In my next Literary Names installment, I'll be reimagining the names of characters in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol!
First published in 1843, this novella instantly won the hearts of its readers, and has since been made into multiple plays, films, and other adaptations (my personal favorite being The Muppet Christmas Carol). So remember to give in these weeks of receiving, and you'll continue its legacy!
Ebenezer Scrooge..... Brennan Toivo
The unhappy and miserly protagonist of A Christmas Carol is hard to find names for; there are few well-known monikers meaning "sad" or "greedy", after all. Brennan means "descendant of the sad one", and I like that idea of sadness being in the past - at least for Scrooge. Toivo is more exciting, with its open-o ending, and it means "hope", mirroring the ending of the story.
Jacob Marley..... Hanish Amaury
Hanish means "one who forewarns of storms", and I felt that was pertinent for the first ghost to visit Scrooge. Since Jacob Marley is said to have been just as bad as his business partner, I chose a work-related name - Amaury, meaning "work power". The rhythm of Jacob Marley and Hanish Amaury is also similar, which adds another character parallel.
Mr. Fezziwig..... Felix Farquhar
I wanted to find a name just as silly as Fezziwig, and I found that with this alliterative set! Felix means "happy" or "lucky", and Farquhar (pronounced far-kar) means "friendly one". For a Scrabble aficionado like myself, it was also nice to see that I kept an X and a Q in the name when I dropped two Zs! This is probably the most positive name I've come up with.
Bob Cratchit..... Tovi Placido
The kindly and hardworking Bob Cratchit was always my favorite character in the story - he always seemed like a loving husband and father. His name matches up to his positive personality - Tovi comes from the Hebrew for "good", and Placido from the Latin for "quiet" or "calm". While the name origins differ greatly, the sound of the name is melodic and euphonic.
Tiny Tim Cratchit..... Pavel Selig
Obviously, I had to start "small" (insert rimshot here). Pavel, like the English form Paul, means "little", emphasizing Tiny Tim's stature. Selig is a name I chose meaning "happy", since Tim always has a positive outlook on life. Like the alliterative T's in Tiny Tim, the letter L is woven through Pavel Selig.
Tell me what names you would pick for the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in the comments!
