Character names in GoT

[Anonymous]

I have read all the books and have seen maybe 20 minutes total of the show. The books were ok until they got too convoluted, and I had a hard time with the over-the-top gratuitous violence.

BUT...my biggest beef with the series is those names! Trying way too hard to be “familiar yet different” or “just weird enough.” They bother me every time the series is discussed somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read all the books and have seen maybe 20 minutes total of the show. The books were ok until they got too convoluted, and I had a hard time with the over-the-top gratuitous violence.

BUT...my biggest beef with the series is those names! Trying way too hard to be “familiar yet different” or “just weird enough.” They bother me every time the series is discussed somewhere.

Fantasy may not be your genre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read all the books and have seen maybe 20 minutes total of the show. The books were ok until they got too convoluted, and I had a hard time with the over-the-top gratuitous violence.

BUT...my biggest beef with the series is those names! Trying way too hard to be “familiar yet different” or “just weird enough.” They bother me every time the series is discussed somewhere.

Fantasy may not be your genre.

I love HP but the names are creative and clever.

[Anonymous]

You might enjoy Gay of Thrones on Funny or Die. He makes up his own names for all the characters based on what or who they look like.

[Anonymous]

My head scratcher is why some characters have “normal” names (Jon, Jaime, Catelyn) well pretty much everyone else has fantastical names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My head scratcher is why some characters have “normal” names (Jon, Jaime, Catelyn) well pretty much everyone else has fantastical names.

Eddard instead of Edward. Melissandre instead of Melissa. Yeah, trying too hard. At least Tyrion sounds cool. And I do like Danerys.

[Anonymous]

The names have to be familiar yet other-worldly, and generally not repeat (can't have 7 Jons). You try it.

[Anonymous]

What confused me (show and books) were all the nicknames. Petyr = Baelish = Littlefinger
Ned = Eddard


And so on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What confused me (show and books) were all the nicknames. Petyr = Baelish = Littlefinger
Ned = Eddard


And so on

In real life, Ned has always been a nickname for Edward and Edwin, so Ned for Eddard is just following the same path.

I think Petyr’s other names refer to his titles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The names have to be familiar yet other-worldly, and generally not repeat (can't have 7 Jons). You try it.

How are Jon, Jaime and Caitlyn otherworldly? I get if the names are meant to be unique but these three just don’t fit. Never got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What confused me (show and books) were all the nicknames. Petyr = Baelish = Littlefinger
Ned = Eddard


And so on

In real life, Ned has always been a nickname for Edward and Edwin, so Ned for Eddard is just following the same path.

I think Petyr’s other names refer to his titles.

Isn't Baelish Petryr's last name? He is Lord Baelish? The Littlefinger is a nickname he was given as a child when he lived in Riverrun with Catelyn (Tully) Stark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What confused me (show and books) were all the nicknames. Petyr = Baelish = Littlefinger
Ned = Eddard


And so on

In real life, Ned has always been a nickname for Edward and Edwin, so Ned for Eddard is just following the same path.

I think Petyr’s other names refer to his titles.

Isn't Baelish Petryr's last name? He is Lord Baelish? The Littlefinger is a nickname he was given as a child when he lived in Riverrun with Catelyn (Tully) Stark.

I should've been clearer. Littlefinger is the nickname, not The Littlefinger

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read all the books and have seen maybe 20 minutes total of the show. The books were ok until they got too convoluted, and I had a hard time with the over-the-top gratuitous violence.

BUT...my biggest beef with the series is those names! Trying way too hard to be “familiar yet different” or “just weird enough.” They bother me every time the series is discussed somewhere.

Fantasy may not be your genre.

+1

Quite common in fantasy, sci-fi, and the like. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia...off the top of my head. GOT is no different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The names have to be familiar yet other-worldly, and generally not repeat (can't have 7 Jons). You try it.

How are Jon, Jaime and Caitlyn otherworldly? I get if the names are meant to be unique but these three just don’t fit. Never got it.

Well, Jaime is spelled funky, but yeah, not otherworldly. I thought that the names of the Northerners were more normal than those from the South, but that would discount the normalcy of Catelyn, who was born in the South.

I guess they just have to be easy-ish to pronounce.

How many little Daneryses or Aryas are there out there these days? Probably a lot more than we'd like to think!