Ok, so I have a 2 year old girl named Lucy Michelle (named after my grandmother and sister). I am expecting a second child and if its a boy I want to name him Charlie (second name still undecided). I've always loved the name Charlie for a boy but my hubby is afraid people will think I am raising a 'Peanuts' family. Is he right?
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I mean, I’m regular. Sometimes I worry about what people think of me. I understand the impulse, and there are things I wouldn’t want them to think (even if they’re true, like how I will drink the cold coffee out of an abandoned cup hours after I began it. It’s disgusting).
But this note reflects so many that I have received, and I don’t totally understand it. Because of two names that were paired together, are you automatically a weird freaky homage-driven person who can’t be trusted at a Fan Expo?
Of course you aren’t. I had to read your post twice because I don’t even think of “Charlie” as being from Peanuts – Charlie Brown is another name totally, as far as I’m concerned. Plus Lucy’s coming first, etc, and it didn’t even occur to me.
But are we really doing this? Any two names that appeared together in film or movies are never again to be paired? Dylan and Brenda, I’ll give you, especially since using “Brenda” for a girl born in 1975 was a stretch anyway. But there are never going to be sisters named Veronica and Elizabeth? How about Samuel and Joshua – is that too West Wing? How about how everyone on TV and in movies is named Becca, but nobody in real life ever is? I want you to remember that every writer is also a bit of a name nerd, and they name their characters according to what they like (and sometimes according to names they can’t use in their real lives for some ex-boyfriendly reason, but still really enjoy), so while naming your children Buffy and Angel is probably a bit too much slavish devotion, Serena and Nathaniel isn’t bad at all. Ok maybe it is, but for other reasons.
What I do think is that your names sound incredibly British – in fact, the first thing I did think when I read your note was about “Charlie Bit Me”. (Go on - youtube it, chuckle, and then accept that you’ve reached the threshold of not getting any more work done today). Are you British? Do you want the kids’ names to read that way? If so, great. If not, maybe a couple of Charlie-like options are Archie (see what I did there?) or Freddie. Actually, I really like Lucy & Freddie. I’m going to write a tween series with those two as the main characters and you’ll curse me and rue the day.
Let me know! (Seriously, people tell me how these things turn out! Especially those of you who wrote in all “As I write this, my OBGYN can see the head…” I want to know!)
