Literary Names: Sharon Creech

Hello, readers!

One of my favorite YA fiction authors when I was growing up was Sharon Creech, best known for her novels Walk Two Moons and Love That Dog. In addition to writing fabulous books for tweens and teens, Creech is a master at choosing character names - and definitely one of my early inspirations!

Here are some particularly memorable character names, organized by each work.

Absolutely Normal Chaos

Mary Lou, Carl Ray, Beth Ann
Double names shine in Absolutely Normal Chaos, with three of the main characters sporting "four-letter, three-letter" names. Names like these were once more common in the middle and southern United States, but are few and far between these days (with one issue being that American name records don't keep track of second or middle names). Still, double names are especially attractive for those who LOVE names or those who want to honor multiple family members in one child's name.

Walk Two Moons

Salamanca Tree Hiddle (or Sal)
One of my favorite fictional names of all time, Salamanca Tree Hiddle's name is explained early in the novel - her parents wanted to name her after the Seneca tribe, but mixed up the names, and her mother loved trees. Salamanca is actually a city in Spain with an obscure etymology, housing one of the oldest universities in the world. Despite its  simplicity, I think Tree would be a great nature option in the middle spot for a real-life kiddo.

Chanhassen "Sugar" Hiddle
Sal's mother, a mysterious figure in the novel, is nicknamed Sugar because of the meaning of her true first name - Chanhassen comes from a Dakota word meaning "sugar-maple tree." Chanhassen is also the name of a city in Minnesota, and a nickname for a card game.

Phoebe Winterbottom, Margaret Cadaver, Ben Finney
I included these three character names because of their fabulous surnames, and overall "vibes": one can tell a lot about Phoebe Winterbottom just by reading her name!

Chasing Redbird

Zinnia Taylor (or Zinny)
An exquisite flower name that should be used far more frequently, Zinnia is the main character's name in Chasing Redbird. Zinnia flowers are associated with "thoughts of absent friends" in floriography, which is fitting for our heroine - her thoughts often center around lost family members and reappearing friends.

Bloomability

Domenica Santolina Doone (or Dinnie)
After reading this book, I desperately tried to convince my parents to send me to boarding school in Switzerland - but they wouldn't budge. Shy Dinnie is given this opportunity in Bloomability, and ends up making friends from around the globe (with great names!) Domenica is the Italian feminine form of Dominic, meaning "belonging to the Lord."

Peter Lombardy Guthrie III (or Guthrie)
While this outgoing friend of Dinnie's is referred to by his last name, it got me thinking - could Guthrie work as a first? At least one person has proven this: Guthrie Govan, an accomplished guitarist, was born into a musical family in 1971. It's a Scottish surname originally, but could shine in the first spot for fans of Arlo, Woody, or even Govan.

Stella and Crick
Dinnie's oft-mentioned siblings are Stella and Crick. Stella was given another Italian name like Dinnie, honoring their mother's heritage. Crick, on the other hand, was named by his father "after a clear little crick that ran beside the house they'd lived in at the time." I like that both names are honor choices, in a way, but I can't decide if Crick is too concise to work as a first.

Ruby Holler

Dallas and Florida
The novel centers on troublesome twins Dallas (boy) and Florida (girl), whose names look coordinated on the surface. In fact, Dallas ranks among the top 300 names for boys in the U.S., while Florida hasn't ranked on the top 1000 since the 1930's. Still, with place names popping up from all kinds of sources, it wouldn't surprise me if Dallas rose further and Florida got more attention.

Tiller and Sairy
A kindly old couple who adopts the twins, Tiller and Sairy have names that suit their offbeat, country personalities. While Sairy may be harder to explain - a nickname for Sarah, perhaps? - Tiller seems like an ideal addition to modern occupational names like Tucker or Miller.

I won't include all of Sharon Creech's books here (just my favorites!) but I would love to hear if any readers are also fans. Which names do you like best?