Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'': Locke Lamora's name is noted in the text as having a nice ring to it.
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
* PlayedWith in ''Literature/KnightsOfTheBorrowedDark'' when a character holds out a hand to Denizen and says, "Jensen Interceptor"...but when Denizen is impressed, he clarifies that he's referring to the make of a car he saw Denizen admiring, and he could never get away with a name like that himself. His name's actually Graham. ''Then'' it turns out he's OnlyKnownByHisNickname, and "Grey [=McCarron=]" is still pretty badass.
** Denizen Hardwick himself was named this because [[spoiler:his father knew he was never going to get a chance at being normal]].
** Denizen Hardwick himself was named this because [[spoiler:his father knew he was never going to get a chance at being normal]].
Deleted line(s) 29,30 (click to see context) :
* ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'': Locke Lamora's name is noted in the text as having a nice ring to it.
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Deconstructed in ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant''. Sorcerers choose their own names, which means that some characters choose names that sound extra cool - but Skulduggery mentions that he's met people who's names are embarrassing due to how they don't fit them at all.
-->''He'd once been introduced to a woman who had put on a little bit of weight over the years, and her hair had been a bit windswept and she had spinach in her teeth, and he was told her name was Jet.''
-->''He'd once been introduced to a woman who had put on a little bit of weight over the years, and her hair had been a bit windswept and she had spinach in her teeth, and he was told her name was Jet.''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
crosswickage
* ''Literature/AccelWorld'': The one who takes the prize of coolest name is without doubt Crimson Kingbolt. It's so cool he was instantly recruited by the Purple King into her Legion without knowing his ability was not a powerful lightning bolt. [[spoiler:In fact, a kingbolt is just a type of screw.]]
* ''Literature/AgentOfHel'': Lady Eris the head vampire. Daisy believes there's no way it can be her real one. [[spoiler:As it turns out, it ''is.'' She was named both for the goddess of sowing discord, and the pun created by the fact that in the nineteenth century, she was the daughter of a wealthy man: an heiress.]]
* ''Literature/TheBadGuys'': [[spoiler:The Good Guys Club and the International League of Heroes]] eventually merge to become Shadow Squad G, which is a name so cool that anyone who hears it remarks how they can picture the cool stylized logo floating in the air as its said.
* ''Literature/BinderOfShame'': Oftentimes, El Disgusto tries too hard with making his characters sound cool. In "Creep on the Borderlands," his ninja character was "Lord Baron Whoopass Von Badass."
* ''Literature/BloodRites'': One of the younger actors only recently finished his first film, and has not yet picked a stage name. Bobby considers names like "Rocko Stone" or "Rack [=McGranite=]". Finally, at Jake's suggestion, he goes with "[[PunnyName Gowan Commando]]."
* In ''The Book of Basketball'', Creator/TheSportsGuy says that they should have known that Ralph Sampson wasn't gonna cut it because he found his name not to fit with how the best players, "they're all great names that you'd give a sports movie character", like Usefulnotes/MichaelJordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Larry Bird or Moses Malone.
* ''Literature/AgentOfHel'': Lady Eris the head vampire. Daisy believes there's no way it can be her real one. [[spoiler:As it turns out, it ''is.'' She was named both for the goddess of sowing discord, and the pun created by the fact that in the nineteenth century, she was the daughter of a wealthy man: an heiress.]]
* ''Literature/TheBadGuys'': [[spoiler:The Good Guys Club and the International League of Heroes]] eventually merge to become Shadow Squad G, which is a name so cool that anyone who hears it remarks how they can picture the cool stylized logo floating in the air as its said.
* ''Literature/BinderOfShame'': Oftentimes, El Disgusto tries too hard with making his characters sound cool. In "Creep on the Borderlands," his ninja character was "Lord Baron Whoopass Von Badass."
* ''Literature/BloodRites'': One of the younger actors only recently finished his first film, and has not yet picked a stage name. Bobby considers names like "Rocko Stone" or "Rack [=McGranite=]". Finally, at Jake's suggestion, he goes with "[[PunnyName Gowan Commando]]."
* In ''The Book of Basketball'', Creator/TheSportsGuy says that they should have known that Ralph Sampson wasn't gonna cut it because he found his name not to fit with how the best players, "they're all great names that you'd give a sports movie character", like Usefulnotes/MichaelJordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Larry Bird or Moses Malone.
Changed line(s) 12,14 (click to see context) from:
* In ''The Book of Basketball'', Creator/TheSportsGuy says that they should have known that Ralph Sampson wasn't gonna cut it because he found his name not to fit with how the best players, "they're all great names that you'd give a sports movie character", like Usefulnotes/MichaelJordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Larry Bird or Moses Malone.
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
to:
* In ''The Book of Basketball'', Creator/TheSportsGuy says that they should ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'': {{Inverted}}. Vampire teenagers haveknown that Ralph Sampson wasn't gonna cut it because he found his name not to fit with how the best players, "they're all great "Goth" birth names that you'd give a sports movie character", like Usefulnotes/MichaelJordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Larry Bird Lacrimosa, so they think calling themselves "Wendy" or Moses Malone.
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':"Susan" is edgy and rebellious.
** Literature/{{Maskerade}}: Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be calledPerditax". Perditax."
* ''Literature/DeptfordMice'': Madame Akkikuyu. This is lampshaded in ''Thomas'' when she decides to become a fortune teller. Her given name was exotic-sounding enough, but it needed a bit more, so she tacked Madame onto the beginning.
** ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'': {{Inverted}}. Vampire teenagers have
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** Literature/{{Maskerade}}: Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called
* ''Literature/DeptfordMice'': Madame Akkikuyu. This is lampshaded in ''Thomas'' when she decides to become a fortune teller. Her given name was exotic-sounding enough, but it needed a bit more, so she tacked Madame onto the beginning.
Changed line(s) 17,20 (click to see context) from:
* In Creator/DeanKoontz's ''From the Corner of His Eye'', the villain (named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Enoch Cain]], naturally) learns from a newspaper article that one of his victims was named Kickmule. He's surprised to learn Kickmule is a legitimate name, and since it's so badass decides to use it in the * * Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?").
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name ever.
* ''Theatre/OneTenInTheShade'': Bill Starbuck, who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheYear'': Skip Toomaloo has an arguably worse name than his daughter Lulu, but seems to take pride in it.
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name ever.
* ''Theatre/OneTenInTheShade'': Bill Starbuck, who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheYear'': Skip Toomaloo has an arguably worse name than his daughter Lulu, but seems to take pride in it.
to:
* ''Literature/TheExpanse'': When Miller is trying to find the ''Rocinante'' through data analysis, one of the ships he comes across is the freight hauler ''Badass Motherfucker'' owned by the Luna company "MYOFB Corporation" (an acronym which likely means, judging by the name of the ship, "Mind Your Own Fucking Business"). In Creator/DeanKoontz's the same breath, however, Miller notes that it's AwesomeButImpractical, since a ship with a name like that simply begging for a bored port official to bust their chops for kicks.
* ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'': Aphrodite. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Creator/DeanKoontz:
** In ''From the Corner of His Eye'', the villain (named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Enoch Cain]], naturally) learns from a newspaper article that one of his victims was named Kickmule. He's surprised to learn Kickmule is a legitimate name, and since it's so badass decides to use it in the future if he ever needs another alias ("no one would ever mess with Wolfgang Kickmule").
** ''Literature/OddThomas'': Kenneth Randolph Fitzgerald Mountbatton: the huge, terrifying, heavily-armed security guard with screaming hyena tattoos and a shirt that says "Death Heals." He picked the names himself.
** Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'': Locke Lamora's name on its own) is noted in the text as having a nice ring to it.
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
* ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?").
* The protagonist of ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead''has the protagonist is named Laurel, which her new friend Hannah comments thinks is the coolest name ever.
*''Theatre/OneTenInTheShade'': Bill Starbuck, who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name ''Literature/MatthewSwift'': The bikers tend to change their names: Dave to Blackjack; Laslie to Halfburn. Also, Jeremy the Troll wants to be called the Mighty Raaaarrggh!. He lightly mocks Matthew for having a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
normal name.
* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheYear'': [[{{PunnyName}} SkipToomaloo Toomaloo]] has an arguably worse name than his daughter Lulu, but seems to take pride in it.it.
* ''Literature/{{Murderworld}}'': Murderworld is filled with gamers who have named themselves in attempt to appear as badasses -- Slaughterella being a successful version -- although some naming attempts have gone horribly wrong, e.g. Perry's initial character name, Major Lawsuit.
* ''Literature/OldPossumsBookOfPracticalCats'': "The Naming of Cats" decrees that every cat should have one as his/her second name; one of those amazing names that "never belong to more than one cat." It gives Munkustrap, Quaxo, Coricopat, Bombalurina, and Jellylorum as examples.
* ''Literature/OnTheEdgeOfEureka'': The Miran child soldiers who were later adopted out and given the chance to choose their own names. They were quite young at the time, so the majority have names like Wolfgang Deathridge or Septimius Justinian in order to invoke this trope.
* ''Literature/{{Remnants}}'': Some of the survivors have this, as in the future taking a new name is essentially the fashion trend of the decade. Mo'Steel takes the cake; he's not sure if it stands for "More Steel" or "Man of Steel" (Either works, as he's broken so many bones most of them are made of metal now.)
* ''Literature/{{Sharpe}}'': In "Sharpe's Devil," Lord Cochrane complains that the Spanish don't know how to name their warships.
--> Warships ought to have names like ''Victory'', ''[[OddNameOut Arse-kicker]]'', or ''Revenge''.
* ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes'': Jim Moriarty Nightshade, as {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Mr. Dark, who suggests a WeCanRuleTogether of "Dark and Nightshade, or Nightshade and Dark."
* ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'': Aphrodite. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Creator/DeanKoontz:
** In ''From the Corner of His Eye'', the villain (named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Enoch Cain]], naturally) learns from a newspaper article that one of his victims was named Kickmule. He's surprised to learn Kickmule is a legitimate name, and since it's so badass decides to use it in the future if he ever needs another alias ("no one would ever mess with Wolfgang Kickmule").
** ''Literature/OddThomas'': Kenneth Randolph Fitzgerald Mountbatton: the huge, terrifying, heavily-armed security guard with screaming hyena tattoos and a shirt that says "Death Heals." He picked the names himself.
*
* ''Literature/GhostsOfTomorrow'': The scans in combat chassis get to choose their own names; since many of them were teenagers [[ChildSoldier or even younger]] when they were scanned, they tend to pick names like [=SwampJack=] and Androctonus.
* ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?").
* The protagonist of ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead''
*
* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheYear'': [[{{PunnyName}} Skip
* ''Literature/{{Murderworld}}'': Murderworld is filled with gamers who have named themselves in attempt to appear as badasses -- Slaughterella being a successful version -- although some naming attempts have gone horribly wrong, e.g. Perry's initial character name, Major Lawsuit.
* ''Literature/OldPossumsBookOfPracticalCats'': "The Naming of Cats" decrees that every cat should have one as his/her second name; one of those amazing names that "never belong to more than one cat." It gives Munkustrap, Quaxo, Coricopat, Bombalurina, and Jellylorum as examples.
* ''Literature/OnTheEdgeOfEureka'': The Miran child soldiers who were later adopted out and given the chance to choose their own names. They were quite young at the time, so the majority have names like Wolfgang Deathridge or Septimius Justinian in order to invoke this trope.
* ''Literature/{{Remnants}}'': Some of the survivors have this, as in the future taking a new name is essentially the fashion trend of the decade. Mo'Steel takes the cake; he's not sure if it stands for "More Steel" or "Man of Steel" (Either works, as he's broken so many bones most of them are made of metal now.)
* ''Literature/{{Sharpe}}'': In "Sharpe's Devil," Lord Cochrane complains that the Spanish don't know how to name their warships.
--> Warships ought to have names like ''Victory'', ''[[OddNameOut Arse-kicker]]'', or ''Revenge''.
* ''Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes'': Jim Moriarty Nightshade, as {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d by Mr. Dark, who suggests a WeCanRuleTogether of "Dark and Nightshade, or Nightshade and Dark."
Changed line(s) 24,25 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the other guy doesn't buy it for a second.
to:
* ''Literature/SpiderKiss'': Shelly and the Colonel go through several of them while deciding what Luther Sellers' StageName should be. They reject Bruce Barton, Alan Prince, Brick Colter and Matt Gore before Shelly comes up with Stag Preston.
* ''Literature/{{Tanith}}'': The titular Tanith Rowan. Mrs. Wayne-Johnston remarks that with a name like that, it's no surprise that she became a witch.
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the other guy doesn't buy it for asecond.
second.
* ''Literature/ThisPerfectDay'': Snowflake invokes this trope when she insists Chip needs a codename cooler than "Chip," suggesting things like "Tiger" or "Pirate." Nonetheless, Chip prefers the nickname he's had since childhood.
* ''Literature/ThroughTheMotions'': Lillian's last name is Silverthorne, an appropriate name for a young woman who runs her own private WizardingSchool. She is very proud of her family name, and her parents would only bless her marriage when her fianceé told them he'd [[TheMaidenNameDebate let her keep her last name]].
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/TristramShandy'': Walter Shandy has a theory that one's given name will influence one's personality and fortune, so he wants his son to be called Trismegistus Shandy. Things don't go as planned.
* ''Literature/{{Tanith}}'': The titular Tanith Rowan. Mrs. Wayne-Johnston remarks that with a name like that, it's no surprise that she became a witch.
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the other guy doesn't buy it for a
* ''Literature/ThisPerfectDay'': Snowflake invokes this trope when she insists Chip needs a codename cooler than "Chip," suggesting things like "Tiger" or "Pirate." Nonetheless, Chip prefers the nickname he's had since childhood.
* ''Literature/ThroughTheMotions'': Lillian's last name is Silverthorne, an appropriate name for a young woman who runs her own private WizardingSchool. She is very proud of her family name, and her parents would only bless her marriage when her fianceé told them he'd [[TheMaidenNameDebate let her keep her last name]].
* There's also Numair Salmalin in the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* ''Literature/TristramShandy'': Walter Shandy has a theory that one's given name will influence one's personality and fortune, so he wants his son to be called Trismegistus Shandy. Things don't go as planned.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Awesome Mc Cool Name is now In Universe Examples Only. The story must consider the name cool in some way for the example to count.
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
%%%
to:
Changed line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) from:
* Alexander Bonaparte Cust in Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/TheABCMurders'' was specifically given a grandiose name by his mother.
to:
** Alexander Bonaparte Cust in
Deleted line(s) 11,20 (click to see context) :
* ''Ark Angel'' from the ''Literature/AlexRider'' series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the BigBad, himself known only as Kaspar.]]
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods'' could make this list based simply on the gods' various real and assumed names, even without the protagonist's exceptionally cool name: Shadow Moon, aka [[spoiler:Baldur Moon]].
* The main character of ''America the Beautiful'' (written by Moon Unit Zappa, who's got a pretty awesome name herself) is called America Throne. Granted, her father A) changed his surname from Tronov when he immigrated from Russia and B) was a crazy hippie artist. (Mer won the name lottery in her family. Her brother's name is Spoonie.)
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.[[note]]All three of these have {{Shout Out}}s to Tolkien, BTW.[[/note]]
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'':
** Commander Kelp. His unit has "trouble" as their middle names, but Kelp ''literally'' has "trouble" as his ''first'' name. As in, the name on the books is "Trouble Kelp".
** And of course, the title character himself, Artemis Fowl.
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia is from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's also Dagny Taggart and Howard Roark, which sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods'' could make this list based simply on the gods' various real and assumed names, even without the protagonist's exceptionally cool name: Shadow Moon, aka [[spoiler:Baldur Moon]].
* The main character of ''America the Beautiful'' (written by Moon Unit Zappa, who's got a pretty awesome name herself) is called America Throne. Granted, her father A) changed his surname from Tronov when he immigrated from Russia and B) was a crazy hippie artist. (Mer won the name lottery in her family. Her brother's name is Spoonie.)
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.[[note]]All three of these have {{Shout Out}}s to Tolkien, BTW.[[/note]]
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'':
** Commander Kelp. His unit has "trouble" as their middle names, but Kelp ''literally'' has "trouble" as his ''first'' name. As in, the name on the books is "Trouble Kelp".
** And of course, the title character himself, Artemis Fowl.
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia is from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's also Dagny Taggart and Howard Roark, which sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
Changed line(s) 22,46 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had a choose your own name feature, resulting in names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* In Creator/TamoraPierce's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, all of the dedicates in Winding Circle took nature/animal names after sufficient time in the temple. Many of them are quite the badass, despite their names generally being random.
** There's also Numair Salmalin in the Literature/TortallUniverse, who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone in the book has a cool name. Anthem picked his before he knew what the word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* In Creator/TamoraPierce's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, all of the dedicates in Winding Circle took nature/animal names after sufficient time in the temple. Many of them are quite the badass, despite their names generally being random.
** There's also Numair Salmalin in the Literature/TortallUniverse, who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
* In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone in the book has a cool name. Anthem picked his before he knew what the word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
to:
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had a choose your own name feature, resulting in names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* In Creator/TamoraPierce's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, all of the dedicates in Winding Circle took nature/animal names after sufficient time in the temple. Many of them are quite the badass, despite their names generally being random.
**There's also Numair Salmalin in the Literature/TortallUniverse, ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', who made his up because he thought "Arram Draper" didn't sound badass enough for one of the world's most powerful wizards.
*In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone in the book has a cool name. Anthem picked his before he knew what the word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
**''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.Perditax".
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* In Creator/TamoraPierce's ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, all of the dedicates in Winding Circle took nature/animal names after sufficient time in the temple. Many of them are quite the badass, despite their names generally being random.
**
*
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
**
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
Deleted line(s) 48,50 (click to see context) :
* ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}''
** The gnomish race are blessed, one and all, with surnames that consist of, quite literally, ''everything'' that has happened to them in their life, and in the lives of their parents, and pretty much the rest of their family going back generations, as well. A RunningGag in the book series was unwitting people asking a gnome his name and having to interrupt the avalanche that follows.
** Dragonlance pushes this trope to painful extremes. Examples include "Sturm Brightblade", "Steel Brightblade", "Alhanna Starbeeze", "Dhamon Grimwulf", "Flint Fireforge", "Huma Dragonbane", "Goldmoon", "Riverwind", "Eben Shatterstone", Cyan Bloodbane", and so forth.
** The gnomish race are blessed, one and all, with surnames that consist of, quite literally, ''everything'' that has happened to them in their life, and in the lives of their parents, and pretty much the rest of their family going back generations, as well. A RunningGag in the book series was unwitting people asking a gnome his name and having to interrupt the avalanche that follows.
** Dragonlance pushes this trope to painful extremes. Examples include "Sturm Brightblade", "Steel Brightblade", "Alhanna Starbeeze", "Dhamon Grimwulf", "Flint Fireforge", "Huma Dragonbane", "Goldmoon", "Riverwind", "Eben Shatterstone", Cyan Bloodbane", and so forth.
