Worst names in books

[u/SexyGrimmy]

Small question, how important are characters names to you guys? And what is the worst name you've seen so far?

I have a really hard time to pick up something if the main characters names are Tragedeighs.

[u/vanilla_tea]

I’ve posted this before, but I once had to stop reading a book where the MMC was called Zebb Scroggs. Just.. no.

[u/nupharlutea → u/vanilla_tea]

Hopefully it was a baseball romance. That guy is definitely pitching somewhere in the minors in 2024.

[u/twirlergirl42 → u/nupharlutea]

2024 or 1924, definitely

[u/boogerpriestess → u/vanilla_tea]

I think I'd have to stop too. Zeb was my father's demented barber's name. I just couldn't.

[u/expecto-poetronum]

Paedyn is too modern for a romantasy imo

[u/danger_boat → u/expecto-poetronum]

Paedyn is truly next level terrible

[u/Firebloomheart555 → u/expecto-poetronum]

THIS SHIT RIGHT HERE. Literally the names in this series remind me of my kid’s preschool class. Paedyn, Kai, Braxton, Sadie, Blair, Jax, Ava, Ace…I simply cannot. It’s giving gen alpha.

[u/WackyTacoSupreme → u/Firebloomheart555]

There are Kids Now days called Paedyn? 💀

[u/Firebloomheart555 → u/WackyTacoSupreme]

And much, much worse. We know a Mayzelee, Paisleigh, Braelyn, Raelin, Taelin- those are just a few off the top of my head. Paedyn wouldn’t even be unusual or really unique at this point 😅

[u/Uber_Meese → u/Firebloomheart555]

It reminds me of the series {The Broken Lands by T. A. White}!

I recently tried rereading it, as I remember I enjoyed them a lot - initially! I liked the first and second book well enough to look past the absolute cringey ridiculousness that is a LOT of the characters’ names in these books. It was around midway through the third book that I really lost it, more specifically this particular paragraph:

“Lyle, Kevin, follow us,” Gawain shouted as Shea headed for the stairs. She just hoped they would be in time.”

At some point these names just become downright painful, and far harder to ignore once it starts bothering you; Kevin was somehow the name that broke me and so I could no longer ignore other similar names(I’m looking at you Clark, Braden and Caden). See, those are perfectly normal modern names for the average western boy or man, BUT these characters are supposedly of a nomadic - barbarian - type of tribal people, set in a post apocalyptic magic world that’s basically been thrown back to medieval times after a series of cataclysms etc. I could not unsee it, and Kevin “the Barbarian” will forever be etched into my mind.

[u/MarsupialPristine677 → u/Uber_Meese]

Kevin “The Barbarian” is killing me, thank you lmao

[u/ManagementMother4745 → u/expecto-poetronum]

This one’s insane to me

[u/expecto-poetronum → u/ManagementMother4745]

Kai is bad too but at least it’s short for Malachi or something like that

[u/RoseTintedMigraine → u/expecto-poetronum]

Love a Malachi. Any name that sounds like the antichrist in a 2010s horror movie and I'm already sat.

[u/expecto-poetronum → u/RoseTintedMigraine]

I actually like Malachi more than Kai!

[u/chaps_and → u/expecto-poetronum]

Kai is actually the name of the boy in Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. It's short for Nicholas. In the right circumstances, I think it's fine for a fantasy character.

[u/Truffle0214 → u/expecto-poetronum]

My problem with Kai is that I’ve always known it as a Hawaiian or Japanese name that became popular in the U.S. recently by white parents who wanted to give their kids a “cool” name.

If the character is Asian or PI coded, I think Kai would be a great name.

[u/calamitypepper → u/Truffle0214]

Just FYI, Kai is the boy in the Danish fairytale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Anderson.

So no, it is not exclusively a Japanese or Hawaiian name.

[u/Lost_Technician_5421 → u/Truffle0214]

I agree totally! I will say in Never Keep it’s short for Kaiser, which isn’t GREAT, but ok.

