New Post
Search
HelpAlter-ego Names for Friends and Family
Sometimes, I imagine Alter-ego names for my friends and family in the event I would write a book and base my characters on real-life friends and family. I try to think of names that are like the real names, but different enough. Here's what I came up with:
Real name is first followed by the alter-ego name in parentheses:
My real name is Angie / Angela, and my alter-ego is (Maggie / Margaret)
Husband, age 30's - Rob / Robert (Joe / Joeseph)
Daughter, age 4 - Fiona (Phoebe)
Son, age 1 - Paul (no alter-ego name)
Dad, age 50's - Keith (Bruce)
Mom, age 50's - Kim / Kimberly (Bren / Brenda)
Brother 1, age 30's - Alan (Marlon)
Brother 2, age 30's - Tony / Anthony (Max / Maxwell)
FIL, age 60's - Rich / Richard (Frank / Francesco)
MIL, age almost 60 - Bernie / Bernadette (Betty / Bettina)
SIL, age almost 40 - Dawn (Claire)
BIL, age almost 40 - John (no alter-ego)
Niece 1, age 8 - Ashley (Madison)
Niece 2, age 5 - Anna-Lisa (Mary-Louise)
BFF from college, age 30's - Nicolle (Gabrielle)
BFF 2 from college, age 30's - Laura (no alter-ego)
BFF from high school, age 30's - Lisa (Tina)
Old work friend, age 40's - Belinda (Ursula)
There are more, but I don't want this to get too long.
Has anyone else thought about this or am I just weird, even by name-nerd standards? Anyone wanna give it a try? What are your friend and family alter-ego names?
And since my friends and family never come here, which do you like better the real names or my alter-ego names (my feelings won't be hurt if you like the real names better)?
Real name is first followed by the alter-ego name in parentheses:
My real name is Angie / Angela, and my alter-ego is (Maggie / Margaret)
Husband, age 30's - Rob / Robert (Joe / Joeseph)
Daughter, age 4 - Fiona (Phoebe)
Son, age 1 - Paul (no alter-ego name)
Dad, age 50's - Keith (Bruce)
Mom, age 50's - Kim / Kimberly (Bren / Brenda)
Brother 1, age 30's - Alan (Marlon)
Brother 2, age 30's - Tony / Anthony (Max / Maxwell)
FIL, age 60's - Rich / Richard (Frank / Francesco)
MIL, age almost 60 - Bernie / Bernadette (Betty / Bettina)
SIL, age almost 40 - Dawn (Claire)
BIL, age almost 40 - John (no alter-ego)
Niece 1, age 8 - Ashley (Madison)
Niece 2, age 5 - Anna-Lisa (Mary-Louise)
BFF from college, age 30's - Nicolle (Gabrielle)
BFF 2 from college, age 30's - Laura (no alter-ego)
BFF from high school, age 30's - Lisa (Tina)
Old work friend, age 40's - Belinda (Ursula)
There are more, but I don't want this to get too long.
Has anyone else thought about this or am I just weird, even by name-nerd standards? Anyone wanna give it a try? What are your friend and family alter-ego names?
And since my friends and family never come here, which do you like better the real names or my alter-ego names (my feelings won't be hurt if you like the real names better)?
This message was edited 4/14/2011, 4:44 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
I do this for my friends, but not my family so much. I should do it for my family. I don't want to post mine. Maybe I'll make a list for myself.
There are a couple people whose names literally register to me as the wrong name, and I will call them by their wrong name about half the time I talk to them, and refer to them with the wrong name in conversation.
Rebecca: Laura
Erik: Mark (this is also his middle name)
Nick: Eric
Marliz: Rosalie
There are more. I also get certain names mixed up really badly, like Ryan and Kyle.
There are a couple people whose names literally register to me as the wrong name, and I will call them by their wrong name about half the time I talk to them, and refer to them with the wrong name in conversation.
Rebecca: Laura
Erik: Mark (this is also his middle name)
Nick: Eric
Marliz: Rosalie
There are more. I also get certain names mixed up really badly, like Ryan and Kyle.