Changed line(s) 52,112 (click to see context) from:
** Author Creator/JimButcher's bichon frisé's name, Frost, is reputedly short for "Frostbite Doomreaver [=McBain=]."
** Mr. Harry ''Blackstone Copperfield'' Dresden. {{Justified|Trope}} given the theme of the novels, but in a series loaded with {{Meaningful Name}}s, Butcher also manages to make his main character's given name sound ''freakin' awesome''.
** Anastasia Luccio, Ebenezar [=McCoy=], Margaret [=LeFay=] Dresden, Lara, Inari, and Thomas Raith. There's a ''lot'' of cool names in the Dresden Files and that's not even getting into the non-humans. Like Lasciel or Anduriel. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leanan_sidhe Leanansidhe]] case is more akin to choosing a known character of the Sidhe mythos and making her close to Dresden.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has MasterSwordsman Duncan Idaho.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of age.
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'': Logen Rip-Your-Fucking-Face-Off Ninefingers.
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'' seems to be a parody of this.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* In Creator/DeanKoontz's ''From the Corner of His Eye'', the villain (named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Enoch Cain]], naturally) learns from a newspaper article that one of his victims was named Kickmule. He's surprised to learn Kickmule is a legitimate name, and since it's so badass decides to use it in the future if he ever needs another alias ("no one would ever mess with Wolfgang Kickmule").
* ''Literature/{{GONE}}'' is a subversion; some characters have names Sam or Mary, but then you have some characters called ''Orc'', ''Pack Leader'', ''Sanjit'' (''"It means invincible! I can't be vinced! Go ahead, try and vince me!"''), ''Caine Soren'', ''Toto'', ''Astrid'', ''Hunter'' and ''THE GAIAPHAGE''.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic -- like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightInAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' gives us [[TheSiege Helm's Deep]], founded by Helm '''Hammerhand'''.
** As a bonus, Helm is an archaic alternate form of "helmet".
** Much of the cast have this. Aragorn, Elrond, Meriadoc BrandyBuck (Merry), Samwise Gamgee, Galadriel etc.....
* Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?"). And his nephew is named St. George.
** Actually, "St. George" is the nephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into "Pickled Gherkins"!
* In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH -- hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Dark. There's a reason the metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name ever [[{{InUniverse}} in-universe]].
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the names they give to the talent agent in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Most of the mantically-aware from the Literature/MediochreQSethSeries choose their own name, and so most of them of course choose one of these. Notable examples:
** The title character himself, of course. The Q stands for Quirinius.
** Joseph Carrion, Mediochre's [[TheLancer lancer]].
** Professor Your Almighty God, who goes so over-the-top he might count as a parody of this trope.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one of his online annotations that he was unable to give character [[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] a cool last name like Mistshadows.
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and Seattle coffeehouse proprietors.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
** Mr. Harry ''Blackstone Copperfield'' Dresden. {{Justified|Trope}} given the theme of the novels, but in a series loaded with {{Meaningful Name}}s, Butcher also manages to make his main character's given name sound ''freakin' awesome''.
** Anastasia Luccio, Ebenezar [=McCoy=], Margaret [=LeFay=] Dresden, Lara, Inari, and Thomas Raith. There's a ''lot'' of cool names in the Dresden Files and that's not even getting into the non-humans. Like Lasciel or Anduriel. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leanan_sidhe Leanansidhe]] case is more akin to choosing a known character of the Sidhe mythos and making her close to Dresden.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has MasterSwordsman Duncan Idaho.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of age.
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'': Logen Rip-Your-Fucking-Face-Off Ninefingers.
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'' seems to be a parody of this.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* In Creator/DeanKoontz's ''From the Corner of His Eye'', the villain (named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Enoch Cain]], naturally) learns from a newspaper article that one of his victims was named Kickmule. He's surprised to learn Kickmule is a legitimate name, and since it's so badass decides to use it in the future if he ever needs another alias ("no one would ever mess with Wolfgang Kickmule").
* ''Literature/{{GONE}}'' is a subversion; some characters have names Sam or Mary, but then you have some characters called ''Orc'', ''Pack Leader'', ''Sanjit'' (''"It means invincible! I can't be vinced! Go ahead, try and vince me!"''), ''Caine Soren'', ''Toto'', ''Astrid'', ''Hunter'' and ''THE GAIAPHAGE''.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic -- like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightInAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' gives us [[TheSiege Helm's Deep]], founded by Helm '''Hammerhand'''.
** As a bonus, Helm is an archaic alternate form of "helmet".
** Much of the cast have this. Aragorn, Elrond, Meriadoc BrandyBuck (Merry), Samwise Gamgee, Galadriel etc.....
* Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?"). And his nephew is named St. George.
** Actually, "St. George" is the nephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into "Pickled Gherkins"!
* In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH -- hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Dark. There's a reason the metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name ever [[{{InUniverse}} in-universe]].
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the names they give to the talent agent in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Most of the mantically-aware from the Literature/MediochreQSethSeries choose their own name, and so most of them of course choose one of these. Notable examples:
** The title character himself, of course. The Q stands for Quirinius.
** Joseph Carrion, Mediochre's [[TheLancer lancer]].
** Professor Your Almighty God, who goes so over-the-top he might count as a parody of this trope.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one of his online annotations that he was unable to give character [[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] a cool last name like Mistshadows.
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and Seattle coffeehouse proprietors.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
to:
** Mr. Harry ''Blackstone Copperfield'' Dresden. {{Justified|Trope}} given the theme of the novels, but in a series loaded with {{Meaningful Name}}s, Butcher also manages to make his main character's given name sound ''freakin' awesome''.
** Anastasia Luccio, Ebenezar [=McCoy=], Margaret [=LeFay=] Dresden, Lara, Inari, and Thomas Raith. There's a ''lot'' of cool names in the Dresden Files and that's not even getting into the non-humans. Like Lasciel or Anduriel. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leanan_sidhe Leanansidhe]] case is more akin to choosing a known character of the Sidhe mythos and making her close to Dresden.
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has MasterSwordsman Duncan Idaho.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of age.
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* ''Literature/TheFirstLaw'': Logen Rip-Your-Fucking-Face-Off Ninefingers.
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'' seems to be a parody of this.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic -- like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightInAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' gives us [[TheSiege Helm's Deep]], founded by Helm '''Hammerhand'''.
** As a bonus, Helm is an archaic alternate form of "helmet".
** Much of the cast have this. Aragorn, Elrond, Meriadoc BrandyBuck (Merry), Samwise Gamgee, Galadriel etc.....
** Actually, "St. George" is the nephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into "Pickled Gherkins"!
* In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH -- hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Dark. There's a reason the metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name
*
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the names they give to the talent agent in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Most of the mantically-aware from the Literature/MediochreQSethSeries choose their own name, and so most of them of course choose one of these. Notable examples:
** The title character himself, of course. The Q stands for Quirinius.
** Joseph Carrion, Mediochre's [[TheLancer lancer]].
** Professor Your Almighty God, who goes so over-the-top he might count as a parody of this trope.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one of his online annotations that he was unable to give character [[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] a cool last name like Mistshadows.
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and Seattle coffeehouse proprietors.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade
Deleted line(s) 114,136 (click to see context) :
* The airships in ''Literature/MortalEngines'' series are named ''Damn You, Gravity!'' , ''13th Floor Elevator'' (referring to an American psychedelic rock band), ''Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Machiney'' (referencing the "bikini" song) and ''The Sadness of Things''. There is also an aeroplane called ''Combat Wombat''.
* ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'' series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
* In ''Literature/MySistersKeeper'', Anna's real name is Series/{{Andromeda}}. Although she's named for the star, not the show.
* In the Creator/RALafferty short story "Nine Hundred Grandmothers", the [[SpacePatrol Special Aspects Men]] all give themselves names like Manbreaker Crag, Heave Huckle, and (in a name [[ShoutOut that turned up later]] on a sample character in the first edition ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeon Master's Guide]]'') Gutboy Barrelhouse. The one exception is the story's protagonist, [[FailOSuckyname Ceran Swicegood]]. Eventually he gives in, though:
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has the title character. The Artful Dodger has a cool nickname, but his real name, Jack Dawkins, is fairly banal.
* The protagonist of Laren Stover's novel ''Pluto, Animal Lover'': Pluto Hellbender Gerome.
* Two short stories by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe center around a narrator named Signora Psyche Zenobia. Only her enemies, she proclaims, ever refer to her as Suky Snobbs.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled characters fall into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and Rood, you have a few incredibly awesome names (i.e. Ghisteslwchlohm). And then, of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Deth]].
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
* ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'' series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
* In ''Literature/MySistersKeeper'', Anna's real name is Series/{{Andromeda}}. Although she's named for the star, not the show.
* In the Creator/RALafferty short story "Nine Hundred Grandmothers", the [[SpacePatrol Special Aspects Men]] all give themselves names like Manbreaker Crag, Heave Huckle, and (in a name [[ShoutOut that turned up later]] on a sample character in the first edition ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeon Master's Guide]]'') Gutboy Barrelhouse. The one exception is the story's protagonist, [[FailOSuckyname Ceran Swicegood]]. Eventually he gives in, though:
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has the title character. The Artful Dodger has a cool nickname, but his real name, Jack Dawkins, is fairly banal.
* The protagonist of Laren Stover's novel ''Pluto, Animal Lover'': Pluto Hellbender Gerome.
* Two short stories by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe center around a narrator named Signora Psyche Zenobia. Only her enemies, she proclaims, ever refer to her as Suky Snobbs.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled characters fall into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and Rood, you have a few incredibly awesome names (i.e. Ghisteslwchlohm). And then, of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Deth]].
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
Changed line(s) 138,148 (click to see context) from:
--->Y.T.: Stupid name.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn", and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind.