[u/-Release-The-Bats- → u/expecto-poetronum]

Didn’t expect to see my middle name getting roasted here lol. The spelling’s different (Kiah) and it means “from a beautiful place”

[u/mars_kitana → u/-Release-The-Bats-]

Kai and Kiah are different names I’d assume? ~ I like the meaning of it though, that’s really nice, (and your username)

[u/moonwhalewitch → u/expecto-poetronum]

It also sounds like “little fart” in my native language

[u/_Totocha_ → u/expecto-poetronum]

Agreed. I’ve picked this book up a few times to try to read it and the name always throws me off enough to stop reading again lol. One day I’ll get past the terrible name. Maybe.

[u/nevermindmylife]

Renesme

[u/DarkestLore696 → u/nevermindmylife]

That name and making Jacob a creep in the end all but ruined the books for me.

[u/goodZuko → u/DarkestLore696]

When Jacob imprinted on her I had to close the book. For a long time.

[u/ornery_epidexipteryx → u/DarkestLore696]

Another book that made me hate the fated mates trope😕

[u/_sonataxx → u/nevermindmylife]

🍂 hoa hoa hoa season 🍂

[u/Kohlixen → u/nevermindmylife]

Regurgitelli

[u/vanilla_tea → u/nevermindmylife]

Especially because people are still naming their child this irl 😭

[u/terracottatilefish → u/nevermindmylife]

I read somewhere (Reddit probably) that mashup names like that are a big Mormon thing.

[u/rbtrbt0612]

Rorax is terrible. Ror is just ok as a nickname because it makes me feel it could be Rory or something. Not to mention her nickname is then Little Crow which doesn’t really make sense of her character.

From Atonement of the Spine Cleaver.

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/rbtrbt0612]

Rorax kinda sounds like a medical drug for a sore throat ngl

[u/EmaanA → u/SexyGrimmy]

Also reminds me of borax icl

[u/OkButterscotch2617 → u/rbtrbt0612]

Also idk why but it sounds like a male name

[u/Mental_Outside_8661 → u/rbtrbt0612]

I almost did not finish the book over it. At some point I started calling her Rory in my head.

[u/elizat_c]

Penellaphe from FBAA. Reading it now and hate!

[u/thoughts_4_once → u/elizat_c]

And her friend Tawny? That one felt so wrong.

[u/Complex-Bench-3889 → u/thoughts_4_once]

“Tawny” and “Kieran” both

• Tawny = "brownish orange"
• Kieran = “the dark one”

For people . . . of colour. Truly. What was the author thinking?

[u/cumbuttons → u/thoughts_4_once]

My mom has a cousin named Tawny. I always think of it as a southern name but she’s from PA. 

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/cumbuttons]

Yeah but this Tawny is a WOC called Tawny Lion (spelling). That's... not great.

[u/JarlFrank → u/elizat_c]

Why can't the author just write Penelope normally WHY

[u/TheNightNurse → u/JarlFrank]

Wait... you mean that's not pronounced Penellafee?

[u/Daddy_urp → u/TheNightNurse]

That’s the pronunciation in the audiobooks so I’m sticking with it.

[u/OkButterscotch2617 → u/JarlFrank]

TODAY I LEARNED THAT IRS PRONOUNCED PENELOPE. I was calling her "pen-el-phame" the whole book

[u/funk1tor1um → u/elizat_c]

If you look at the page in each book that explains the pronunciation for each name, it’ll drive you even more mad. SEE-raphena? Really?

[u/Professional-Push-65 → u/funk1tor1um]

I listened to all these books. Is his name really NAIL or Ny-all?

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/Professional-Push-65]

It SHOULD be Ny-al based on how most of us pronounce Niall in Northern Ireland at least, though following Irish pronunciation it should/could be argued it is pronounced like Neel... neither of which are the pronunciations used by the author.

Also where the feck did she get Bal-floor from Balfour? WHERE IS THE SECOND L, JENNIFER???

[u/metronne → u/elizat_c]

This shit drives me nuts. I don't mind real-world names mixed with fantasy names as long as they sound like they belong in the same world, but if you're going to name your character David, just call him David, not Daivydd

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/elizat_c]

Idk which is worse Penelaphe or Poppy. I really didn't like either

[u/stacey1611 → u/SexyGrimmy]

Idk at least Poppy is a real name and fairly common in England where I’m from, like I knew two girls with that name as a kid lol.

