Everyone has personal taboo names, names they hate for good reasons or no reason at all. As a kid, I had traumatic confrontations with children named Tracy, Shelly, and Troy. I don’t like any of those names as an adult. When I needed a name for a shady character, I picked Troy but not to get revenge on a past nemesis. I just didn’t see why I should give a name I like to a character I don’t.
Then there are names I don’t like simply because I don’t like them. When my husband and I were searching for names for our second child, he came up with a list of three boys’ names: Cole, Gabe, and Nate. I told him under no circumstances could we use Nate. I have never liked Nathan or Natalie or any name similar to them, like Ethan. In the first short story I published, a murderous woman is named Natalie. It has nothing to do with any people associated with those names. I just don’t like the sound of them.
Your turn. What are some of your personal taboo names?
I, too, dislike the name Nathan, for no reason I can think of. One of my favorite names is Jeff, and that traces to my high school boyfriend.
My kids think Jeff sounds strange, probably because they don’t know anyone named that. They use it in jokes.