That Which We Call a Rose…

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ~Romeo and Juliet

To love and appreciate something, you really have to understand it; understand the layers, choices, and in-depth intricacies of the whole package. Whether it’s why someone uses cayenne pepper in hot chocolate, or ranch dressing instead of ketchup on their fries, even the smallest choices can be impactful.

As a writer, people often ask how I choose my characters’ names. Do I look them up in a baby book, try to find popular names in movies, or just use a name from someone I know? The answer is yes to all of those. It really depends upon the feeling I’m trying to capture. Names are so significant to the overall story, that it’s important to ‘get it right.’

I remember once reading a thread in a FB conversation and Abigail Reynolds said she looks at maps of England to find the names of villages. Another person commented on the obscure nature of some of the names to non-British readers. That got me thinking…Why did our dear Jane choose Meryton, Hertfordshire, and Kent for some of the locations in Pride and Prejudice? Could the Bennets have happily resided in Nether Wallop or Upton Snodsbury? What if Rosings was located in Pucklechurch or Picklescott?

The villages and towns, although with some of their names altered, might still have been identifiable to Jane’s readers. But what would have been even more impressive, would be the names of the characters themselves.

Jane needed a strong, powerful name older than England itself for the hero of Pride and Prejudice. Hence Fitzwilliam Darcy. According to Houseofnames.com, Darcy originated as D’Arcy from France and was brought over with William of Normandy in 1066. You remember that guy? The one they called ‘The Conqueror.’ Yup. The D’Arcys were such great friends with old Wills, that he gave them land and wealth for supporting him.

And the name Fitzwilliam? Wait for it…equally as old and important. The Fitzwilliam family had also been granted lands due for their loyalty to William the Conqueror. In addition, it was believed Alrad Fitzwilliam might have been the son of King William Rufus of England, as Fitzwilliam means ‘son of William.’ The Fitzwilliams still hold an Earldom to this day! They’re pretty legit!

So if you read Pride and Prejudice shortly after publication, and saw those names, it would be the same as if you were reading a novel today and the main character was named Kennedy Vanderbilt, or Carnegie Rockefeller!

Are names really that important? Would ‘That which we call a rose by any other name [truly] smell as sweet…’? I mean, if Mr. Darcy wasn’t actually ‘Mr. Darcy’ but instead Horace Fogbottom, would we swoon? Can you imagine Colin Firth dripping from his dip in the pond, standing before a flustered Jennifer Ehle and her startled reply of, “Mr. Fogbottom” making our knees weak?

Courtesy of Working Title Films

Or if Elizabeth Bennet was not ‘Elizabeth Bennet’ but instead Prudence Bristlewhite? Would Matthew Macfadyen’s velvety voice have given us the same goosebumps while professing his love in the rain? We wanted her to say yes! We wanted to be her…but not named Prudence!

Thank goodness Jane Austen was a wordsmith and more in tune with character needs and not trends of the time. But surprise!  Our dear Jane is actually a trend setter! According to Parent.com, there are 100 baby names inspired by Jane Austen! Some like Elizabeth, Charlotte and Marianne are obvious choices, but there are even a few rogue ones as well. I have taught for over twenty years and have never met a Fairfax, Benwick or Thorpe. (BUT I have taught a Willoughby. Female, but Willoughby none the less!)

Could you have created the melodious names which our dear Jane etched into such timeless stories? Check out our chart below and leave your own heroic character names in the comments.