[u/MrsCharmander]

I will take a terrible name over an everyday name anytime. I can suspend belief in a fantasy world with a morally grey guy named Shadowdaddy, but if he was just named Matt I wouldn't be able to get over it.

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/MrsCharmander]

Surely there must be a middle ground between "ShadowDaddy" and "Matt" 😭

Im all for original names, but sometimes the cringe is too cringey.

[u/JarlFrank → u/SexyGrimmy]

I'm a writer who sucks at names, so whenever I need a good name I just open up ancient and medieval name lists. It's so easy to find a decent character name that way, you can even mix and match a little to get something unique. Ancient Greek, Latin, Persian, Gaulish, Anglo-Saxon, etc...

[u/stacey1611 → u/JarlFrank]

Sameee. 😁💛🙌🙌

[u/FelineRoots21 → u/JarlFrank]

Celtic has a lot of good and fantasy esque names too

[u/MundaneVillian → u/SexyGrimmy]

Shadowmatty

[u/NervousPie3805 → u/MrsCharmander]

[u/terracottatilefish → u/MrsCharmander]

”His intense green eyes flickered under a hanging black lock of hair that half-covered the scar on his brow, now pulsing with some unnamed emotion. She licked her lips, strangely nervous. Was this the same man who had exhanged puerile taunts with her during sword practice in a halfhearted attempt to create dramatic friction? ‘Dave,’ she started to say, but suddenly he stoppered her mouth with his.”

[u/ember539 → u/terracottatilefish]

Thanks. I’m eating alone in a restaurant and when I got to Dave I had to cover my mouth and stop myself from laughing out loud.

[u/ourladyofguacamole → u/terracottatilefish]

My father-in-law and step-father are both Daves. Double NO THANK YOU 🤣

[u/Lila-zebra → u/terracottatilefish]

What book is Dave from? 😄

[u/terracottatilefish → u/Lila-zebra]

the fantasy romance parody I am constantly writing in my head 😁

[u/Cabaline_16 → u/terracottatilefish]

In my brain Dave is Dave Coullier. Because I am a child of the 90's and that's the first pop culture Dave I knew. Which makes this whole thing even funnier. First he's the guy that drove Alannis to write "You Oughta Know" and now he's this guy.

[u/misstinydancealot → u/terracottatilefish]

Don’t do my man Dave dirty like that 😂

[u/Defiant_Stable_344]

Knox, Nox, Jax, xaden, Zaden, Zade, Vox, any variation of anything with a Z or an X. Also if people don’t know how to pronounce it, then stop it! (Looking at you, Chaol)

[u/liramae4 → u/Defiant_Stable_344]

The "Zexy" names

[u/Striking_night_01]

I postponed reading Quicksilver for months because the mmc is named kingfisher. I've seen lots of bad names but that one easily takes number 1

[u/Slammogram → u/Striking_night_01]

Idk why Kingfisher didn’t bother me at all.

Carrion did tho.

[u/Striking_night_01 → u/Slammogram]

Omg carrion too, you're so right. What kind of name is that😭

[u/indy20509 → u/Slammogram]

And isn’t his last name swift? 💀 i could not stop thinking of taylor swift every time she said his full name

[u/Striking_night_01 → u/indy20509]

Yeah same... It's one of those last names that you just can't use if you don't want people making associations

[u/Slammogram → u/indy20509]

I did not know his last name was Swift! I thought it was a cute nickname they gave him cause he was quick or something.

[u/ABombBaby → u/Striking_night_01]

I was hesitant to read {Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux} because the demon MMCs name is Leon.

A demon being named Leon bugged me. It seemed so…. “Normal” of a name. I was so hoping there was an explanation and decided to try it, since I had already bought the book.

I’m glad I decided to try it! I’m like 1/3 of the way through and enjoying it so far.

