Amusement Writers' Strange Names

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Paul Whybrow

Full Member
Jun 20, 2015
Cornwall, UK
While reading newsletters from publishing sites and authors' blogs this morning, it struck me how peculiar some writers' names are.

Even the most famous of authors haven't seen their names pass into common usage. Have you ever met anyone called Bram (Stoker), Hunter (S. Thomson) or Ayn (Rand)?

But, other old-fashioned names are seeing a resurgence in popularity. Apparently, Willa (Cather) and Anaïs (Nin) are increasingly common for girls...the latter without the correct diaeresis over the letter i.

Oscar (Wilde) is chosen for boys these days—perhaps as a sign of people being more comfortable with different sexualities—or indicative of a rise in stage mums wishing to propel their son into the Hollywood film industry!

I've never known a Kingsley (Amis), Ogden (Nash), Danielle (Steel), Dashiell (Hammett), Ambrose (Bierce) or Harriet (Beecher Stowe), though these were more common names in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some writers are known by the initials of their forenames, or they add initials to their moniker to make themselves sound distinctive. J. K. Rowling is the best-known modern example, though that was subterfuge on the part of her publisher to conceal that she was female, as it was thought that boy readers wouldn't take to a story about wizards written by a woman. This sort of marketing deceit is referred to as 'gender neutral'. I noticed that saying J.K. quickly sounds like "Jake" which adds to the deception, though the J comes from her first name of Joanne, and, as she doesn't have a middle name, she chose K in memory of her paternal grandmother Kathleen. She likes to be known as Jo. I wonder how many books she'd have sold as Joanne Rowling or Jo Rowling...or would word of mouth praise have carried her books to bestseller status anyway?

Other authors who added initials to their names include Ian M. Banks...he added the M for his sci-fi books and it came from his intended middle name of Menzies. The reinventor of the Doctor Who series screenwriter Russell T. Davies added the T to distinguish himself from a newsreader of the same name.

If you choose to go this way with your author's name, then how you punctuate your initials can cause repercussions:

Initials in Author Names

Pen names are common among writers. I started out calling myself Augustus Devilheart, but came out of hiding to be just me. I have a middle name—John—which I never use, though official databases list it.

All the unusual names I've encountered with authors, made me wonder what strange name I could add to Paul Whybrow. I was born in a cottage in Walkern Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Walkern is a village three miles from Stevenage. Thus, I could become Paul Walkern Whybrow. I don't know if that makes me sound distinguished or archaic! It makes me think of a Wyvern which is a two-legged dragon, so I could use Wyvern to distinguish any fantasy writing I may do.

Do you use your initials in your writer's name?

Do you have a pen name?

Is your name unusual enough to be a marketing aid?

What made-up middle name would you add to your identity as an author?

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Ah, pen names. I shall certainly choose one if/when I publish. In fact I totally hate the name Barbara to the point I'm tempted to use a pseudonym for everything. My surname isn't 'me' either. I'm toying with the initials thing but it seems a little obvious and overdone, but ... either way, both first and surname will be gone and pronto.
 
Il Matrimonio tells me I should use my maiden name and be Katie-Ellen Kearns. It's shorter and has the advantage of alliteration. K E Kearns is shorter still, and a snappy but memorable name might well help, but I don't think names are a deal changer or a deal breaker these days.

There is Barbara Erskine, Barbara Kingsolver, Barbara Tuchman, all great writing Barbaras.

Leonora is musical and romantic

Whybrow isn't a surname I heard before meeting you on Litopia, Paul, but it's still short enough to be easy. You could go all continental too if you felt like it, swap round and be John Paul.

Wy- Vern. Hmm. Malvern is from the Welsh, I think I read. Mal-vern. Moel Bryn. Bare Hill.
 
Katie-Ellen Kearns

OOOh, that's nice! @Katie-Ellen Hazeldine . You should use that. That really struck a cord.

There is Barbara Erskine, Barbara Kingsolver, Barbara Tuchman, all great writing Barbaras.
Yeah I think it's more of an alter ego - psychological thing. Kind of a re-birthing and letting go of my old self and all the nonsense that goes with it. I've never liked it for as long as I can think back. I always think that choosing ones name can free the self to be who the self wants to be, and not what is was expected to be, and all the energies, and family bagage that are associated with that burden. But that's a bit heavy for a Saturday afternoon.
 
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OOOh, that's nice! @Katie-Ellen Hazeldine . You should use that. That really struck a cord.


Yeah I think it's more of an alter ego - psychological thing. Kind of a re-birthing and letting go of my old self and all the nonsense that goes with it. I've never liked it for as long as I can think back. I always think that choosing ones name can free the self to be who the self wants to be, and not what is was expected to be, and all the energies, and family bagage that are associated with that burden. But that's a bit heavy for a Saturday afternoon.
I entirely agree though.
 
Madame de Montespan did that. She was born Francoise, never liked it, changed it to Athenais and felt much more like herself. Sorry I haven't got the accents on it like I should. I grew up called Ellen by my parents. Everyone else said Katie but I was always Ellen to my parents till I was about 20. Family nicknames are funny things too, aren't they? I was Ellen-bird or Katie-Pig, and the Katie-Pig started when I was a babe in arms. Why pig? As per an old saying about pig stubbornness. Because I 'wunt be druv'. Apparently.

wunt be druv 2.jpg


What first name might you choose for yourself as your pseudonym, Barbara? Feel free not to answer. It's not an easy question.

