The Top 10: First Names from Fiction
All names are made up, but some are more made up than others
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Your support makes all the difference.This list was inspired by Tom Doran, who said during Storm Arwen that he had never met an Arwen in real life. Alex confirmed that Tolkien made it up and suggested this Top 10.
1. Cedric. Accidentally created by Walter Scott for Ivanhoe, 1819; a misreading of Cerdic, an old Saxon name. Nominated by Thin Bald Wizard and Paul Anthony Jones.
2. Enola. Invented by the author Mary Young Ridenbaugh for her 1886 novel Enola, about loneliness. It spells “alone” backwards. The Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, was named after the pilot’s mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Thanks to Xlibris1 and Alex.
3. Galadriel. Another from The Lord of the Rings, 1954. Nicholas Beale said he has met one in the US.
4. Kalel. Or Kal-El, the Kryptonian birth name of Superman, named in the earliest newspaper comic strips, 1938. Thanks to Dean Bullen.
5. Lorna. Invented by R D Blackmore, adapting Lorn by Loch Lomond, for the novel Lorna Doone, 1869.
6. Miranda. Invented by Shakespeare for The Tempest, 1610-11, from the Latin, “worthy of admiration”. Another from Nicholas Beale.
7. Pamela. Invented by Philip Sidney for his epic Arcadia, 1593; and popularised by Samuel Richardson’s novel, 1740. Thanks to Denis Keefe.
8. Stella. Another one made up by Philip Sidney, for a poem called Astrophel and Stella, 1590. Astrophel (“star-lover”) did not catch on. Thanks to Graham Kirby.
9. Vanessa. Invented by Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, a pupil and lover of his, and used in his poem Cadenus and Vanessa, published in 1720.
10. Wendy. Previously a defunct boys’ name, J M Barrie adopted it for Peter Pan, 1904. No Ordinary Cat objected, and others say it was used before then, including as a short form of Gwendolen. Best at this point to tiptoe quietly away.
Shirley changed from being a surname and rare male name to a female one as a result of Charlotte Bronte’s second novel with that title, published in 1849. Thanks to Allan Holloway and Ed Butler. And an honourable mention for Andy Measor, who nominated Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Next week: More jokes, as is traditional at this time of year.
Coming soon: Top 10 Top 10s of 2021.
Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk
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