The Tiffany Efffect

Nicola here! As readers and writers we all know the importance of a character’s name. The right name can fit perfectly with our view of that person; the wrong one can completely pull us out of a story. With historical fiction it’s even trickier because not only do names have to fit the character but they also need to be historically correct. Nothing breaks my enjoyment more than a Regency heroine called Tiffany.

And that is where I am wrong, as I discovered a couple of weeks ago when I heard about “The Tiffany Effect.” The Tiffany Effect is the belief that something is more modern than it actually is. So, for example, central heating could be an example of The Tiffany effect if you thought it was a modern invention and not a technology originally introduced by the Ancient Greeks and Romans . Or glasses, which were first worn in 1290.

I thought that the name Tiffany simply had to be a 20^th century introduction, popularised in 1961 by the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” which was based on the book by Truman Capote.  I vaguely knew that Tiffany had been a surname before that – Tiffany & Co. the jewellers was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany.  So I thought I was clear on the timeline. But it turns out I was wrong because the name Tiffany was recorded in 1200 as a first name, traditionally given to girls born on 6^th January, the Feast of the Epiphany.  The spelling in Old French was “Tifinie” and it derives from a Greek word, Theophaneia, which originally mean “manifestation of god.”  By 1600, the name Tiffany appears in English. By this time it was also the name for a light, gauzy sort of material (like the one in the picture) as well as a first name and a surname.

I’m similarly afflicted by name prejudice over the number of heroes in historical romance who are called Shane or Wade or other names that sound too modern to me. As the name Shane was very popular when I was a child in the 1970s, I assumed it had only come into usage in the middle of the 20th century but with names it’s seldom as simple as that. Shane as a masculine name derives for the Gaelic Sean and thus from the name John. It is first recorded in the 17^th century. Shane as a female name comes from a completely different source, the Yiddish name Shayna. As for “Wade,” his name derives from the Early English for a ford and was a popular given name in the medieval period. He was also a giant of folklore and there are plenty of places still named after him.

When I started looking into name derivations, several others struck me as particularly interesting. One was Beverly, which again I thought was a 20^th century name. However since it derives from the “beaver meadow” and beavers became extinct in England in 1526 it has to be much older than that. It became fashionable as a male name first, in the 19^th century. Beverly, Evelyn and a number of others became unisex names. So too Andrea and Nicola; both are male names in Italy whilst Nicola is a female name in the UK and Germany. Again, I assumed that the English version was a 20^th century invention but again I was wrong. When I was reading about King John and Magna Carta I came across Nicola de la Haye, the castellan of Lincoln Castle, a formidable woman born in about 1165 who was also sheriff of Lincolnshire.

Which all goes to prove that you could probably make a case for using almost any name you chose in a book. Of course names go in and out of fashion; we all know that most children in Tudor England were called Joan, Elizabeth, Alice, Anne, or John, William, Henry, Edward… But if you take into account family surnames used as first names, and regional variations - such as Drake or Loveday in places like Cornwall – almost anything could work. Fashion in names can so often be fascinating; before the influence of celebrities like Kylie there was the example of Oliver Cromwell: Oliver had been a very popular boys name up until the 17^th century but such was the unpopularity of Cromwell that it took until Dickens’ Oliver Twist in the 19^th century to bring it back into fashion again!

Do you have a classic or an unusual sort of a name? Do you know it’s derivation? And how do you feel about the Tiffany Effect and names that don’t sound right in a historical novel? Should any name be acceptable or does something that sounds anachronistic even if it isn't pull you out of the story?

Comments

[Mary T]

I have been racking my brain, but I cannot think of a single H/h who had a name that I thought didn't fit the time period. That may be that it is just something that I wouldn't notice that much.

My own name is classic. When I was born in 1944, John and Mary were the most popular names. However, I was named for an aunt who helped raise my father. Back then, at least in my family, we were named for someone known and/or admired by our parents or for a saint (we are Catholic).

It is an interesting topic though. I am amazed and amused at some of the names people come up with nowadays. Kids are named for cities (Chicago, Paris) directions (north, south, east, west) or other peoples last names (Taylor, Mason).

Another really interesting post.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Mary, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the post. Yes, you have a classic name! I love the connection that names give us to other family members; it's definitely part of the family story. And whilst some of today's names are very imaginative, it's interesting that people seem to be coming back to traditional first names as well. This seems appropriate on the day the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's latest baby is being born. The pundits think it will have an old-fashioned name!

[Nicola Smith]

This was a very interesting article, and especially so because my name is Nicola. I was born in Australia and named after a character in one of the ‘Doctor in the House’ books. My mother, who is English and named Averil, had read some of the books when she was pregnant with me. My mother’s name is interesting as well. Her name is not Avril nor derived from the French word for April. According to my research, it is derived from an Old English word meaning ‘wild boar’ and is possibly a derivation of the name Everilde, an Anglo-Saxon 7th century saint.

[Elizabeth Rolls]

I did know Tiffany was legit - Heyer uses it for a very brattish teenage girl in The Nonesuch. Her name is actually Theophania, but she's called Tiffany by everyone. I've never considered using it because this wench is so annoying it's spoilt the name for me. I did use Loveday for a heroine a few years back, one of my Undones, and the hero was Evelyn. Some readers did find this peculiar and I had a bit of a discussion over it with editorial, but once a character decides on a name, that's it.
I find names fascinating and have a couple of books on the subject. Usually when I am in the very earliest thinking stages of a book I sit browsing the pages waiting for a name to leap out at me. DH once found an old envelope with male names that I'd jotted down scribbled all over it. I don't think he found my explanation at all logical!

[Jana]

I had to chuckle about your male examples, as Shane is my husband’s name and Wade is my dads! I confess that the Tiffany effect gets me sometimes but mostly when names that were male are used for female characters (Ashley, Beverley and Leslie to be specific!)

[Lillian Marek]

I confess a fondness for "ordinary" names like Tom, Dick, and Harry, but I don't insist on them. My preference in books is for names that don’t prompt me to question them. Siobhan may be a lovely name with a long history, but I’d be taken aback to see it given to the daughter of an English nobleman. It’s not impossible, but as an author, you’re trying to draw the reader into the story, not startle her out.
If there is an odd name, I’d like a line or two explaining why it’s there, like the Old English names Jo Beverley gave to the Mallorens.

[Sonya Heaney]

I think there was a "Charlene" in a recent historical romance. It's both an American name, and one that is too recent for Regency books, and I would struggle to finish that one.

I know authors get sick of constantly cycling through Jane Austen character names, but sometimes getting *too* creative with naming characters is distracting for readers. I've recently come across some characters whose names kept pulling me out of the story because I could not picture these people in 1810s England.

When it comes to gendered names, some cultures are strictly divided. You can't, for example, give an Eastern European man a surname with an A at the end of it - that makes him a woman! I've seen that mistake made in books...

[Mary Jo Putney]

Fun post, Nicola! I was another who blinked at Tiffany in Heyer's THE NONESUCH until it was explained as a nickname for Theophania. I try to keep my names believable for their periods, aided by THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH CHRISTIAN NAMES. Of course, one can be correct but appear wrong enough to jerk readers out of a story. Can't win 'em all. *G*

[Nicola Cornick]

It's lovely to meet a fellow Nicola and I love the reason why you were given that name! It's particularly interesting that there are different derivations for similar names; Averil is a really good example. And what a pretty name!

[Nicola Cornick]

Haha! Yes, that's another problem with names, isn't it - if we read a particularly irritating character with a specific name it can totally spoil it for us! I love the Cornish and other regional names. I had a particular fondness for the hero Cory Newlyn in my Brides of Midwinter series although that caused confusion as it's also a girl's name!

[Nicola Cornick]

Gosh, what a co-incidence, Jana! I love the name Shane, probably because it has such strong nostalgia for me (one of my schoolfriends was called Shane) but I never for a moment realised how historical both those names are until I checked.

[Nicola Cornick]

It's interesting how much of a jolt an unusual name can give, I think, Lilian. As you say, it can totally pull you out of the story. As an author I think an unusual name does require an explanation, whether it's a character's mother's maiden name or a family name or whatever. Even if "odd" names existed they wouldn't have been common so that's fair enough.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Sonya. That's a really interesting point about the gendered names in other cultures. Authors do need to be really careful with that. And Charlene is interesting too. I didn't even realise that that was first coined in the 19th century which makes it older than I had imagined but not old enough to be Regency without a very good explanation!

[Nicola Cornick]

Yes, exactly, Mary Jo! Sometimes it doesn't matter if you're right in the historical sense with a name; if it doesn't "sound" right to readers in a particular context then that's that. It's a complicated business!

[Sue McCormick]

Our family tends to use name because we are fond of someone who has them. This isn't usually a direct connection, although it can be.

And then then there is the story of my names and of my sisters names, My parents met in summer school through the auspices of two of my mother's room mates Mary Sue and Anita. So the oldest baby was to be named Anita Sue (I still think it's a lovely name). My mother's brother-in-law said "Anita Sue Strickler —A S S) and my teacher parents changed the first name to Carolin.

Then there was a boy who lived less than 24 hours. He was never named.

The next baby was assumed to be a boy (my mother was almost never wrong in her predictions) so the only planned name was Robert Ray. She turned out to be my sister — who became Anita Ray. When she entered high school she changed the spelling to Rae, in order to avoid being placed in the male gym classes.

We have been Sue and Rae (Ray) all our lives, so those first names are only "Window dressing."

If real life names can be this dangerous, I can only sympathize with all naming authors must do.

[Sarah Lingle]

Both of my given names, Sarah Elizabeth, are very traditional, although Sarah has never been a really popular name. I was almost always the only Sarah in my class at school. One name that I would never have associated with a man is Anne. That is, until I read Dorothy Dunnett's Queens Play and learned about Anne de Montmorency, onetime Constable of France in the 16th century. I still can't envisage his friends calling him Anne.

[Kathy Lynn Emerson]

There are some wonderfully unlikely names of real sixteenth-century women. One of my favorites is Philadelphia Carey.

[Vicki L.]

Apparently during 1959 the name Vicki (in all its different spelling variations) was very popular because in 9th grade there were 5 of us, at least 3 possibly 4 in my homeroom!

As for recycling names, one of my nephews is called Reese which is my Dad's middle name and my grandmother's maiden name. His other name, Harmon, was his other grandfather's 1st name.

His brother's middle name is our maiden name.

Another nephew was named Robert and a niece was named Bobbie I think after my father (Robert/Bob).

Other than that, I don't believe my parents or sister's did much in the way of family names. They just picked ones that sounded good together...

Though now that I've looked back at the "whole names" for the family, I see that one niece has a middle name of Anne and her mother has the middle name of Ann. Which reminded me that my sister hated that she didn't have that E on her name and made sure to stick it on her daughter's middle name.... chuckling over the memory of my sister's indignation....

[StephanieL]

I was a child in the mid-70's and was surrounded by Stephanie's. One memory that sticks out brightly was 4th grade I was in class with Stephanie's L, C, H, M and W (me). The next year I started calling myself Suzi (as a derivative of Suzanne, my middle name) just to get away from being Stephanie W for eternity. I've never really thought about how old it is, I know what my names mean because my mother was real big on meanings. "Crowned" "Lily of the Valley" "Protector" was the meanings of my birth names. I did find on a quick search that there have been Stephanies from way back. "Stephanie, Queen of Navarre (died after 1066), Queen consort of king García Sánchez III of Navarre". Names in books don't really yank me out, I will be the first to tell you I don't know enough to judge.

[Francie Cissell Stark]

I love names. I collect names. I think most names are timeless and whatever name you chose for your character as a writer has already been used by someone at some point in history. From the historical page of my small town southern newspaper at the turn of the 20th century there was an Electra, her sister Spencer, a lady named Bursheba--probably a phonetic spelling of the biblical Beersheba. That was okay. I got the drift. The caption in the article about her, "A Woman of Spirit." At 80 she drove a mule and a wagon, alone, from Boston to Arkansas. My great grandmother was named, Tennessee Victoria. My own name, given to me by my Daddy, Mary Frances, felt like a stone around my neck growing up. I didn't grow into it and feel confrontable with it until my early twenties. When I quizzed my Daddy as to why he would name me THAT, he told me he thought he was naming after one of his sisters that died before he was born. I knew then, it could have been worse. I could have been named Dorothy or Edith. Then, in my thirties, while roaming the family plot at the cemetery back home, I stumbled across the gravestone of another Mary Frances. I wasn't the first. 1927-1929. She died when she was two years old. Daddy mixed up the names. He named me after his uncle's little girl. A few years ago, a picture of the first Mary Frances surfaced on Facebook--my family is large and all the lines stay connected. I never thought I'd ever see the face of the first Mary France, and it overwhelmed me. The resemblance between us at the same age is striking. Haunting. My Mama was shocked. Daddy got it exactly right after all. What's in a name? Everything.

[Liz]

Even knowing historically correct, modern-to-me name is distracting. Thank you though for the history lesson.

[Nelda Sue Hargo]

I still haven't ever met another Nelda. I know it's an old Celtic feminine form of Neil but am I the only one?

[Jenny Brown]

So much that is historically justified rubs readers the wrong way! My let peeve is English aristocrat heroes in stories set in the Regency period who have Irish names. Unless there is a clear cut reason explained in the story, its like having a White Boy from Alabama named DeShawn or DeMaryius.

[Lorraine]

Nelda Sue, there was a Nelda a year ahead of me in high school (1960's).

I named my daughter after Carey in the book "Green Grass of Wyoming" (third in the "My Friend Flicka" trilogy) and for years she squawked about her name, "It's a boy's name!" until I found a woman named Carey in the local newspaper. Then Carey Lowell showed up in a James Bond movie. My daughter quite likes her different name now.

I am curious as to how authors decide on the names of their characters. And nothing throws me out of a story faster than a name that I have no idea of how to pronounce (and the author doesn't explain it.)

[Janice Jacobson]

I never had a problem with Tiffany because by the time I ran across it I was aware that it was from the ancient Greek and that regency folk were familiar with Greek and Latin names and thought they were elegant.

I have run across regencies with heroines named Star, Sassy (Sassanada), Silkie and Windmera (I hope they didn't call her Windy for short). It's not that these names could not exist - for all I know there wre regency era girls with these names - it's that they are so unusual or so current day that they yank me out of my suspension of disbelief -- as do male first names like Dare and Lance. Puleez.

Rightfully or not, such names scream to me that the author got her regency lore out of cheezball romances or tabloid magazines rather than period sources. Which makes them wallbangers for me.

[Misti]

My name is not uncommon, but I don't often run across people named Misti (with any spelling). I remember in high school a teacher went through some name book telling everybody the meaning or origin of their names and when he got to me he just said "foggy". :)

[Betty Brewer]

My Mother's name was Cartha. The only other Cartha I've ever heard of was a man who was Deputy Director of the FBI. Mother received a lot of letters addressed to Mr. Cartha .... I never heard her complain about her name.

[Kareni]

Thanks for an enjoyable post, Nicola. I learned quite a bit today!

[Monique D]

I recently decided to not even finish reading the blurb because the Russian heroine's surname did NOT end with an A! I knew it would be historically inaccurate.

[Annette N]

I enjoyed this post. In fact, I had written a long reply about my large family and repeating family classic names. For some reason, I got to a point and it no longer was working correctly. So, I enjoyed this post and I thank you.

[Lynda X]

I downloaded the first couple of chapters of a romance, with ALL the characters' names formerly men's names that are now women's--think Alex, or example. I was so confused with what gender everyone was that I decided it was not worth it.

One of the disadvantages of being a teacher is that you associate particular names with kids who have been a pain in the neck, thus eliminating that name as a possible for your baby.

[Nicola Cornick]

What a wonderful story, Sue! I wonder what the reactions were when "Robert Ray" turned out to be a girl!

[Nicola Cornick]

I'd never heard of Anne for a man either, Sarah. Occasionally you do come across a name that really jolts you because it's so seldom used for that sex. I've just looked up Anne de Montmorency - he's a very interesting character.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, that's very pretty!

[Nicola Cornick]

I do love all these stories of family names. It's nice to see the connections down the generations!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Stephanie! Yes, yours is another name that could sound far more modern that it really is, I think. I love that there were Stephanies as far back as the 11th century and royal ones at that!

[Nicola Cornick]

What a fascinating story, Francie. Thank you for sharing it. That's a very special connection.

[Nicola Cornick]

Yes, I know what you mean, Liz!

[Nicola Cornick]

I've never heard the name Nelda before either but what a wonderful derivation!

[Nicola Cornick]

Yes, even when a name is technically not anachronistic, context and fashion and a number of other factors are very important. I wrote a couple of heroes with Irish names and made sure to explain the background.

[Nicola Cornick]

Carey is a lovely name!

Authors have many different ways of naming characters, I think. Some go through books finding a name that sounds right, others "know" what feels right for the character. Sometimes it's difficult to settle on a name and takes ages to find the right one!

[Nicola Cornick]

That's an interesting point about the elegance of Greek and Latin names, Janice. Thank you. I agree about the rather more exotic names you mention. Unless there's a cast iron reason for using them they're going to pull you from the story. I'd be able to cope with Lance/Lancelot, I think, especially if the parents were Arthurian fans...

[Nicola Cornick]

Aww! That's a bit harsh - mist is lighter and prettier and more magical than fog!

[Nicola Cornick]

Wow! That is very unusual but rather nice.

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you, Kareni!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much, