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HelpNeed some American Old Money names (for characters)
I hope the post title isn't too... weird. But I'm developing a story (it's in its infancy) that involves a fictional Rockefeller-like family, whose younger daughter is the main character. Her younger twin brothers are Knox and Xavier, but I don't have a name for the main character, her older (and pushier and more stuck-up) sister, or her parents. The last name is Van Hassel, and the family originally made their money in commercial and investment banking.
The main character would've been born in 1992, the older sister around 1987, and the parents in the mid-1950s. Especially for the women, I want to stay away from "classic" names like Anne, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sarah, etc. Any help would be great, because I'm drawing blanks. I have a feeling the father's name will wind up being William, but I feel like that's too boring. (The father is a financial adviser, and the mother is a prosecuting attorney... if that helps at all.)
Thanks in advance.
The main character would've been born in 1992, the older sister around 1987, and the parents in the mid-1950s. Especially for the women, I want to stay away from "classic" names like Anne, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sarah, etc. Any help would be great, because I'm drawing blanks. I have a feeling the father's name will wind up being William, but I feel like that's too boring. (The father is a financial adviser, and the mother is a prosecuting attorney... if that helps at all.)
Thanks in advance.
This message was edited 7/11/2013, 8:33 PM
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You might get some more responses on the Writing Room board!
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Well, the classical names are what people like that are most likely to use for their kids. Frankly I do't see such people naming boys Knox or Xavier. Maybe Knox if it's a family name, but not Xavier. If they were younger parents, or less "blue-blood" and more "nouveau-riche" yes, but not as you've described them.
Also, a man born into such a family in the fifties would be very likely to bear a name already established in his family, or just be a Junior or a IV or something. William makes perfect sense for him.
His wife might not be an Anne or an Elizabeth, but again, she likely would not have a name that's atypical of her time. Diane, Barbara, Linda, Susan, Pamela, Patricia, Carol, Karen, Eileen...
The daughters might have names considered very popular today, like Chloe, Emma, Sophie, Amelia, Julia or Lucy. They might have family surnames as first names, but they likely wouldn't be named Ashley or Mackenzie purely for the sound of it. They'd be likely to have a "family" first name, whether it's say, Mackenzie, or Grandma Harriet's name, and then go by the middle name.
It's likely one son would be named after his father, grandfather or uncle, again possibly going by a middle name.
Also, a man born into such a family in the fifties would be very likely to bear a name already established in his family, or just be a Junior or a IV or something. William makes perfect sense for him.
His wife might not be an Anne or an Elizabeth, but again, she likely would not have a name that's atypical of her time. Diane, Barbara, Linda, Susan, Pamela, Patricia, Carol, Karen, Eileen...
The daughters might have names considered very popular today, like Chloe, Emma, Sophie, Amelia, Julia or Lucy. They might have family surnames as first names, but they likely wouldn't be named Ashley or Mackenzie purely for the sound of it. They'd be likely to have a "family" first name, whether it's say, Mackenzie, or Grandma Harriet's name, and then go by the middle name.
It's likely one son would be named after his father, grandfather or uncle, again possibly going by a middle name.
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Fair point about the father being a "junior." William is probably the name I'm going to go with. I also really like Patricia for the mom. I'm also considering Caroline or Carolyn.
And considering your point about surnames as first names, I'd planned that Xavier was a grandmother's maiden name (otherwise I'd agree that it sounds more "nouveau-riche" than "blue-blood"). Also I've decided to use the mother's feminine-sounding maiden name as the first daughter's first name. It's the main character who's the most difficult to name, though.
Thank you for the suggestions!
And considering your point about surnames as first names, I'd planned that Xavier was a grandmother's maiden name (otherwise I'd agree that it sounds more "nouveau-riche" than "blue-blood"). Also I've decided to use the mother's feminine-sounding maiden name as the first daughter's first name. It's the main character who's the most difficult to name, though.
Thank you for the suggestions!
This message was edited 7/12/2013, 1:33 PM
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