And folks wonder where I get my characters’ names

 

 

                I usually ignore the current bandwagon and have to run like the dickens to get even close. Right after the newest census report came out, many columnists wrote about names. Even as late as last week in the local paper, one gal was opining (negatively, I thought) about the names of celebrities’ children.

                As I’ve probably said before, for several years I’ve kept a list of given names found during my reading. You’d think there couldn’t possibly be any more to be added. But every day, the NAMES line in my journal has from several to many new-to-me entries.

What if, I said to myself just one morning, I shared a few names from each letter of the alphabet.  26 letters times 500 words in a post. Hmm. I should be able to solve for “x” if I could remember the equation.

                I did that, but failed to consider the introduction and summary, so my figures are off. Since I usually begin lists with A, I never get around to the end. This time, I’ll start with Z.

                Z––Zoal, Zola (97-age at death) / Zola Elizabeth (96), Zollie, Zona, Zondra, Zooey, Zora, Zyonna and Zyria.

Y––Yingluck (female), Ylshume, Yolanda, Yonnia, Yo-Yo, Yoonshin (f), Youman.

X––Xann, Xanton, Xanus, Xelphin, Xenia, Xon.

W - Wyley/Wylie, Wylladen, Wylon, Wyma/Wyman, Wyndham, Wynema, Wynika.

V––Vonnie Lee, VonSheila, Vontaze, Vontrel, Vounda, Voyne, Vurnice, Vy(ceil).

U––Unique, Unity, Utha Lee (83), Uthal, Uvadelle, Uvalde, Uvee.

T—Tylon, Tynslee, Tyrann, Tyreese/Tyrese, Tyrice, Tyson, Tyus.

S—Surhaver, Susana, Sutilla, Suzanne, Sweetie, Sybrina, Sylvester.

R—Rozonda, Ruby Jewell (93), Ruby Mae (95), Russtina, Rutherford, Ryn/Ryne, Ryon.

Q—Quintana, Quintes, Quintine, Quintis, Quinton (f), Quintus, Quory.

P—Prince/Princella/Princess, Prudence/Prudie, Pryor, Purcell, Purvey.

O––Ova Laverna (94), Ovetta, Ovia, Ovine, Ovis (m), Ozelia, Ozelma (93), Ozie Ree.

N—Nuria, Nute, Nyah, Nydia, Nye Lottis, Nyline, Nyna, Nyra.

M—Myrtice, Myrtilla, Myrtle Geneva, Myrtle Rose (90), Myscha, Mystic.

L—Lynville, Lyra Lee, Lyric, Lytha, Lyudmila, Lyvonne.

K—Kyndalle, Kyndrian, Kynlei, Kyralee, Kyri, Kyrie, Kyrin.

J—Junko, Juponda, Jurinda, Justic, Justice, Justinian, Juvita.

I – Iwilla, Iwona, Izalia, Izeta/Izetta, Iziah, Izola.

H-- Hutoka (f-92), Hycianth, Hyla, Hyle, Hyman, Hyrum, Hywanna.

G – Gwena, Gwendolyn, Gwendy, Gweneva, Gwenna, Gwynne.

F – Frisby, Frona Hazel (94), Fronie (92), FutureMae, Fuzzy, Fynnley.

E—Excell, Eydie, Eyren Carrold, Eyvonne, Ezekiel, Ezma, Ezzard.

D—Dwindell, Dwyane, Dwlya, Dyan, Dyle, Dynasty, Dystany.

C—Cynamon, Cynde/Cyndy, Cyril, Cyril Quinton (89), Cyrilla (nun), Cyrene.

            B—Buzzy, Byford, Byard, Byna, Byrd, Byron Luster (94), Bytha.

            A—Ayszessie, Azealia, Aziz/Aziza, Azline (94), Azra, Azzle (b.1911).

           

Now, don’t tell me to get a life––I have one. Plus a list of over 6,000 names.

A bit of nostalgia if you don’t mind

from Google Images

 

 

                 From last Monday till this one, I brainstormed, researched, took notes, wrote possible scenarios and then two chapters of The Sequel to my novel, A Journey of Choice. Was I tired! Spent! But I needed a subject for a different project. Where would I find it? In this mess I call an office? 

                Serendipitously, while going through sheets of old paper looking for some to print on the back—I found. . . I found . . . an orange sheet to which a yellowed newspaper article was clipped. The date was October 8, 2000.

The article was the “Arkansas Traveler” column by Charles Allbright. The headline read, “Last (but not least) names,” and the first words of the article were PAT LASTER TAUGHT SCHOOL 27 years . . . .

Even 13 years ago, I was keeping a log of names. 

Here, without permission from either Mr. Allbright or the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette bigwigs, I’ll reprint it as it was.

“Pat Laster taught school 27 years, then one day found herself running wild-eyed out of her classroom, never to return. The devil helped her do it.

“'I’d endured all the L. and A. I could take.' Lip and Attitude, from parents. A few each semester can engage the world’s most hopeful profession in ongoing dogfight.

“Pat Laster believes that J. Gatling is not catching the same from parents in Morrilton. She loves J.’s autumnal ritual of studying the names of his new students in Morrilton High. Then sharing them, as lyrics for a hopeful tomorrow.

“'I hope Mr. G. can keep it up longer.'

“So. How go Pat Laster’s days?

“'In the quiet of my mornings with only the fan’s whir and the calico’s purr, I take names, too. Mostly from the obituaries in newspapers.' Special names? None can be more special. Names of those who died. Their loved ones. Their pallbearers. Their preachers. Most are at the far end of Mr. Gatling’s life songs.

