Names for No. 2 – Jonathan K Benton

baby namesI’m sorry if you thought this blog was about book titles. It’s about names for my second child, estimated time of arrival this week. Wanda and I have thought long and hard on this topic. Wanda loves surprises, so we don’t know if Bubs is a boy or a girl. I don’t like surprises, but nevermind me.

Wanda initially suggested Keanu. I cannot disassociate the name from the actor. I feared my better half was about to propose other names, like Brad (as in Pitt), Vin (as in Diesel) and Chris (as in Hemsworth). I prefer names like Ashen-Shugar (Feist’s Dragon Lord), Aragorn, Thor and Batman – Batman might result in bullying unless Bubs mastered jujitsu and saved Brisbane from an evil lord before starting preschool.

KatnissAfter confirmed conception, the initial flurry of names slowed into a more thoughtful measured approach. We agreed that we would not name Bubs after a fruit, although our firstborn still calls our unborn child Peach. Vegetables were also out of the question, as were names like Cassiopeia and Andromeda. Constellations (even if they originated in Greek mythology) were to remain in the sky. Quentin is a name that both Wanda and I love. Quentin Benton doesn’t work though.  Wanda likes Charlotte, I like Luthien – my desire to name my child  after some magnificent character of fiction would never work. We didn’t want to be accused of choosing a name inspired by a popular 2013 movie either. This eliminated Katniss (Everdeen), Clarke (Kent), Jay (Gatsby), Clary (Fray) and Gollum (Gollum).

In the end, I chose Bubs’s boy name – it is a name steeped in literary greatness without sounding like a comic book. Wanda chose Bubs’s girl name – a beautiful name indeed. I’d love to reveal these choices but it would be unfair to Bubs. He or she should hear it first.

Let me know what your favourite names are – perhaps you’ll convince me there’s a better name for Bubs.

Jonathan K Benton

8 Replies to “Names for No. 2 – Jonathan K Benton”

    1. Hi, Dave: Hmmm. Dave for a boy, you reckon. It’s a great name and I will give it some deep consideration – I cannot help but think you’re a little bias towards it though? I love Katniss too.

  1. Hi Jonathan,
    Sometimes other cultures have real gems too, and we ended up using variations on ancestors names: I first found our daughters name Samara in a book i read years ago and kept it in mind. I wanted a name that would honor her stillborn uncle (Sam) but not be Samantha. Turns out it means ‘Gift from God’ in Hebrew, and apparently is also Latin for ‘Elm Tree Seed’. For Jackson, his is also a family name (Jack) but is also a place in Coromandel dear to me – Port Jackson. I’m sure you’ll have picked out something that fits you guys too 🙂

  2. It’s been a long time…. I was very excited to stumble upon your novel and blog today! Congratulations on your success! I have downloaded ‘A wicked kind of dark’ and am looking forward to reading it. Best of luck with bubs number 2. The world needs more Aquarians 🙂 Hx

    1. Hi Hollie

      What a wonderful surprise! It has been a long time. I was talking to a friend – it must have been a few years ago now – who told me that you were doing amazing things in the business world. I wasn’t surprised when I heard this. Congratulations to you, too 

      Thank you for your support in purchasing a copy of AWKOD. My next book should be ready for the publishers by the end of this year. Same fantasy world, different story. I have ramped up the action and drawn a new set of characters to keep things fresh.

      Keep in touch

      A thousand smiles

      Jonathan

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