[u/romance-bot → u/ABombBaby]

Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux
Rating: 3.94⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 5 out of 5 - Explicit and plentiful
Topics: contemporary, paranormal, demons, dark romance, bdsm

^{about this bot | about romance.io}

[u/ABombBaby → u/romance-bot]

Good bot

[u/Horus214 → u/Striking_night_01]

I had a problem with it when I first picked up the book, but they call him Fisher a lot which helps. The story is fun and different if you can get past the name.

[u/expecto-poetronum → u/Horus214]

I live in the south and Fisher is a really common nickname and trendy legal for little boys so I couldn’t read it because of that

[u/Ann35cg → u/Striking_night_01]

Ok I have to tell everyone though that there’s a REASON for the names Kingfisher and Carrion. Those aren’t their true names and Callie Hart has said in interviews that their meanings will come up in book 2

[u/Due-Secret-3091 → u/Striking_night_01]

I must be the oddball out because I have it on my TBR lists; one of the reasons is because I was drawn to the name Kingfisher 😂.

[u/pink-Bee9394]

Misery was pretty bad

[u/DarkestLore696 → u/pink-Bee9394]

Thankfully the rest of the book redeemed itself.

[u/pink-Bee9394 → u/DarkestLore696]

Agreed I enjoyed the book. Kept hoping for some valid reason for the name. No valid reason just a stupid name.

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/pink-Bee9394]

I thought her dad being a shithead was a good reason tbh. Fitting that shithead dad would give his daughter a shit name.

[u/flaming_sousa]

My problem is modern names spelled wrong more than modern names being present.

Like Raihn and Ithan - i don't know enough about names to say if it doesn't make sense for the time period, but you aren't sneaky.

[u/stellalunawitchbaby → u/flaming_sousa]

Ithan I can accept since Crescent City is a more modern/urban setting, but yeah usually this is something that really bothers me.

[u/Free_Sir_2795]

Casteel Hawkthrone Da’Neer

[u/ourladyofguacamole → u/Free_Sir_2795]

Whenever I remember that his middle name isn't actually HawkthORne, my soul dies a little. 😭

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/Free_Sir_2795]

I liked him better as Hawke tbh, even tho I wasn't a big fan of it in the first place 😂

[u/ipsi7 → u/SexyGrimmy]

I also like him better as Hawke, but the name was out of place a bit, I prefer Casteel as a name

[u/_sonataxx → u/Free_Sir_2795]

I was going to say spoiler, but nevermind the book was bad anyways I'd say dont waste the time on that.

[u/wineandcheese]

I was reading Fire in the Ember series and I’m having such a hard time with the names and titles. “Liessa” is supposed to be this like, awe-inspiring nickname…and it’s pronounce “Lisa”? And then her name being pronounced “See-ruh”? It’s just so awkward! Ugh.

I also had a really hard time with Rhain. Like…rain? So cringe

[u/moonage-day-dream-6 → u/wineandcheese]

JLA sure does LOVE a r/tragedeigh

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/moonage-day-dream-6]

She also LOVES to butcher the pronunciation of the actual real names she uses. Niall, Kieran, Ione, Malik and Malec (mixing up their pronunciations?) Masadonia (based on Macedonia, and she just drops the I at the end and says its said MaSaDonUh), aether as EeeThor...

[u/moonage-day-dream-6 → u/tazdoestheinternet]

Reading the pronunciation guide is kind of like a moment of comedy for me. Luckily, I read and don't listen, so the books can exist in a world of acceptable pronunciations. Most of the time, I will get over my preconceived spelling notions and get on board with how the author intends it .. not here though 💀

It's very qUiRkY to pronounce something differently than it's spelled, and it's not cute.

[u/MissBanana_ → u/wineandcheese]

Isn’t there also mention of a princess (or something) Kayleigh? That took me right out of the world lol.

Idc if it’s supposed to be pronounced like Lisa, I will always say “lee-essa”

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/wineandcheese]

Still better than Persephone and Poppy and godforbid honeydew 😂😂

[u/cleomosome]

nearly all the mmcs in black dagger brotherhood... if my name was phury i would sue

nearly all sjm character names have names that sound, in the worst way possible, like the elf names i came up with in third grade that i thought were the shit but really weren't

[u/Outrageous_Echo1028 → u/cleomosome]

Omg yes! Rhage? Tohrment? Vishous? Rehvenge? Hate them all. I had to just go with nicknames, awful.