“And what will Pat Laster do with her houseful of special names? Why, put them in her novel, of course. Maybe employing the begat format. Or Faulkner’s stream of consciousness. Somebody said Requiem for a Nun went 42 pages before encountering its first period. No, no, not your antebellum kind of period. The punctuation mark that ends a sentence. We will be checking this for truth. For one thing, we love the book. For another, true or untrue, where will you find a better example of a mind’s running dolefully amok?

“With deepest respect, Pat Laster enters names from the newspapers in her journal. These are Arkansas names:

“Orbin. Drue. Chane. Dyka. Chelese. Phala. Waldine. Dibrell. Bobara. Destine. Lucchese. Delta. Dakota. Homerleen. Vileras. Duard. Dax. Malderine. Timber. Nela. Delbra. Kendyl. Reck. Lapria. Shanny. Odd.

“It never occurred to B. F. Allbright that his name was, well, unusual. Brice Fount. Get outta here. We once asked his mother, Grandma Allbright, where’d that combination of names come from. Grandma was then in her 97^th year, not in full possession of her communicating skills. She was in absolute possession of a mouthful of Rooster snuff. It could have been three weeks later when she answered:

“'Why’nt you go ask his daddy?'

A challenge. His daddy died when Brice Fount was 7. Took pneumonia, Thomas Finley Allbright did, trying to save his school from being destroyed by fire. But it was gone. So was he. Up in Valley Springs, near Harrison, you’ll find a stone building identified as Allbright Hall. The granddad we never knew.

“Not bragging here. Just pointing out, not everybody with this family name was a lightweight columnist.

“But back to Pat Laster and her collection of names in Arkadelphia.

“The surnames are likewise interesting: Box. Roach. Strain. Kindsfather. Thesaurus. Hum. Peeks. Bear. Sink. Cotton. Fang. Jobs. Said. Smellback. Hamlet. Pouncey. Bottoms. Boatenhammer. Winbush. Carrier. Grooms. Looms. Lawman. Woodring. Battle. France. Johndroe. Whitehouse. Swindle. Hutchcraft.”

Pat, here. I was amazed to re-read this. Charles Allbright—I think—is still around, and reading about him is, well, nostalgic. Well worth the effort to look him up.

My turn at the names game

This could be the Couch sisters, Patricia Ann, Mary Carolyn, Barbara Jean & Beverly Diane

 by Pat Laster

 

                Since the 1940 census data was published, various columnists have jumped on the bandwagon by comparing given names with then and now. So here I come at the tail end before the horses begin galloping to catch up with the last bandwagon I missed.

Camille Nessler and Lynda Hollenbeck, both of The Saline [County, Arkansas]Courier, and even the Amity Standard’s own Norma Blanton beat me to the wagon and got the best seats. Camille’s take was on crazily-spelled names. Those she listed are: Mykull, Twany, Whenndee, Suhmanntha, Apple, Coco, Banjo, Quillon, Prestalyn, Jerrison, and Mountain Tree. Thanks, Camille.

Still, since I’ve been collecting names for some time now, I gotta get my two-cents worth in. I looked through my last journal page by page, knowing that somewhere I listed the 1940s 10 most popular girls’ names, the 1940s 10 most popular boys’ names, then present-day’s 10 most popular sobriquets. Many of the earlier boys’ names were the same as today’s. 

                While searching, I ran across this list of interesting complete names of folks still living: Tad Hair, Mike Right, Jeff Rent, Bo Beck, Cherish Gray, Prairie Rice, Mark Mix, Redhawk, and Two Rivers. And then there’s the lately deceased astronaut, Sally Ride. Makes the name Pat Laster seem like … well plaster, doesn’t it?

Here is a Doris Elizabeth Jean (surname omitted). Two of my late Aunt Doris’s daughters were named Jean and Elizabeth. To Marilyn Collins, a teacher of memoir-writing, a prompt of this kind should be written on a 3 by 5 card and kept for the future time I might have—after finishing everything else I’ve started –to begin my own memoir. (Done, Marilyn.)

Aha! Here it is! Madison, originally a surname then a boy’s name through the 1950s is now the 8^th most popular girl’s name in the US. Mia is 9^th on the 2011 list.

In the 1940s, Betty was 5^th most popular, Carol, 6^th and Shirley, 9^th. None of those are in the top 1,000 today. Also falling out of favor were Judith, Barbara, Sandra, Linda, Nancy and Mary.

The 1940s top ten boys ‘names remained in the 376 most popular names in 2011. James (1/17), William (4/3) and David (7-18). Others in the earlier list were Donald, Ronald, Richard, Charles, Thomas, Robert and John. (Yawn.)

In my previous journal, the final list of names noted from my day’s readings included: Fanny Blanche, still living at 99, Astra, Buford and Jap (from the 1913-era), Lum, Delilahann, Sherece, Olyn, Coleton, Nali, Tyress (Why hasn’t someone thought of naming their girl child Tygress?) and Misael.

Also, Theresia, Laura Lee (96), Drucilla (98), Doanie, Armando, Corise, Adler, Johnma, Kierra, Traxel, LaDenna, Denyce, Delia, Zan, Lura Clyde, Symantha, Rabia and Gael.

Just last Sunday, I found Rolla and Mabel (1912-era), Ingalls, LaVerle, Uela, Iwana, Geneil, Cathaleene, Dia and Theba, Mekale, JaMichael, Defonta, Kimber, Fantasia and Bobak.

Also Ludmilla, Rocco, Salman, Kurtz, Halton, Jakolby, Pearl (a male, 100 years old at death), Inocencia, Kecia, Jelonda, Moronda, Cindra, ReZell, Lovana, Eramo, Emry, Ponce de Leon (!), Philander, Plato and Evangel.

I wonder how many of those names made the latest census. Or the 1940s one.

 

c 2012 by Pat Laster dba lovepat press