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
** The Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* ''Literature/SpaceGlass'' has Marvelous Dagon.
* ''Literature/SpectralShadows'' has quite a few of these, such as Saint Saffron, The Shadow Cat, Spike Malone, and Richie Blackthorn, to name a few.
* Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
** Just to show that Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its characters conspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" and "[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named ''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn", and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind.
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
** The Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* ''Literature/SpaceGlass'' has Marvelous Dagon.
* ''Literature/SpectralShadows'' has quite a few of these, such as Saint Saffron, The Shadow Cat, Spike Malone, and Richie Blackthorn, to name a few.
* Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
** Just to show that Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its characters conspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" and "[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named ''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
to:
--->Hiro:
'''Hiro:''' But you'll never forget
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn", and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind.
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
** The Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* ''Literature/SpaceGlass'' has Marvelous Dagon.
* ''Literature/SpectralShadows'' has quite a few of these, such as Saint Saffron, The Shadow Cat, Spike Malone, and Richie Blackthorn, to name a few.
* Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
** Just to show that Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its characters conspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" and "[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named ''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
Changed line(s) 150,158 (click to see context) from:
* Wilson Wilson in ''Literature/{{TerminalAvenue}}'', whose mother named him that in deviance to the Canaidan laws against indigenous people.
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first is only ever called by his last name, and the other two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* Dan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is in general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' gives many of its characters cool-sounding names, though with any given character it's a shot in the dark whether they will be named something average or lame like Clay, Coconut, Turtle, or Sunny, or something cool like Peril, Tsunami, Glory, or Starflight. Villainous dragons get this especially, like Blister, Morrowseer, Belladonna, and Fierceteeth.
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first is only ever called by his last name, and the other two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* Dan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is in general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' gives many of its characters cool-sounding names, though with any given character it's a shot in the dark whether they will be named something average or lame like Clay, Coconut, Turtle, or Sunny, or something cool like Peril, Tsunami, Glory, or Starflight. Villainous dragons get this especially, like Blister, Morrowseer, Belladonna, and Fierceteeth.
to:
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first is only ever called by his last name, and the other two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* Dan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is in general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' gives many of its characters cool-sounding names, though with any given character it's a shot in the dark whether they will be named something average or lame like Clay, Coconut, Turtle, or Sunny, or something cool like Peril, Tsunami, Glory, or Starflight. Villainous dragons get this especially, like Blister, Morrowseer, Belladonna, and Fierceteeth.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 91 (click to see context) from:
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightinAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
to:
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightinAugust''.''Literature/ALightInAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Reverend Hightower in Creator/WilliamFaulkner's ''Literature/ALightinAugust''. Joe Christmas as well.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In ''The Book of Basketball'', Creator/TheSportsGuy says that they should have known that Ralph Sampson wasn't gonna cut it because he found his name not to fit with how the best players, "they're all great names that you'd give a sports movie character", like Usefulnotes/MichaelJordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Larry Bird or Moses Malone.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 15,16 (click to see context) from:
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
* Commander Kelp in ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''. His unit has "trouble" as their middle names, but Kelp ''literally'' has "trouble" as his ''first'' name. As in, the name on the books is "Trouble Kelp".
* Commander Kelp in ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''. His unit has "trouble" as their middle names, but Kelp ''literally'' has "trouble" as his ''first'' name. As in, the name on the books is "Trouble Kelp".
to:
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.[[note]]All three of these have {{Shout Out}}s to Tolkien, BTW.[[/note]]
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'':
** CommanderKelp in ''Literature/ArtemisFowl''.Kelp. His unit has "trouble" as their middle names, but Kelp ''literally'' has "trouble" as his ''first'' name. As in, the name on the books is "Trouble Kelp".
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'':
** Commander
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
to:
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
Added DiffLines:
* ''Literature/{{Dune}}'' has MasterSwordsman Duncan Idaho.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Literature/LoveLettersToTheDead'' has the protagonist named Laurel, which Hannah comments is the coolest name ever [[{{InUniverse}} in-universe]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheYear'': Skip Toomaloo has an arguably worse name than his daughter Lulu, but seems to take pride in it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Literature/SpaceGlass'' has Marvelous Dagon.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 27 (click to see context) from:
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
to:
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': ''Literature/TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,19 (click to see context) from:
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has the title character. The Artful Dodger has a cool nickname, but his real name, Jack Dawkins, is fairly banal.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
to:
%%
%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the
%%
%%%
----
* Alexander Bonaparte Cust in Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/TheABCMurders'' was specifically given a
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
**
* ''Ark Angel'' from the ''Literature/AlexRider'' series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
*
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
**
** One Igor had former masters with names such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor
Changed line(s) 21,24 (click to see context) from:
* Citizens of Literature/TheCulture in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* The airships in ''Literature/MortalEngines'' series are named ''Damn You, Gravity!'' , ''13th Floor Elevator'' (referring to an American psychedelic rock band), ''Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Machiney'' (referencing the "bikini" song) and ''The Sadness of Things''. There is also an aeroplane called ''Combat Wombat''.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* The airships in ''Literature/MortalEngines'' series are named ''Damn You, Gravity!'' , ''13th Floor Elevator'' (referring to an American psychedelic rock band), ''Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Machiney'' (referencing the "bikini" song) and ''The Sadness of Things''. There is also an aeroplane called ''Combat Wombat''.
to:
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* The Andalite names from the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
Changed line(s) 27,36 (click to see context) from:
* Two short stories by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe center around a narrator named Signora Psyche Zenobia. Only her enemies, she proclaims, ever refer to her as Suky Snobbs.
* Dan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.,
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
* Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
* Dan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.,
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
* Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
to:
* Two short stories by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe center around a narrator named Signora Psyche Zenobia. Only her enemies, she proclaims, ever refer to her as Suky Snobbs.
* Dan Abnett lovesCreator/AynRand was fond of this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia is Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
**from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan also Dagny Taggart and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat),Howard Roark, which ends up being awesome.,
sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]
*''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and hates music.
* Inthe ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those have to keep their true names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPuntend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had atailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later,choose your own name feature, resulting in names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takesup the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing place during travel on a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
*Heroes in ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, it seems; many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* Dan Abnett loves
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
**
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat),
*
* In
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had a
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later,
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes
*
Changed line(s) 39,42 (click to see context) from:
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the names they give to the talent agent in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the names they give to the talent agent in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
to:
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel,In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone in the Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is book has a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of justified by the fact that they cool name. Anthem picked their own names.
** Even better examples arehis before he knew what the names they give word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.
* The majority of thetalent agent human characters in ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with namesmentioned here, but this such as Screaming Dr. Berserk and Crazed Baron Ha-Ha.
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* In the final bookwas written in 1904.of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' novels, due to an inability to compromise between two equally unwieldy epic names, a ship is christened "Great Descent into Maelstrom of Solar Flare of Righteous Vengeance Against Enemies of the People's State."
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel,
** Even better examples are
* The majority of the
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* The title character in the ''Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels'' by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Citizens of ''Literature/TheCulture'' in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture Minds, the hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a name that means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''
** Agnes Nitt's persona called Perdita X Dream, where [[MysteriousMiddleInitial X stands for "person who has a cool and interesting middle name"]]; when Agnes tells other people she'd like to be called this, they usually end up calling her "that Agnes who wants to be called Perditax".
** Mightily Oats, a shortened form of "The Quite Reverend Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om Oats".
** Suffer-Not-Injustice Vimes.
** The rats from ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
** One Igor had former masters with names
** Findthee Swing (from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
** Modern Omnians have very unusual names. Along with Mightily Oats (above), there are Constable Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments.
** There's a chess-like game called Hneflbaflsniflwhifltafl, commonly nicknamed [[AC:Thud!]]. It's a parody of a real game, Hneftafl.
* In the final book
Deleted line(s) 46,67 (click to see context) :
* Creator/ChristopherBrookmyre's ViolentGlaswegian FairCop is named Angelique de Xavia. This is lampshaded by pretty much every other character (her colleagues call her 'Angel X' and 'Special Agent X'; when a criminal captures her at gunpoint and confiscates her ID his immediate comment is: "Cool name.").
** Creator/HBeamPiper did the same thing in his science fiction stories, giving us characters with names like Themistocles Mzangwe and Hideyoshi O'Leary.
** Likewise Juan Epstein from ''Welcome Back Kotter''.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* ''Literature/SnowCrash'': the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist, his roommate is named Vitaly Chernobyl, and his partner is Yours Truly (abbreviated to YT). These are all actually nicknames or stagenames, but the closest we come to their real names is that Hiro's full first name is "Hiroaki." On the other hand, the Aleut Dmitri "Raven" Ravinoff sports a suitably [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast ominous]] and legitimate name.
--->Y.T.: Stupid name.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
* In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* Literature/MikeHammer.
* Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?"). And his nephew is named St. George.
** Actually, "St. George" is the nephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into "Pickled Gherkins"!
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first is only ever called by his last name, and the other two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* The main character of ''America the Beautiful'' (written by Moon Unit Zappa, who's got a pretty awesome name herself) is called America Throne. Granted, her father A) changed his surname from Tronov when he immigrated from Russia and B) was a crazy hippie artist. (Mer won the name lottery in her family. Her brother's name is Spoonie.)
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and Rood, you have a few incredibly awesome names (i.e. Ghisteslwchlohm). And then, of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Deth]].
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
** Creator/HBeamPiper did the same thing in his science fiction stories, giving us characters with names like Themistocles Mzangwe and Hideyoshi O'Leary.
