also, what is her relationship with her family/parents? Sometimes names can have special meanings such as: her father picked her name, which she cherishes since he passed away, or a nickname from her name (same as mother, or someone close to her).

Two names got dropped from the short list after a friend who is writing somthing using a Megan asked me not to use that name on this, and my aunt Anne objecteted to using her name on something that will go on "that horrid site you insist on using" (aparently she hates fiction in general and fan fic doubly so). But I did find one I kind of like to replace them. Karen, which will actually be a misspelling of Keren, a biblical name that would go over well with her parents bible belt veiws, and while Karen means pure (and she is), Keren means both strength and ray or beam, and in the fic, Steve has had his super strength sapped by a beam from an accident in trying to fix Banner.

Well, I did try to pick names (the ones on the poll) that have been around awhile, and that are common to that reigon and heratige (I happen to be writng her with great inspiration from a friend that has that background) The difficulty with giving her a quirky name, is that her background and even one of the reasons she is in New York to meet the Cap in the first place is that she and her family, except the sister in New York who works undercover for S.H.I.E.L.D., are estranged over the quirkiness. (The mixing of three strands of people known for hard headedness can equal a lot of stubborn, but we are also bible belt, and some of that quirky caused friction with the conformist parents) So with the mindset of the parents naming her, a plainer name is better. I did use the baby name search engines, often do, to help with the creation of the short list.

Since you ask, she's got hair that looks black at first glance, but if you look close, and she will at one point get in a snit over this, is actually a very dark auburn, her eyes are brown, her skin is on the fair side with no freckles or sun damage due to she only burns and never tans (common complain for both germans and redheads), she's a bit short, I need her to be a few inches shorter than Steve's un-augmented height, and built on the same lines many women with Scotts heritage have, the kind designed to pop out babies who become giant broadsword weilding warriors, wide pelvic bones and ribcage, which combined with the shortness, leaves her looking way more curvy than is currently fashionable. One of her quirks is that as long as she is healthy and fit, she sees no need to starve or exaust herself to lose weight. The person who requested this fic specifically asked for her not to be super human or particularly involved in the super scene, other than her sister being a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. She has good body co-ordination from her time studying dance and acting, but not abnormally so, and she is fairly smart (primarily because I have a mental block on dumbing down dialogue, they almost always come out sounding smart), but again, not enough that it could be called a super power.

I have considered giving her a nickname, but it's either going to be Ginger (after Ginger Rogers, due to the ball room dance thing) or Jo, after her favorite character from her favorite book (told you she was old school). She will get called Dorothy at least once as an insult to her place of birth and innocence in the big bad city, but I plan on that being greeted negatively.

[AquaTonic]

Sounds like an interesting character so far. With more character info, I was able to cast my vote. I like the idea of Karen and found a website, if you're interested, with more female names from the bible (since her family's from the bible belt area: http://www.babyboyandgirlnames.com/Bible-Names-Girl.html ). Best of luck with your fic!

[JayDee]

Pah! If you aren't using Megan, I shall

I voted for it on the grounds it was the only one I'd used before (in a story about Megan "Meg" Griffin) and rather liked it, so I guess I can just do a sequel.

[ChrisCross]

Awesome Aqua. Thanks for helping me on this.

lol, Jay, please, go ahead... I like the name megan.

Thanks for the input guys!

[J.Nathan Spears]

Sadly, I haven't the permission to vote in your poll D:

I'd vote Karen + Passion for Historical Re-enactment

Karen for Plankton's Computer wife in SpongeBob

And the passion for my fanatism on the Dynasty Warriors Saga