1
I have thought about writing stories based on real people and changing names. Usually the names would start with the same letter or be related somehow. For example Steven may be changed to Samuel, Ali may be changed to Allison, or Heather may be changed to Erica, something with the same meaning.
1
heh
I did that once. My story was based almost exclusively on people I knew in real life, except I changed their names according to what I felt fit them better. Austin became Carl, Dan became Tim, and Julie became Julia, even though I tried to make her something different. I hope she never reads it because it's really obvious who she is.
I did that once. My story was based almost exclusively on people I knew in real life, except I changed their names according to what I felt fit them better. Austin became Carl, Dan became Tim, and Julie became Julia, even though I tried to make her something different. I hope she never reads it because it's really obvious who she is.
1
I don't have any for my friends and family really but I have one for myself :) I use it mostly at bars or at work when I want to hold something for myself but can't put my own name. Just call me Maxine Roget (ro-JZAY)
My friend Marybeth sometimes tells guys at the bar her name is Meredith
My friend Marybeth sometimes tells guys at the bar her name is Meredith
1
I've never done this but I don't think it's that weird. Actually, its kind of a cool idea. I generally prefer the alter-ego names, but I do prefer Fiona to Phoebe, and Belinda over Ursula.
Here are a few I have thought of just now for some members of my own family:
Emma - Ellen
Nathan - Jason
Katherine "Katie" - Elizabeth "Lizzie"
Alexander "Alex" - Christopher "Chris"
Alfie - Archie
Harvey - Toby
Kieran - Aidan
Joshua - Jonah
Here are a few I have thought of just now for some members of my own family:
Emma - Ellen
Nathan - Jason
Katherine "Katie" - Elizabeth "Lizzie"
Alexander "Alex" - Christopher "Chris"
Alfie - Archie
Harvey - Toby
Kieran - Aidan
Joshua - Jonah
1
When I was a kid I wrote a story about my cousins, brother, and I, but just used all or our middle names as our first names. I have briefly thought about alter-ego type names if I were to write a story, but never came to any distinct conclusions. I think that sort of thinking is typical of name-nerdiness though. It's just another exercise in playing with names.
This topic did remind me that I sometimes think that people look like they should have a specific name, and will think of them by that name in my head. One time in high school I accidently called a person the name I thought they looked like. Ha.
This topic did remind me that I sometimes think that people look like they should have a specific name, and will think of them by that name in my head. One time in high school I accidently called a person the name I thought they looked like. Ha.
This message was edited 4/14/2011, 7:15 AM
1
I do that as well! I think my little brother, Anthony, would make the best Charlie. I have said it ever since he was a kid and for awhile when he was a kid I'd call him Charlie Brown. I also have a friend named Katherine "Kat" who I have always thought should be a Hannah
1
I do that too (think that people "look" like a certain name). This has happened twice to me:
Once was a girl at work called Kate but she just looked so much like a Sarah to me. At the same time there was another girl called Sarah at the same workplace, so I used to get them mixed up all the time!
The other one was someone I met who I thought looked like a Katie (she also looked a lot like my cousin Katie), and it turned out that her name really was Katie! So I guess my judgement was right on that one!
Once was a girl at work called Kate but she just looked so much like a Sarah to me. At the same time there was another girl called Sarah at the same workplace, so I used to get them mixed up all the time!
The other one was someone I met who I thought looked like a Katie (she also looked a lot like my cousin Katie), and it turned out that her name really was Katie! So I guess my judgement was right on that one!
1
It must be a name nerd thing! I remember when I was maybe 8 I got a gymnastics Stacey doll (Barbie's little sister that's younger than Skipper) and I told my Mom that I was going to call her Jennifer because she looked like that should be her name. Any my Mom was like, "How can someone look like a certain name?" And I just told her I don't know, they just do. :)
1
I secretly like the alter-ego names of the adults. I prefer Fiona over the alter-ego name however.
1