** Likewise Juan Epstein from ''Welcome Back Kotter''.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* ''Literature/SnowCrash'': the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist, his roommate is named Vitaly Chernobyl, and his partner is Yours Truly (abbreviated to YT). These are all actually nicknames or stagenames, but the closest we come to their real names is that Hiro's full first name is "Hiroaki." On the other hand, the Aleut Dmitri "Raven" Ravinoff sports a suitably [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast ominous]] and legitimate name.
--->Y.T.: Stupid name.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
* In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'' is a treasure trove of gloriously silly and bizarre names, many of them {{meaningful|Name}}. The hero Yossarian's exotic Armenian name indicates his detachment from the rest of the soldiers. [[RepetitiveName Major Major Major]] is instantly promoted to the rank of Major due to his name, and can never change his rank because a mail attendant thinks it's funny. Milo Minderbinder can think of nothing but profit and capitalism. Major —— de Coverley looks so impressive that no one has the nerve to ask him his first name. Lieutenant Scheisskopf ("shithead" in German) lives up to his name, but enjoys a steady string of promotions.
* Literature/MikeHammer.
* Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names -- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to rhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?"). And his nephew is named St. George.
** Actually, "St. George" is the nephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into "Pickled Gherkins"!
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first is only ever called by his last name, and the other two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Deathstalker}} Deathstalker's Legacy]]'', a criminal has the unlikely moniker of Toby Goddamnit. He never says how he got his name before he dies.
* The main character of ''America the Beautiful'' (written by Moon Unit Zappa, who's got a pretty awesome name herself) is called America Throne. Granted, her father A) changed his surname from Tronov when he immigrated from Russia and B) was a crazy hippie artist. (Mer won the name lottery in her family. Her brother's name is Spoonie.)
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and Rood, you have a few incredibly awesome names (i.e. Ghisteslwchlohm). And then, of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Deth]].
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
Changed line(s) 72,73 (click to see context) from:
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one of his online annotations that he was unable to give character [[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] a cool last name like Mistshadows.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one of his online annotations that he was unable to give character [[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] a cool last name like Mistshadows.
to:
* The majority of the human characters [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in oneKavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of his online annotations that he was unable to give age.
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character[[Literature/{{Mistborn}} "Kelsier"]] who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a cool last MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic namelike Mistshadows.you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* Author Creator/BrandonSanderson once expressed regret in one
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name
Changed line(s) 75,83 (click to see context) from:
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and Seattle coffeehouse proprietors.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of age.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia is from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's also Dagny Taggart and Howard Roark, which sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come of age.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia is from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's also Dagny Taggart and Howard Roark, which sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]
to:
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and Seattle coffeehouse proprietors.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they comeAgent Rex [=McCool=] of age.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'' seems to be TooCoolToLive. He's also the "Bob" a parody of AerithAndBob, since the other members of his elven culture have more traditional Celtic names like Etain, Goewynne, and Camulos.
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
this.
*''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconiaprotagonist's name is from ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. There's also Dagny Taggart and Howard Roark, which sound [[{{Eagleland}} so self-consciously Occidental]] that [[GratuitousEnglish it's hard to forget that English is not the author's first language.]]Aliera Carstairs.
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from Smith because that didn't suit a man like him (who also considers "Lizzie" too prosaic a name for a woman -- "why, it don't ''stand'' for anything!").
* Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[OverlyLongName Jaantony Riv Wolf High-Ironjade Vikary]] from Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/DyingOfTheLight''. Justified in that the Kavlaars (partly) choose their own names when they come
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has an elf character who is actually named Mac Cool, and it's a MeaningfulName, with the character ultimately turning out
** Actually, Mac Cool is a pretty Celtic name, since Finn Mac Cool is the Anglicised version of Irish legendary hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill. In fact, it's the kind of Celtic name you might come up with if you didn't know very many Celtic names.
*
* Creator/AynRand was fond of this trope: Francisco Domingo Carlos Andres Sebastián d'Anconia
Changed line(s) 85,86 (click to see context) from:
* Alexander Bonaparte Cust in Creator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/TheABCMurders'' was specifically given a grandiose name by his mother.
** As drily noted by Hastings, Poirot's mother must have been thinking along the same lines by naming her sons Hercule and Achilles [[spoiler:the latter doesn't exist, used as a disguise for Literature/HerculePoirot to avoid detection]].
** As drily noted by Hastings, Poirot's mother must have been thinking along the same lines by naming her sons Hercule and Achilles [[spoiler:the latter doesn't exist, used as a disguise for Literature/HerculePoirot to avoid detection]].
to:
* Alexander Bonaparte Cust ''Literature/{{GONE}}'' is a subversion; some characters have names Sam or Mary, but then you have some characters called ''Orc'', ''Pack Leader'', ''Sanjit'' (''"It means invincible! I can't be vinced! Go ahead, try and vince me!"''), ''Caine Soren'', ''Toto'', ''Astrid'', ''Hunter'' and ''THE GAIAPHAGE''.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved inCreator/AgathaChristie's ''Literature/TheABCMurders'' witch trials in the 17th century (so were the Nutters), and Anathema is a word that has a variety of meanings in a religious context; put them together and you have a perfect set-up for scenes like [[spoiler: Agnes's prediction that ends in the sentence "And thou shalt be there also, Anathema" -- which the modern Anathema assumes (correctly, it is implied) to be addressed to her]].
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic -- like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which wasspecifically created to sound obscene but not be. Adams started with Phartiphukborlz and changed it just enough to get past the censors.
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three givena grandiose names, an alphanumeric code, four surnames, and an etcetera. The main character's full name by his mother.
** As drily noted by Hastings, Poirot's mother must have been thinking along the same lines by naming her sons Hercule and Achilles [[spoiler:the latter doesn't exist, used as a disguise for Literature/HerculePoirot to avoid detection]].is Keef Joy Brazen X-5 Lattimore Balzac Marsalis Wu Etc.
* ''Literature/GoodOmens'':
** Anathema Device. The Devices were a real family who were involved in
** Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer. Newton Pulsifer said he would go on a rampage as well with a name like that
** There are also main characters like 'Aziraphale' and 'Anthony J. Crowley' and minor character 'Warlock'.
* Children's book series ''Literature/GreyGriffins'' has Maximilian Grayson Sumner III, a rich billionaire's kid, Harley Davidson Eisenstein, the badass, Natalia Anastasia Felicia Romanov, the smart SnoopingLittleKid, and on the uncool note, Ernest Blumfeld Tweeney, TheLoad.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic -- like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' is full of unlikely names that sound pretty cool.
** Hotblack Desiato, which is actually the name of rather posh, London [[http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/about.asp estate agents]].
** Zaphod Beeblebrox, fitting his eccentric rock star/politician/dingbat personality.
** "Slartibartfast," which was
** And, of course, Ford Prefect, although it sounds much cooler to American readers who mostly didn't realize that he's actually named after a sensible British motorcar.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Literature/HonorHarrington, though the first name "Honor" is actually part of a fairly common tradition of using virtues as female first names, such as "Chastity" and "Grace."
* ''Literature/HoratioHornblower''. Ironically, he's completely tone deaf and hates music.
* Aphrodite in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. Justified because when fledgling vampyres enter the school, they are allowed to change their names and are legally emancipated from their parents. Being incredibly self-centred and vain, she chose the name of the goddess of love.
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* From ''Literature/TheIcemarkChronicles'' we have ''Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Wildcat of the North, Taker of the Hand of Bellorum''. In fact, any non-Polypontian in that trilogy counts.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* Literature/JamesBond was originally intended to avert this trope entirely, the name itself being picked up from the author of an ornithology book for what Fleming was the most boring name imaginable. Of course, nowadays the name is known [[Franchise/JamesBond worldwide]] for both the character and the brand as the epitome of cool, as well as being ''the'' face of SpyFiction. The novels have plenty of other cool names too, such as Admiral Miles Messervy, aka [[spoiler: M]], Major Boothroyd, Felix Leiter, [[Literature/CasinoRoyale Vesper Lynd]], [[Literature/LiveAndLetDie John Strangways and Buonapart Ignace Gallia]], [[Literature/{{Moonraker}} Sir Hugo Drax/Graf Hugo von Drache]], [[Literature/{{DiamondsAreForever}} Tiffany Case, Wynt & Kidd]], [[Literature/FromRussiaWithLove Donovan Grant, Kerim Bey, Tatiana Romanova]], [[Literature/DrNo Dr. Julius No, Brigadier Bill Templar, Mary Trueblood]], [[Literature/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, Jed Midnight, Jack Strap, Mr. Solo]], [[Literature/ForYourEyesOnly Judy Havelock, Milton Krest, Major Gonzales, Von Hammerstein, Phillip Masters, Enrico Columbo]], [[Literature/{{Thunderball}} Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Domino Vitali, Giuseppe Petacchi]], [[Literature/OnHerMajestysSecretService Countess Tracy di Vincenzo, Marc-ange Draco, Ruby Windsor, Mary Goodnight]], [[Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice Tiger Tanaka, Kissy Suzuki]] and [[Literature/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Francisco Scaramanga]].
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* In ''The Long Hot Future'', the breeding program Eugenix assigns three given
** As drily noted by Hastings, Poirot's mother must have been thinking along the same lines by naming her sons Hercule and Achilles [[spoiler:the latter doesn't exist, used as a disguise for Literature/HerculePoirot to avoid detection]].
Changed line(s) 90,108 (click to see context) from:
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is in general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled characters fall into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
* The Andalite names from the Literature/{{Animorphs}} are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named ''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic - like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* The Reverend Doctor Syn in [[Literature/DoctorSynTheScarecrow Russell Thorndike's series of books]].
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* ''Ark Angel'' from the Literature/AlexRider series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the BigBad, himself known only as Kaspar.]]