When my mother, who was born in 39 was a teen, she didn't like her name, Margaret, Persian for a pearl. She very much admired the prettiness of a name newly in vogue, arrived here from America. Sharon. The sound of it was so pretty, she thought.
 
What first name might you choose for yourself as your pseudonym, Barbara? Feel free not to answer. It's not an easy question
@Katie-Ellen Hazeldine . I don't know. Not at all. I used 'Rayne' in my acting days, but I'm not sure. I've also pondered the initial thing and thought maybe PB, or BK, or PK. (but that's a litle JK - but one inital might be a little odd and not much goes with the P or the B). I thought to add an 'x' in there somewhere, a bit like a kiss, to send a bit of Lurve out into the world. I've pondered 'Nina'. But I have no clue. I could always do a Prince thing and use symbol: a cat face in my case (just kidding about the symbol thing of course).

Any suggestions? I'll most likely use Kaminski as a surname, not my real one.
 
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@Katie-Ellen Hazeldine . I don't know. Not at all. I used 'Rayne' in my acting days, but I'm not sure. I've also pondered the initial thing and thought maybe PB, or BK, or PK. (but that's a litle JK - but one inital might be a little odd and not much goes with the P or the B). I thought to add an 'x' in there somewhere, a bit like a kiss, to send a bit of Lurve out into the world. I've pondered 'Nina'. But I have no clue. I could always do a Prince thing and use symbol: a cat face in my case (just kidding about the symbol thing of course).

Any suggestions? I'll most likely use Kaminski as a surname, not my real one.
I like Nina Kaminski
 
It has a very nice sound. There are one or two other Nina Kaminskis online. Does it feel different but also close enough to home in any way to be comfortably wearable? I see Barbara Stanwyck changed to Barbara from Ruby.
 
I did the foolish thing and published some books with my middle initial and some without...gah! What a headache! Because, of course, Amazon wouldn't link books by the two 'different' authors.

I have a unique enough first name to be fairly discoverable if you know how to spell it. That's the real problem. Most people remember it's weird, and end up spelling it Robbine.
 
I did the foolish thing and published some books with my middle initial and some without...gah! What a headache! Because, of course, Amazon wouldn't link books by the two 'different' authors.

I have a unique enough first name to be fairly discoverable if you know how to spell it. That's the real problem. Most people remember it's weird, and end up spelling it Robbine.
Have you thought of shortening it to Robbie, @Robinne Weiss ?
 
Have you thought of shortening it to Robbie, @Robinne Weiss ?
No, but for a while in middle school, I went by Bob. Not that I really liked the name Bob. Looking back, it was probably a reaction to puberty, and losing all my friends (all boys) to f***ing hormones. Maybe taking a male name would make them stop looking at me like that and turn me back into just one of the 'guys' again? (no such luck, as I quickly found out)
 
No, but for a while in middle school, I went by Bob. Not that I really liked the name Bob. Looking back, it was probably a reaction to puberty, and losing all my friends (all boys) to f***ing hormones. Maybe taking a male name would make them stop looking at me like that and turn me back into just one of the 'guys' again? (no such luck, as I quickly found out)
I know a lady called Bobbie. Might work better for you than Bob.
 
I went by Bob. Not that I really liked the name Bob.

"Kate" is short for "Bob." Well according to the scene in Blackadder II, Episode 1:Bells.

A woman (Kate) has decided to get a servant job at Lord Blackadder's house by pretending to be a man. Scene:

Blackadder: "So, what's your name, sonny?"

Kate: "Kate."

Blackadder: "Kate? That's a funny name for a boy?"

Kate: "Yes, err, it's short for ... Bob."
 
I will absolutely have to use a pseudonym and ive been playing with several ideas. My mother in law used to call me clara because she said i look like a clara so i thought about using clara. And My last name sounds a little like campbell and i am a big fan of joseph campbell so ive thought of that. I also like camberwell. My last name is camberos. But then i want something in spanish so i thought of My grandmothers surname which is arias. But in the end...ah...who knows. Since i write for kids it might have to be something ver y simple.
 
I will absolutely have to use a pseudonym and ive been playing with several ideas. My mother in law used to call me clara because she said i look like a clara so i thought about using clara. And My last name sounds a little like campbell and i am a big fan of joseph campbell so ive thought of that. I also like camberwell. My last name is camberos. But then i want something in spanish so i thought of My grandmothers surname which is arias. But in the end...ah...who knows. Since i write for kids it might have to be something ver y simple.
Arias is nice. Could you give it a twist and make a firstname of it, something along the lines of Ariel? Or Arielle? Might work for kid's fiction.

Arielle Camberini
 
Arias is nice. Could you give it a twist and make a firstname of it, something along the lines of Ariel? Or Arielle? Might work for kid's fiction.

Arielle Camberini

Had not thought of that. Ah well, i´m guessing that if i ever get to sit down with a publisher they will be the ones to "push me in the right direction" so to speak.
 
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