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HelpRe: "Victorian Gothic" pseudonym for a heroine (and her "very normal" real name)
in reply to a message by erb816
One of my Victorian great-great-great grandmothers was named Lavinia and she was from little backwater town in Cornwall, I think she'd be delighted to know someone from London would choose her name as a fancy moniker! LOL
Real name ideas (mix and match as you please):
Susan Cook
Ellen Soper
Jane Ward
Maud Bray
Martha Hull
Pseudonym:
If she's from the gutter, she probably wouldn't be terribly knowledgeable about classical names, because she didn't get any sort of education. She could get something from literature and popular culture, or maybe something from Christian legends?
Salome springs to mind immediately
Endora, Endorla, Endorrina, something like that (from the Witch of Endor, in the bible)
Devorah (a prophetess in the Bible, and a very uncommon name for someone of her class and time)
Eponine (from Hugo)
Haidee (from Byron's poem)
Christabel or Geraldine (from Coleridge's poem)
Lydia
Philomena
Evelina
Elladora
Alternatively she doesn't even need to use a surname as a fancy medium. Think of creatives and performers like Ouida, Vulcana, Musidora, Colette, Corilla, or Modjeska. She could also not have a FIRST name, and go as a Madame Something or Mrs. Something, just like Madame Blavatsky, Madame Rachel, or "La Loie" (Loie Fuller).
Victorians were super knowledgeable about the meanings of flowers, so you could choose a flower name that is quite fancy:
Aloysia
Rosemary
Amaranth
Angelica
Mignonette
Asphodel (also relates to death and the afterlife, might be suitable for her)
"Mrs. Blackthorn"
Poppy
Celandine (this one means "joy to come", but also "deceptive hopes" which is fitting)
Coronilla
Anyway, look up plant symbolism, there's hundreds of them! It's very Victorian indeed and wold work well for a fanciful name.
Real name ideas (mix and match as you please):
Susan Cook
Ellen Soper
Jane Ward
Maud Bray
Martha Hull
Pseudonym:
If she's from the gutter, she probably wouldn't be terribly knowledgeable about classical names, because she didn't get any sort of education. She could get something from literature and popular culture, or maybe something from Christian legends?
Salome springs to mind immediately
Endora, Endorla, Endorrina, something like that (from the Witch of Endor, in the bible)
Devorah (a prophetess in the Bible, and a very uncommon name for someone of her class and time)
Eponine (from Hugo)
Haidee (from Byron's poem)
Christabel or Geraldine (from Coleridge's poem)
Lydia
Philomena
Evelina
Elladora
Alternatively she doesn't even need to use a surname as a fancy medium. Think of creatives and performers like Ouida, Vulcana, Musidora, Colette, Corilla, or Modjeska. She could also not have a FIRST name, and go as a Madame Something or Mrs. Something, just like Madame Blavatsky, Madame Rachel, or "La Loie" (Loie Fuller).
Victorians were super knowledgeable about the meanings of flowers, so you could choose a flower name that is quite fancy:
Aloysia
Rosemary
Amaranth
Angelica
Mignonette
Asphodel (also relates to death and the afterlife, might be suitable for her)
"Mrs. Blackthorn"
Poppy
Celandine (this one means "joy to come", but also "deceptive hopes" which is fitting)
Coronilla
Anyway, look up plant symbolism, there's hundreds of them! It's very Victorian indeed and wold work well for a fanciful name.
This message was edited 10/1/2024, 11:55 AM
Replies
For the real names, I like Ellen & Jane, and Cook & Ward, the most. And you're right that she wouldn't know much about Classical mythology or history other than some passing references--she'd know more about the Bible and Shakespeare, etc., given that's she's self-taught literate.
But your point about the language of flowers is something I hadn't even considered, and I'm kind of kicking myself for it, lol! I really like Celandine, or Amarantha.
But your point about the language of flowers is something I hadn't even considered, and I'm kind of kicking myself for it, lol! I really like Celandine, or Amarantha.