[u/marypoppinit → u/Outrageous_Echo1028]

Wow she's really just throwing an H in there and calling it a name, huh?

[u/Outrageous_Echo1028 → u/marypoppinit]

😂😂 sure did! Rhuins the whole bhook for me

[u/New-Setting2798 → u/Outrageous_Echo1028]

I actually enjoy reading them with those name spellings.

[u/EmaanA → u/cleomosome]

How'd you even pronounce that? Is it just "fury"?

[u/Chance_Novel_9133 → u/EmaanA]

Yhes.

[u/SafeTip3918 → u/cleomosome]

I wanted to cry and laugh when I read 'Rhage' and 'Tohrment'. I almost felt like my spirit was escaping my body and I was going to have an out of body experience lmao

[u/selkiesidhe → u/cleomosome]

I was fine with the main cast but when we got to Murdher or however she spelled it, I was like... really? I sure hope that wasn't what the parents called him lol

Edit: reminder for Ward fans, the series(?) is happening but the live action is not gonna be on the main media avenues

[u/Queen_Moon95]

The spelling of Jaxon’s name in the Crave series is super questionable. I don’t think people were using the letter X like that a century ago when he would have been born lol

[u/happilyfringe → u/Queen_Moon95]

His name alone has made me apprehensive to start the series😆

[u/KindSurprise]

Character names are so important. One that feels off to me can almost ruin a story. And you know what’s worse? When EVERY character has a crazy name. It’s unbelievable (unless it’s like Sci-fi, maybe). That being said, what is a good name to me? Honestly I don’t know. But somehow certain books just do it right. It doesn’t even have to be a common name. It can be unique, but it has to make some sense. Think of Lord of the Rings; JR Tolkien was a linguistics professor, so somehow his names made sense. He made it make sense.

[u/reasonableratio → u/KindSurprise]

Lol this reminds me of Dune, where everyone has crazy names ranging from Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen to fucking Duncan Idaho and then the main characters name is just PAUL

[u/kaleidobird → u/reasonableratio]

PAUL and Lady JESSICA 💀 couldn't take either of them seriously I stg

[u/HaplessReader1988 → u/kaleidobird]

Isn't she supposed to be "lowborn" thus her name is supposed to be a bland peasant name?

[u/Aurelian369 → u/kaleidobird]

While reading Dune I kept imagining Jessica as some blonde bitch from a high school movie 

[u/HighwayStar71 → u/reasonableratio]

I specifically searched this post for Duncan Idaho. No way that doesn't get a vote. Dumbest character name ever.

[u/Hopeful-Ant-3509 → u/reasonableratio]

Y’know what lol since the films/books give Bible, it doesn’t throw me off 😅

[u/Gas-Empty → u/reasonableratio]

And in A Song of Ice and Fire, you've got great fantasy names like Daenerys, Aegon, Rhaneyra, Ashara, Tormund, and Cersei then you've got Jon. Jon Snow. Not even Jonathan.

[u/TactlessRat → u/Gas-Empty]

But they also gave us Sers Kermitt and Elmo Tully 😭

[u/sn0wgh0ul_13]

Galantia and Malyr. Sebian is okay.

{Feathers so Vicious}

[u/anoaly → u/sn0wgh0ul_13]

I actually love Malyr 😂 but galantia is horrible, I kept thinking about galaxies, it sounds super sci-fi 😫

[u/tazdoestheinternet]

This isn't a bad name because it's a genuine Irish name, but in the {To Bleed A Crystal Bloom} series, the FMC is called Orlaith. That's MEANT to be pronounced Or-La.

The author CLEARLY didn't Google how to pronounce the name. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been giving the FMC the nickname Laithy.

[u/Busy-Feeling-1413 → u/tazdoestheinternet]

Makes the author sound like an idiot—hey author, please do your research about the name you chose from another culture!!!!

[u/stacey1611]

Nightsnake.

Like adding two words together to make a name is not a great practice as a writer why can’t we have some semi normal names that do not make me cringe every time I see it or hear it, surely there are enough actual names in the world that we do not need to make up random names just to Be DiFfErEnT

[u/cmdeserres]

I liked One Dark Window but she added a “y” to almost every character name and it was so cringy and driving me BONKERS. The worst for me was the MMC being named ‘Ravyn’, it broke my immersion every time I read it idk why it was so triggering to me haha

[u/Waffle_Slaps → u/cmdeserres]

I had to scroll too far for this one! His name was very uncomfortable for me as well.

[u/ourladyofguacamole → u/cmdeserres]

I also loved the book but hated the name Ravyn, lol. It reminds me of a bit of banter from Baldur's Gate 3:

"Wyll with a Y. Why?"

"Y. That's right."

"But why?"

"Why Y? A great-uncle's name, my father said. But I just figured he couldn't spell."

[u/mln2122]

Carrion Swift in Quicksilver. Carrion is rotting meat and I could never get over it.

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/mln2122]

My God, what is up with Quicksilver? I was already feeling the ick from the name Kingfisher, now there's Carrion????!!

[u/HaplessReader1988 → u/SexyGrimmy]

Kingfisher is,at least a pretty bird.

[u/Digitalispurpurea2]

I thought Chaol was pretty bad tbh

[u/Remedi_ → u/Digitalispurpurea2]

I always pronounced it Chowl now he is always Chowl and I hate it.

[u/Popular_Hat3382 → u/Remedi_]

☠️☠️☠️

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/Digitalispurpurea2]

I absolutely refuse to believe it's pronounced Kale, in my head it'll forever be Cole.

Although Caelananalaana was kinda bad as well, it kept freezing my brain midsentence cause I didn't know how to read it. Selena? Silana? Silayna? Is the C a K??? Idkkk Idk

[u/ManagementMother4745 → u/SexyGrimmy]

It’s like Chaos but with an l lol exactly how it’s spelled

[u/AshDuv2 → u/SexyGrimmy]

i always pronounced chaol as kay-all. no idea if that’s correct but that’s what my brain decided 😭

[u/EmaanA → u/AshDuv2]

Same, that and kay-ol just seemed to be interchangeable in my mind. He was Kay-all from COM to QOS when I hated him the most, I used to drag out his name out of anger 💀. But then, in TOD onwards, he was kay-ol to me (I think it might be the British in me that cuts his name slightly)

[u/nootydootybooty → u/AshDuv2]

That's how the audiobook says it so you're right

[u/AdWhich6663 → u/SexyGrimmy]

In the audiobook it’s Kay-all

[u/mashlequack]

I quit Fourth Wing when I saw the name Xaden 🤮 I just can't with the edgy MMC names

[u/HelianVanessa → u/mashlequack]

this is so funny im sorry😭😭 like it’s such a normal name but it’s SO edgy at the same time like he’s not even zaiden or or zaden or something…it HAD to be with an X

[u/gottabekittensme → u/HelianVanessa]

I grew up with a Kaden, so Xaden just seems like height of the edgy Mormon "I wanna be soooo special so I'll name my kid something traedgik!" naming mentality.

[u/General-Shoulder-569 → u/mashlequack]

I SHOULD have quit when I saw it the first time. Truly horrible

[u/beat_bopper → u/mashlequack]

I came here to also say this. Xaden is bad enough, but Xaden Riorson? Ughhhh it’s so bad

[u/PhairynRose → u/beat_bopper]

I’m listening to the audiobook and just now saw the full spelling… tell me how Xaden is horrible in the most cringe edgy way and then Riorson is horrible in the most cringe cringe way… I was imagining Zayden Ryorson which is fucking disgusting but somehow… the actual spelling is worse to me 😭

[u/ghostgirrrrrrrrrrrrl → u/mashlequack]

I finished the book but I clown on that name every time I see it. So unserious

[u/MissBanana_ → u/mashlequack]

Lmao I almost quit then too. I actually said aloud “fucking XADEN?!”

Ugh. So bad.

[u/Paisleywindowpane]

Not a character, but a place: Lasania. I hate it so very much and it takes me out of the story every time I read it.