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled characters fall into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
* The Andalite names from the Literature/{{Animorphs}} are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named ''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But the names of characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic - like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* The Reverend Doctor Syn in [[Literature/DoctorSynTheScarecrow Russell Thorndike's series of books]].
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* ''Ark Angel'' from the Literature/AlexRider series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the BigBad, himself known only as Kaspar.]]
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
to:
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is in general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with Literature/LordPeterWimsey (an appropriately cool name on its own) sometimes while undercover calls himself by his two middle names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly-- Death Bredon ("Some people with that particular name pronounce it to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in height]].
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main characterrhyme with 'teeth' but I prefer it to rhyme with 'breath' -- more dramatic, what?"). And his nephew is named Echo, after St. George.
** Actually, "St. George" is theGreek myth.
* Most traditional pulp fictionnephew's courtesy title (as the only son of Lord Peter's older brother, The Duke of Denver). However, both the Duke and hardboiled characters fall his son were named "Gerald", and the younger Gerald was nicknamed "Gerrykins" which morphed into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
"Pickled Gherkins"!
*The Andalite In ''Literature/{{The Lost World|1912}}'', by Sir Creator/ArthurConanDoyle, most people have mainly normal names. Except for George Edward Challenger. And Maple White.
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass namesfrom for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH -- hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Literature/{{Animorphs}} are awesome, like Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Aximilli-Esgaroth-Esthill and Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.
* InDark. There's a reason the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, thename Gasman, Nudge, Total[[note]]It's worth mentioning that Total is a dog[[/note]] and ''Fang''. At least sort of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. Butjustified by the fact that they picked their own names.
** Even better examples are the namesof characters' dæmons tend to be melodious and exotic - like Pantalaimon, Stelamaria, Zohariel, and Kirjava.
* The Reverend Doctor Syn in [[Literature/DoctorSynTheScarecrow Russell Thorndike's series of books]].
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when comparedthey give to the likes of Soulcatcher, Howler or the Hanged Man.
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many termstalent agent in ''Literature/TheDeclineOfTheWest'', the coolest among which is "Magians" for the Jews (and Muslims, ''Max'': The White Knight, The Sharkalator, Cinnamon Allspice La Fever, and Greek-Orthodox Christians... generally, everyone from the Middle East following a religion which originated there around 0-1000 AD).
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* ''Ark Angel'' from the Literature/AlexRider series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the BigBad, himself known only as Kaspar.]]
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].Isabella von Frankenstein Rothschild.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character
** Actually, "St. George" is the
* Most traditional pulp fiction
*
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names
* In
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named
* ''Literature/MaximumRide'':
** The flock: Maximum Ride, Iggy, Angel, the
* Lyra Belacqua in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', though she later trades it in for Silvertongue. But
** Even better examples are the names
* The Reverend Doctor Syn in [[Literature/DoctorSynTheScarecrow Russell Thorndike's series of books]].
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
* The title character of ''Literature/AlyzonWhitestarr'' by Creator/IsobelleCarmody. The author claimed to have met a family while on a walk, and liked the daughter's name so much that she decided to use it for her book. ''There is a real person out there with that name''. (Maybe.)
* Practically every Vampire and Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't like names like Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' mercenaries try to leave the past behind and the wizards [[IKnowYourTrueName have to keep their true names secret]]. As such, both are OnlyKnownByTheirNickname and tend to end up with either NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast or obviously ironic variety. Croaker once jokes that most of the new Taken got lame names when compared
* In the graphic novel ''Foiled,'' the protagonist's name is Aliera Carstairs.
* [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German philosopher Oswald Spengler]] coined many terms
* The protagonist of John Ringo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' novels is named Michael Leonidas O'Neill. He gets a mention for Leonidas, of course.
* ''Ark Angel'' from the Literature/AlexRider series feature a man named Magnus Payne. [[spoiler:He is actually an alias of the BigBad, himself known only as Kaspar.]]
* Many dragon species in ''Literature/HowToTrainYourDragon'' have awesome names. For example: Rocket Ripper, Windwalker, Saber-Tooth, Monstrous Nightmare, Skullion, Monstrous Stragnulator, Sharkworm, Venomous Vorpent, Deadly Nightshade, Exterminator, Raptortongue, Polar Serpent, Burrowing Slitherfang, Deadly Shadow, Silver Phantom, and, the king of them all: Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, The Doomfang, The Darkbreather.
** Several of the individual dragons' names count as well, such as Fireworm, Killer, and Stormfly. And some of the humans' names, such as Humongously Hotshot the Hero or Flashburn the Flashmaster.
** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The movie]] used the Monstrous Nightmare, but other than that its dragon names are different and still awesome: the [[PoisonIsEvil Deadly Nadder]], the [[MultipleHeadCase Zippleback]], the [[DeathbringerTheAdorable Terrible Terror]], and the [[TheDreaded Night Fury]]. The dragons' HiveQueen, a mountain-sized dragon, is called "the Green Death" in [[AllThereInTheManual the manual]].
Changed line(s) 113,124 (click to see context) from:
%% * Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey from the infamous ''Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey''.
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn" and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
* In the final book of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' novels, due to an inability to compromise between two equally unwieldy epic names, a ship is christened "Great Descent into Maelstrom of Solar Flare of Righteous Vengeance Against Enemies of the People's State."
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH - hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Dark. There's a reason the metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/{{GONE}}'' is a subversion; some characters have names Sam or Mary, but then you have some characters called ''Orc'', ''Pack Leader'', ''Sanjit'' (''"It means invincible! I can't be vinced! Go ahead, try and vince me!"''), ''Caine Soren'', ''Toto'', ''Astrid'', ''Hunter'' and ''THE GAIAPHAGE''.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn" and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
* In the final book of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' novels, due to an inability to compromise between two equally unwieldy epic names, a ship is christened "Great Descent into Maelstrom of Solar Flare of Righteous Vengeance Against Enemies of the People's State."
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass name himself):
** He had a knack for creating badass names for his horrors, with examples such as: Azathoth (a memo he wrote to himself regarding it simply said 'AZATHOTH - hideous name') aka The Nuclear Chaos and Nyarlathotep aka The Crawling Chaos aka The Haunter of the Dark. There's a reason the metal community likes Lovecraft so much.
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book in the lengthy series about the (No longer) French (No Longer) Foreign Legion [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]]) has a section that takes place during travel on a ship called ''The Warm Wind That Blows Happiness Through The Universe'', or as her crew affectionately know her, ''The Iron Bitch''.
* ''Literature/{{GONE}}'' is a subversion; some characters have names Sam or Mary, but then you have some characters called ''Orc'', ''Pack Leader'', ''Sanjit'' (''"It means invincible! I can't be vinced! Go ahead, try and vince me!"''), ''Caine Soren'', ''Toto'', ''Astrid'', ''Hunter'' and ''THE GAIAPHAGE''.
* A particularly fine example from ''Literature/HIVESeries'', as well as Doctor Maximilian Nero, is the world-famous master criminal Diabolous Darkdoom. Nero's right-hand woman is the Contessa Maria Sinistre, and Diabolus has a son named Nigel Darkdoom. We also have Lucy Dexter, who is actually the [[spoiler:Vicontessa Lucia Sinistre]], and Otto Malpense, who was named because he was [[spoiler:clone number 0110.]] Shelby Trinity has a nice ring, too.
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose for themselves in-universe.
to:
* The name Starbuck may signal Herman Melville's penchant for symbolism in ''Moby-Dick'', but it also signaled "awesome" to both TV sci-fi (''[[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 Battlestar Galactica]]'') and
** It certainly signaled "awesome" to [[Theatre/OneTenInTheShade Bill Starbuck]], who changed his name from
* A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn" and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets
* In the final book of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' novels, due to an inability to compromise between two equally unwieldy epic names, a ship is christened "Great Descent into Maelstrom of Solar Flare of Righteous Vengeance Against Enemies of the People's State."
* Creator/HPLovecraft (who had a badass
** He had a knack
* The
** For human characters, his parody {{melodrama}} "Literature/SweetErmengarde" has a hero named Jack Manly and a villain named Squire Hardman.
* ''By Blood Alone'' (the second book
* ''Literature/{{GONE}}''
*
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is
* Played with in ''Literature/{{Idlewild}}'', where the characters have wicked-cool names (Halloween, Pandora, Mercutio, etc.), that they chose
** Valentine Morgernstern
Changed line(s) 126 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone in the book has a cool name. Anthem picked his before he knew what the word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.
to:
* In ''Literature/{{Coda}}'', everyone the Creator/RALafferty short story "Nine Hundred Grandmothers", the [[SpacePatrol Special Aspects Men]] all give themselves names like Manbreaker Crag, Heave Huckle, and (in a name [[ShoutOut that turned up later]] on a sample character in the book first edition ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeon Master's Guide]]'') Gutboy Barrelhouse. The one exception is the story's protagonist, [[FailOSuckyname Ceran Swicegood]]. Eventually he gives in, though:
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has the title character. The Artful Dodger has a coolname. Anthem picked nickname, but his before he knew what the word meant, but it turns out to be accurate.real name, Jack Dawkins, is fairly banal.
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' has the title character. The Artful Dodger has a cool
Changed line(s) 128,130 (click to see context) from:
* Just to show that Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its characters conspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" and "[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had a choose your own name feature, resulting in names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas.
* In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with names like those! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the antichrist sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had a choose your own name feature, resulting in names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas.
to:
* Just Two short stories by Creator/EdgarAllanPoe center around a narrator named Signora Psyche Zenobia. Only her enemies, she proclaims, ever refer to show that Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its her as Suky Snobbs.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled charactersconspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" fall into this trope. Names like [[Literature/TheMalteseFalcon Sam Spade]] or Literature/NeroWolfe.
