Characters' Names

[erastes]

I know i've complained about this before but gah!  NAMES! Sometimes I'm sooo tempted to go bananas and leap down the "implausible name route" like Deymien Aztec de Chandon or something.  I've actually started writing today and there i go, tap tap tap - I have the name of the butler and I stick "Mrs XXXX" for the housekeeper because she's not vital - and then I hit the first major male character and GRIND TO A BLOODY HALT.

I go and search for Parish records - and am bombarded with Charles and Edward and George and John -sheesh- all so DULL! Names just drive me bonkers.

Does anyone have any great links?  And no, I don't want baby names sites, I want parish records, or sites with real names!  help help help. Or you may be responsible for me having a Deymien Chandon.  (although that's SO bloody tempting...) I'd like unusual but plausible if you know what I mean.

Comments

[ggymeta.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I've always found that the best way to get names [especially when writing foreign characters] is to just check news sites of different countries, cities, etc.

Everyday normal people with everyday normal surnames and first names are in those articles and news items all the time. :)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/

Just now in that first dismal story, I came up with

Jason Gorrie
Alan Santry
Robert Meehan
Victoria Cook

None of them are real people-- just mix and matches.

Names haven't changed that much.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun - I could go with news and then check the etymology I suppose, I'm doing 18th century, more fool me...

[ggymeta.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

You could check old hollywood movies at the IMDB that are based on 18th century things. :) I don't know how accurate they would be--but its a start.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Good idea! Thank you!