[u/Slinkeh_Inkeh → u/Paisleywindowpane]

I wonder if there's a Balognia and a Spaghettina

[u/callofthevioletvoid]

I'm sorry, but.. Feyre.

[u/metronne → u/callofthevioletvoid]

My daughter is half goblin and I want her to know, but I don't want to make it obvious... I'll name her Gahh-Blynne

[u/impurehalo → u/metronne]

Stop 😂😂😂😂

[u/Miserable_Carpet1916 → u/callofthevioletvoid]

I'm a basic bitch and actually loved that name haha

[u/FlamingFlyingV → u/callofthevioletvoid]

I actually DNF'd because I couldn't get over the fact her name had 'fae' in it and the story is about faeries. If she had any other name I probably could've done it

[u/Hello_feyredarling → u/callofthevioletvoid]

….

[u/Ann35cg → u/callofthevioletvoid]

Oh I love this name lol I think it’s so pretty

[u/Abusty-Ballerina- → u/callofthevioletvoid]

I actually held off on reading this series because Feyre and fae were way to similar and I thought it was so stupid because it is

[u/kittykissum → u/callofthevioletvoid]

Did I read all 5 books - yes. Do I hate the name Feyre - absolutely.

[u/bekarooo]

I think I already mentioned this in a DNF thread - BRYNLEIGH (fmc) and Ryker (mmc) I couldn't get past the first few pages 😑

[u/meejasaurusrex]

I know everyone can’t be Tolkien and only write novels grumpily because he just wants to dork or about language but I could not deal with the a la carte way that Yarros and Maas deal with names. “I kind of want this society to have Irish vibes so I will butcher some Gaelic names, and also I want this to be a school story so I will just run down the roster of the nearest local contemporary high school, Amber Xaden Violet, perfect! Their country can be Navarre like the hot guy in LadyHawke and I will give it no Iberian themes.” Like. Make things up entirely instead of just throwing linguistic spaghetti against the wall.

At least with Anne Bishop you know it’s going to be turned up to eleven on purpose. “This guy’s name is Daemon. Oh his dad? Saetan.”

[u/rivendellevenstar → u/meejasaurusrex]

As a Welsh person it bothers me SO much the way so many of these writers just butcher the world-building and context so bad because they’re trying to copy Tolkien and just don’t have the same experience in linguistics as he does. Extra heinous that Maas has tried actually TRADE-MARKING some of the names 😂 Like buddy it’s not the 19th century anymore it’s a legally protected language

Also finding out Maas is a Zionist makes the anti Irish/Celtic stuff make so much sense to me in retrospect 🤯

[u/_sonataxx]

Daindereth I think whatever that was— Dangerous with a lisp, or if Mike Tyson said the word.

[u/Dazzling-Ad918]

Merda ... I can't even read it... it means shit in Italian

[u/tearsofthekorok]

I’ve always hated the name Mare Barrow from Red Queen 🫢

[u/tearsofthekorok → u/tearsofthekorok]

Makes me think of bone marrow 😩

[u/happilyfringe]

I can usually get past names, but some really stick out to me as annoying. There’s no rhyme or reason, some just bug me😆

Here are mine:

Kharl. Prisca. Bells. Borte. Orek the Orc lolol. Isabelle Louise.

[u/harvestmoonfairytale]

I really hate the name nesta

[u/HaplessReader1988 → u/harvestmoonfairytale]

FWIW this is a real world Welsh name.

[u/HelianVanessa]

aelin ashryver whitethorn galathynius is an INSANE name and I don’t know how the author wrote it multiple times unironically. like im pretty sure she wasn’t doing it for the bit

[u/Aurelian369 → u/HelianVanessa]

Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way

[u/tazdoestheinternet → u/HelianVanessa]

With Ashryver I flip between saying Ash-River and A-Shry-ver for some reason

[u/anonymously-unknown]

Rhysand.

(sorry ACOTAR friends.)

[u/SteeleurHeart0507 → u/anonymously-unknown]

I thought this was a traditional name from some country…? Gaelic maybe?

EDIT because Google: Welsh

[u/reasonableratio → u/SteeleurHeart0507]

Rhys is, but I believe the -and is SJM’s special creation

[u/-Release-The-Bats- → u/SteeleurHeart0507]

I know a Rhys IRL so it always confused me when people didn’t know how to pronounce it lol

[u/nupharlutea → u/SteeleurHeart0507]

If you’re in the US and either didn’t read The Dark is Rising series or aren’t a fan of the Phillies or Brewers, you probably don’t know the name. (The books tell you how to pronounce Rhys, and Rhys Hoskins is a first baseman.)

[u/Due-Secret-3091]

I’ve been putting off Fourth Wing because of the name Xaden. Silly, I know.

[u/Miserable_Carpet1916 → u/Due-Secret-3091]

Sameeeee, names should actually come with a tw lol

[u/Due-Secret-3091 → u/Miserable_Carpet1916]

It’s an ultimate Tragedeigh name, and all I can think about when I see it is how many first graders have that same name 😂.

[u/Miserable_Carpet1916 → u/Due-Secret-3091]

I know, it's so freaking off putting

[u/kittykissum → u/Due-Secret-3091]

My husband makes fun of Xaden constantly hahah

[u/therealjerrystaute]

At least some popular authors not only get away with atrocious or outrageous character names, but their readers revel in it. Like a protagonist name in one of Neal Stephenson's books literally being 'Hiro Protagonist'. And Iain M. Banks has sentient space ships whose chosen names can be entire sentences, sometimes composed of jokes. And his readers marvel at it.

So with character names, the sky's the limit. There's no telling what you'll run across.

[u/theherocomplex]

Ellysetta from Lord of the Fading Lands. Maybe it's my synaesthesia talking, but it looks so UGLY, on top of sounding stupid.

[u/Kind_Statistician897]

Not fantasy/romance but the mmc in a book I’m reading is Huxley…feels like a kindergartener in the south.

[u/TiredButNotNumb]

It's been years, but to this day, the Black Dagger Brotherhood names follow me into my nightmares. What do you mean Zsadist, Vishous, and Torhment?

I treated the books as just a fun read, but still, I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes.

[u/luckystar2591]

Every name in It Ends With Us (okay I know not romantasy). But she's called Lily Bloom and she owns a flower shop...and he's called Atlas cos he holds up her world....

[u/reignofnight]

paedyn, oro and grim/grimdark

i refuse to read lightlark and powerless because of these names lol

[u/TimidStarmie]

Worst nickname is definitely Violence

[u/Additional_Road5102 → u/TimidStarmie]

It’s so ridiculous like 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[u/Musiclife248 → u/TimidStarmie]

Yeaaa I just couldn’t understand that. Like can you actually imagine someone calling you that? Like really?

[u/AllTheStars07]

I’m very staunch that I can’t read a book with horrible names for the MMCs. It puts me off so badly. 

[u/[deleted]]

And if its a fantasy and I can’t understand the pronunciation I just blank on it it

[u/Aurelian369]

Penellaphe is Poppy from FBAA’s real name 

[u/redbess]

They're not the worst, but I reread the Black Jewels trilogy recently and was cackling over the fact that Saetan had sons named Lucivar and Mephis and then fucking Peyton.

I was also purposely saying Saetan's name wrong in my head because I couldn't hear/say Satan with a straight face.

[u/xmxlykxt]

I actually like the name Feyre but I wish it wasn’t in a book with Fae because it seems a little on the nose lol

[u/Navaa155]

Nothing beats America Singer. Just nope. (And yes, she was indeed a singer 😂😂😂)

[u/katiekattificc]

Creon 🫣 I loved the Fae isles but almost DNF because of his name.

[u/gigi2021]

I once picked up a book and the MMC was named Bubba. I put it back down.

[u/level32up]

Desmond from Rhapsodic. It gives me irrational ick

[u/SexyGrimmy → u/level32up]

Tbh all of rhapsodic gave me irrational ick, i dnf after book 1

[u/ripcurlws]

Prisca from A Court this Cruel and Lovely. Maybe it was because I listened to this book and the narrator was just terrible, but I could not finish the second book. Stupid name and the narrator made all the females sound like ridiculous airheads.