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and"[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
Rood, you have a few incredibly awesome names (i.e. Ghisteslwchlohm). And then, of course, there's [[MeaningfulName Deth]].
*In ''Literature/LeftBehind'', the two main heroes Practically every Vampire and obvious {{Author Avatar}}s are named Buck Williams and Rayford Steele. You Vampanese in ''Literature/TheSagaOfDarrenShan'' (''Cirque du Freak'' Series US) has an amazing name. Who can't ''not'' have a lantern jaw with like names like those! Larten Crepsley, Vancha March, Arra Sails, Gannen Harst... the list goes on and on. Even the grotesque-looking little person, Harkat Mulds, has an amazing name, [[spoiler: especially considering as it is an anagram of his name from before he became a little person, Kurda Smahlt]].
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
* ''Literature/SnowCrash'': the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist, his roommate is named Vitaly Chernobyl, and his partner is Yours Truly (abbreviated to YT). These are all actually nicknames or stagenames, but the closest we come to their real names is that Hiro's full first name is "Hiroaki." On theopposite end of other hand, the spectrum, the antichrist Aleut Dmitri "Raven" Ravinoff sports the ObviouslyEvil name Nicolae Carpathia, a fitting moniker for any super villain.
suitably [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast ominous]] and legitimate name.
--->Y.T.: Stupid name.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
*In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', Bubble World had A mixed bag in Creator/GeorgeRRMartin's ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has Robert Baratheon's bastard son Edric Storm. Mildly averted as bastard children who are acknowledged by their fathers have generic names (Hill, Rivers, Snow, Waters, Stone, Pyke, Sand, Storm, and Flowers.)
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn", and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind.
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
** The Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to chooseyour own name feature, resulting in their own. They mostly pick names like Freesia Summers, Ricky Leisure, Dare Fiesta, and Taser Lucas."Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
* Most traditional pulp fiction and hardboiled characters
* Patricia [=McKillip's=] ''Literature/TheRiddleMasterTrilogy'' trilogy features several. Alongside abnormal-but-not-too-strange names like Eliard, Mathom, Astrin, and
*
* ''Literature/TheSaint'''s Simon Templar.
* In ''Literature/SavingZoe'', the main character is named Echo, after the Greek myth.
* Wolf Larsen and Death Larsen, from ''Literature/TheSeaWolf'' by Creator/JackLondon. Not quite as awesome as the other names mentioned here, but this book was written in 1904.
* In the ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' series, characters take names instead of using their given names, since in this world, someone knowing your [[IKnowYourTrueName real name]] can give them power over you. Some of those names include Valkyrie Cain, Ghastly Bespoke, Billy-Ray Sanguine, and Murder Rose.
** Ghastly Bespoke, incidentally, is [[StealthPun a tailor]].
** Skulduggery specifically advises Stephanie (who, later, takes up the name Valkyrie Cain) against choosing a "cool" name over a name that suits your personality (using a middle-aged woman known as "Jet" as an example against). Nevertheless, the names manage to sound cool AND suit the characters.
* ''Literature/SnowCrash'': the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist, his roommate is named Vitaly Chernobyl, and his partner is Yours Truly (abbreviated to YT). These are all actually nicknames or stagenames, but the closest we come to their real names is that Hiro's full first name is "Hiroaki." On the
--->Y.T.: Stupid name.
--->Hiro: But you'll never forget it.
*
** For every "Rob", "Ned", "Sam", "Jamie", "Catelyn", and "Jon", there are "Theon", "Bronn", "Viserys", "Arya", "Drogo", "Rhaegar," and "Daenerys". The Clegane brothers and Stannis Baratheon also spring to mind.
** ''Lampshaded'' when in [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons A Dance With Dragons]] when Tyrion Lannister meets a blacksmith named Hammer and discovers his apprentice is named Nail... commenting "because, of course he is."
** The Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose
Changed line(s) 132,136 (click to see context) from:
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified in that their father named Phillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* The title character in the Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of Literature/TheFlyingBoy seems to be a parody of this.
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
* The title character in the Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you have to wonder if the guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of Literature/TheFlyingBoy seems to be a parody of this.
* Georgie [=McCool=], the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using a PenName.
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
to:
* Cassel and Barron of ''Literature/TheCurseWorkers'', Heroes in comparison with their older brother [[SpecialpersonNormalName Phillip]]. Justified ''Franchise/StarWars'' always have cool names, it seems; in ''Literature/StarWarsShadowsOfTheEmpire'', there was mercenary Dash Render.
** Just to show thattheir father Creator/GeorgeLucas doesn't have a monopoly on this trope, the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse continued the movies' proud tradition of giving its characters conspicuously cool names. There are numerous examples, but standouts include "[[AcePilot Jagged Fel]]", "[[ActionGirl Mara Jade]]", "[[KnowledgeBroker Talon Karrde]]" and "[[TheChessmaster Thrawn]]".
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's namedPhillip, while their mom had creative control of the others.
* The title character in the Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a''[[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Celestino Pascoli.]]'' His name like ''Cormoran Strike'', you basically TookALevelInBadass. Also, the name of its AlternateUniverse Venice -- Belleza.
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to haveto wonder if the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy has a cousin named [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Falcon Punch]].
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of Literature/TheFlyingBoy seems to be a parody of this.
* Georgie [=McCool=],who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the screenwriter protagonist of Rainbow Rowell's ''Landline'', is ''not'' using other guy doesn't buy it for a PenName.
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.second.
** Just to show that
* In the ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}'' books, the name Sky Meadows is... odd to English-speaking ears. But when he stravagates to Talia, he's named
* The title character in the Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels by Robert Galbraith, aka Creator/JKRowling. With a
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have
* Agent Rex [=McCool=] of Literature/TheFlyingBoy seems to be a parody of this.
* Georgie [=McCool=],
* Pyotr Verkhovensky in ''Literature/{{Demons}}'', whose family name is formed from "verkhovenstvo", which means "supremacy" in Russian.
Changed line(s) 138,147 (click to see context) from:
* In the Creator/RALafferty short story "Nine Hundred Grandmothers", the [[SpacePatrol Special Aspects Men]] all give themselves names like Manbreaker Crag, Heave Huckle, and (in a name [[ShoutOut that turned up later]] on a sample character in the first edition ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeon Master's Guide]]'') Gutboy Barrelhouse. The one exception is the story's protagonist, [[FailOSuckyname Ceran Swicegood]]. Eventually he gives in, though:
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the other guy doesn't buy it for a second.
* Literature/TheMortalInstruments series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
--->On his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but the other guy doesn't buy it for a second.
* Literature/TheMortalInstruments series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
to:
* In the Creator/RALafferty short story "Nine Hundred Grandmothers", the [[SpacePatrol Special Aspects Men]] all give themselves names like Manbreaker Crag, Heave Huckle, Creator/ThomasPynchon: Pirate Prentice, Oedipa Maas, Pierce Inverarity, Patience Eggslap, Tyrone Slothrop, Mike Fallopian, Ronald Cherrycoke, and (in a name [[ShoutOut that turned up later]] on a sample character in Clayton "Bloody" Chiclitz.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the firstedition ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeon Master's Guide]]'') Gutboy Barrelhouse. The one exception is the story's protagonist, [[FailOSuckyname Ceran Swicegood]]. Eventually he gives in, though:
--->Ononly ever called by his next voyage he changed his name to Blaze Bolt and ruled for ninety-seven days as king of a sweet sea island in M-81, [[NoodleIncident but that is another and much more unpleasant story]].
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for hislast name, Ned first tells him it's Skitch, but and the other guy doesn't buy two are almost exclusively called by their first names.
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at itfor was ''Creator/AnthonyTrollope''. who conjured up a second.
Duke of Omnium Gatherem, doctors Sir Omicron Pi and Dr. Fillgrave, a country rector with many children: Mr. Quiverfull, the totally bland and effaced Lord Fawn, among many others.
*Literature/TheMortalInstruments series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]ThisDan Abnett loves this trope, especially in his [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Warhammer 40k]] writings. The Inquisition books give us Gregor Eisenhorn, Gideon Ravenor, Bex Begundi, Godwyn Fischig, Olm Madorthine... etc. In the Literature/GauntsGhosts books the obvious one is a play on ''loup-garou'', which Ibram Gaunt himself, but the most recent book, ''Blood Pact'', gives us ''Isiah Mercure''. He's really lucky he's the head of an intergalactic intelligence agency that spends its time fighting both the Forces of Chaos and the Inqusition, or that name would probably make his life really difficult.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' isfrench for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernsternin general kind of a crapshoot with names. Characters like Tigerclaw, Lionblaze, Fireheart, etc. exist alongside the more boringly named cats (Graystripe, Bluefur, etc.) and cats with names that, from a human perspective, can seem outright stupid (Loudbelly, Mudpuddle, etc.)
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Shada Du'kal]]. Though the first
--->On
* In ''Teen Angst? Naaah...'' by Ned Vizzini, Ned recalls that he always wanted to have the nickname "Skitch", thinking it was "edgy and streetwise". When a guy who Ned played dominoes with asks for his
* Victorian authors did this often, but a master at it
*
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' is
** Valentine Morgernstern
* ''Literature/WeetzieBat'': Francesca Lia Block is all over this trope, possibly due to her own name. She justifies this in part by creating a lot of mother characters who would totally name their kids things like Duck, Witch Baby, (a very pale blonde) Cherokee...and so by extension it gets oddly believable that there would be a kid out there named My Secret Agent Lover Man. In the case of Duck and My Secret Agent Lover Man, they only exist because of a wish that was granted by a LiteralGenie, so they weren't named by actual parents but by the wisher's use of slang terms. It also helps that the stories [[MythPunk are supposed to be like fairy tales.
