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A Meaningful Name that isn't.

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Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#1: Oct 8th 2024 at 11:44:00 AM

A question that's randomly hit me, can something be a meaningful name if the meaning has nothing to do with the plot or the character's activity.

So like, for example, a character called Hunter who does nothing that would relate, either literally or figuratively to hunting, predators, or such topic. Or a character called William who does no protecting (William means protector, roughly speaking).

The specific example that brought this to mind is a recent addition to Transformers One. Orion Pax' name. Orion is a mythological hunter. Pax means peace. He's hunting for peace!

Except that he isn't? Like, his society is at peace. He's trying to bring opportinity and equality to people. The reason he's named that is because the character has been named that for 40 years now, through various interation. They didn't pick this name to match the plot or his personal journey.

ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#2: Oct 8th 2024 at 11:45:24 AM

[up]For the purpose of the trope, that would not be an example.

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WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#3: Oct 8th 2024 at 11:45:41 AM

No. All names have meaning of some sort. It's only a Meaningful Name if it has meaning story-wise, even if that meaning is just basic symbolism or a reflection of personality.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
MissSillyhead The cage. from The darkest pit in the world Since: Sep, 2024 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The cage.
#4: Oct 8th 2024 at 3:09:51 PM

Something like this sounds like it could only work in the sense of "you expect this from them but no" subversion or aversion, but that's just Non-Indicative Name.

"..."
SamCurt Since: Jan, 2001
Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#6: Oct 8th 2024 at 5:15:04 PM

Right. Virtually all names are derived from an existing word/term, and if people take Meaningful Name as "the name has some meaning", every single named character would have a Meaningful Name, which is obviously not the case.

Vilui Since: May, 2009
#7: Oct 8th 2024 at 8:41:59 PM

[up] This is indeed very widespread misuse of Meaningful Name on character pages, especially for Japanese works. Entries will be written as trivia about what the name means, even if it isn't relevant.

WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#8: Oct 8th 2024 at 8:42:37 PM

Reminds me of the one ATT where someone wanted to use it for a voice actor. We can probably just delete that sort of thing.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#9: Oct 9th 2024 at 4:01:59 AM

I thought we used to have a TRS thread on this trope to make it IUEO and remove those bad examples that's just listing the definition/etymology of every name?

StarSword Captain of USS Bajor from somewhere in deep space Since: Sep, 2011
Captain of USS Bajor
#10: Oct 9th 2024 at 7:58:42 AM

[up]Technically it's listed as NRLEP, but the rationale is similar: aside from ROCEJ concerns, it mentions that the name has to be picked by an external creator to have story meaning.

Trust me, I'm an engineer!
SamCurt Since: Jan, 2001
#11: Oct 10th 2024 at 8:16:03 PM

[up] I take that to mean both Watsonian and Doylist intent are fine?

Scientia et Libertas | Per Aspera ad Astra Nova
StarSword Captain of USS Bajor from somewhere in deep space Since: Sep, 2011
Captain of USS Bajor
#12: Oct 11th 2024 at 7:23:44 AM

[up]If you mean, there's an overt In-Universe justification for the name, versus one that's interpreted from the text as applicable to the story without being acknowledged In-Universe? Yeah, I think both count.

Trust me, I'm an engineer!
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
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