kengr: (Default)
kengr ([personal profile] kengr) wrote2011-07-31 04:28 pm
Entry tags:

Name help

I'm writing something and my mind has gone blank on gender neutral/amibguous names.

All I've got are Morgan, and Jean/Gene. I know there are others, but my mind is coming up blank.

Also, I could use a last name that sounds like "why".

Yes, I'm going to be very silly.

Let's see, what are the questions you are supposed to answer for a bews item?

Who, what, when, where and possibly why and how.

Hu, Watt, Winn, Ware, ... :-)

Kim, Leslie, Pat, Taylor, Sam,

[identity profile] capybyra.livejournal.com 2011-07-31 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I've frequently used books of baby naming for such writer's block or just to expand nomenclature of my characters.

His name was Drek- He was hard and brown from long days in the sun.. Depending on your language background, you either think Drek is a sibling of sorts to Shrek- or just an example of shitty name research :}

Knowing the name's backstory can mean a lot.

[identity profile] polydad.livejournal.com 2011-07-31 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Terry, Chris, Jo(sephine), Sam(antha), Pat, Andy/Andine, for starters.

[identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Kay
Marian/Marion
Lynn(e)
Cary
Sandy
Robin
Sydney
Francis/Frances
Carol(l)


Wye -- it's a location in Wales, so it could legitimately be a last name.

[identity profile] dornbeast.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Most of the likely ones are used, but depending on how old your character is, Leslie might work. (If the family has a "Name the father after a grandparent" rule going, it could be on a younger character.)

[identity profile] fayanora.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
Alex, Pat, Terry, Andi, Erin/Aaron, Chris, Sam, Taylor.

Hell, even Tristan is ambiguous. :-)

[identity profile] fayanora.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, and I've heard George used as a girl's name (not just in Feed).

[identity profile] griffen.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
Pat, Chris, Tony, and Terry are all good androgynous names.

[identity profile] acelightning.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
Edited 2011-08-01 06:57 (UTC)

[identity profile] scott-sanford.livejournal.com 2011-08-01 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a lovely couple at my local church, Gene and Jean, and they've had their share of fun with it over the years. (And of course the Quark character.)

I'm surprised nobody suggested Kelly yet.

And while it doesn't address androgynous naming, Limyaael's old name rant may be useful in other ways. I happened to run across it just as you brought up the question.