Added DiffLines:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
to:
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion, Hyperion Malfoy, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 49 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness.
to:
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names, names that change each day, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" to proclaim their awesomeness. One notable exception is an Unsullied officer who uses the name "[[UnfortunateName Grey Worm]]", since that was his name on the day he was given his freedom.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Literature/WingsOfFire'' gives many of its characters cool-sounding names, though with any given character it's a shot in the dark whether they will be named something average or lame like Clay, Coconut, Turtle, or Sunny, or something cool like Peril, Tsunami, Glory, or Starflight. Villainous dragons get this especially, like Blister, Morrowseer, Belladonna, and Fierceteeth.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 11 (click to see context) from:
** The rats from ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
to:
** The rats from ''Discworld/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'' read labels on tincans and name themselves as whatever they think sounds good. Thus you have perfectly respectable individuals named Darktan, Feedsfour, Peaches and Hamnpork. And their arguably most [[TheSmartGuy book smart]] member is named Dangerous Beans, which is a bit hard to take seriously.
Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
** Findthee Swing (from "Discworld/NightWatch")
to:
** Findthee Swing (from "Discworld/NightWatch")''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'')
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* Literature/TheMortalInstruments series has several examples:
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
** Clary Fray/Clary Fairchild
** Jace Wayland
** Isabelle Lightwood
** Magnus Bane
** Luke Garroway[note]This is a play on ''loup-garou'', which is french for werewolf.[/note]
** Valentine Morgernstern
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 21,23 (click to see context) from:
* Citizens of Literature/TheCulture in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]]. Some parts are chosen for them, some by them, some depending on where they were born/what they were designed for ([=AIs=]). Examples include Rasd-Corudesa Diziet Embless Sma 'Da Marenhide and Foristi-Whirl Skaffen Amtiskaw Handrahen Dran Easpyou.\\\
Culture Full Names are only partly names as we understand the term, and are as much addresses as anything else. (Banks suggested that his Culture Full Name might be Sun-Earther Iain El-Bonko Banks of South Queensferry.) The full names of sentient drones (like Skaffen-Amtiskaw) also provide their place of manufacture and capabilities: the main character in ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames'' realises just how deep he's gotten when told that a "Xato" name-component designates a [[StateSec Special Circumstances]] agent equipped for espionage against other "[[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Involved]]" civilisations.\\\
Then the Minds, the more capable [=AIs=] responsible for controlling ships etc have some...odd names. ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor''. ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality''. ''Ultimate Ship The Second''. ''No More Mr. Nice Guy''. The list goes on... The Culture ships are named by their Minds, to match what they feel their personality is like. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself''). When told by a critic that the Minds lacked gravitas, Iain M. Banks responded by naming a few shipsthings like ''Very Little Gravitas Indeed'', ''Zero Gravitas'', ''[[OverlyLongGag Stood Far Back When the Gravitas Was Handed Out]]''...
Culture Full Names are only partly names as we understand the term, and are as much addresses as anything else. (Banks suggested that his Culture Full Name might be Sun-Earther Iain El-Bonko Banks of South Queensferry.) The full names of sentient drones (like Skaffen-Amtiskaw) also provide their place of manufacture and capabilities: the main character in ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames'' realises just how deep he's gotten when told that a "Xato" name-component designates a [[StateSec Special Circumstances]] agent equipped for espionage against other "[[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Involved]]" civilisations.\\\
Then the Minds, the more capable [=AIs=] responsible for controlling ships etc have some...odd names. ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor''. ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality''. ''Ultimate Ship The Second''. ''No More Mr. Nice Guy''. The list goes on... The Culture ships are named by their Minds, to match what they feel their personality is like. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself''). When told by a critic that the Minds lacked gravitas, Iain M. Banks responded by naming a few shipsthings like ''Very Little Gravitas Indeed'', ''Zero Gravitas'', ''[[OverlyLongGag Stood Far Back When the Gravitas Was Handed Out]]''...
to:
* Citizens of Literature/TheCulture in the novels of [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]] [[OverlyLongName have ridiculously long and odd-sounding names]]. Some parts are chosen for them, some by them, some depending on where they were born/what they were designed for ([=AIs=]). Examples include Rasd-Corudesa Diziet Embless Sma 'Da Marenhide names]] which serve as part address, part personal history, and Foristi-Whirl Skaffen Amtiskaw Handrahen Dran Easpyou.\\\
part statement of intent.
** This is particularly pronounced with CultureFull Names are only partly names as we understand the term, and are as much addresses as anything else. (Banks suggested that his Culture Full Name might be Sun-Earther Iain El-Bonko Banks of South Queensferry.) The full names of sentient drones (like Skaffen-Amtiskaw) also provide their place of manufacture and capabilities: the main character in ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames'' realises just how deep he's gotten when told that a "Xato" name-component designates a [[StateSec Special Circumstances]] agent equipped for espionage against other "[[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Involved]]" civilisations.\\\
Then theMinds, the more capable hyperadvanced [=AIs=] responsible for controlling the culture's colossal ships etc have some...odd names. and planet-sized habitats; all Culture citizens choose their names to match what they feel their personality is like, but ships stand out because their names are translated into English and are usually rather witty: ''Killing Time''. ''Limiting Factor''. Factor'', ''Just Another Victim Of The Ambient Morality''. Morality'', ''Ultimate Ship The Second''. Second'', ''No More Mr. Nice Guy''. The list goes on... The Culture ships are named by their Minds, to match what they feel their personality is like. Guy'', and many, many more. Warships tend towards more aggressive names like ''Gunboat Diplomat'' whereas civilian ships have less aggressive names (like ''Stranger Here Myself''). When told by Myself'').
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose acritic name that the Minds lacked gravitas, Iain M. Banks responded by naming a few shipsthings like ''Very Little Gravitas Indeed'', ''Zero Gravitas'', ''[[OverlyLongGag Stood Far Back When the Gravitas Was Handed Out]]''...means "player of games", and he uses his skills at board games to challenge an empire.
** This is particularly pronounced with Culture
Then the
** Gurgeh, the eponymous protagonist of ''Literature/ThePlayerOfGames, for example, specifically chose a
Changed line(s) 31 (click to see context) from:
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.
to:
** "Death Eaters" is pretty awesome. Considering that the translation to Spanish wouldn't be that cool, editors decided to use a latinized version and called them "''Mortífagos''" (Latin for "Mortis", Death and "Fagi", to eat), which ends up being awesome.,
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 49 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Stalwart Shield" and other such names that proclaim their fighting prowess.
to:
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Hero" or "Stalwart Shield" and other such names that to proclaim their fighting prowess.awesomeness.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', the Unsullied are a slave army who are all given demeaning names, until Daenerys frees them and allows them to choose their own. They mostly pick names like "Stalwart Shield" and other such names that proclaim their fighting prowess.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Renamed trope
Changed line(s) 71 (click to see context) from:
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in [[AltumVidetur Gratuitous Latin]]. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
to:
* The majority of the human characters in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have awesome names as well, most of them in [[AltumVidetur Gratuitous Latin]].GratuitousLatin. The best one? [[spoiler:[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gaius Tavarus Magnus]], a.k.a. Gaius Octavian, a.k.a. Tavar, a.k.a. Rufus Scipio. Yes, Tavi gets ''four'' of them to make up for being an OddNameOut. It simply must be noted that the first one translates to '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Lord Wolverine the Great]].''']] Though credit must also be given to Antillus Crassus, Antillar Maximus, Aria Placida, Gaius Sextus, Fidelias ex Cursori, Aquitainus Attis and Invidia, Araris Valerian, and Kalarus Brencis.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
I'm pretty sure nicknames are misuse, but "Bigman" might count.
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* Creator/IsaacAsimov named the hero of his book ''[[Literature/LuckyStarr David Starr, Space Ranger]]'' after his son David, but soon decided that David was [[SpecialPersonNormalName too boring a name]] for a space adventurer. In the subsequent books in the series, everyone starts calling David by his nickname, Literature/LuckyStarr.
to:
* Creator/IsaacAsimov named the hero of his book ''[[Literature/LuckyStarr David Starr, Space Ranger]]'' after his son David, but soon decided that David was [[SpecialPersonNormalName too boring a name]] for a space adventurer. In the subsequent books Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature//TheCompleteAdventuresOfLuckyStarr'': John ''Bigman'' Jones; he answers predominantly to "Bigman", though he is [[IronicName only five feet two inches in the series, everyone starts calling David by his nickname, Literature/LuckyStarr.height]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Deleted line(s) 46 (click to see context) :
* Creator/IsaacAsimov, in the Literature/{{Foundation}} Series, gave a similar cultural trait to the inhabitants of Gaia (a planet-spanning telepath collective) with names such as "Blissenobiarella" and "Suranoviremblastiran" (and names said to be hundreds of syllables long, but never mentioned in full). The names are universally abbreviated in normal conversation, however.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
to:
** There's an AerithAndBob aesthetic, contrasting very normal character names like [[SpecialPersonNormalname Harry Potter]] with fantastic wizard names like Albus Percival Wulfric [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Brian]] Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Sirius Black, Gilderoy Lockhart, Xenophilius Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Scorpius Hyperion, [[ThemeTwinNaming Lorcan and Lysander]] Scamander, Newton “Newt” Artemis [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Fido]] Scamander, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, Gellert Grindewald, Charity Burbage, Horace Slughorn, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Septima Vector, Silvanus Kettleburn, Aurora Sinistra, Quirinus Quirrell, Bathsheda Babbling, Bathilda Bagshot, [[LongList and so forth]].
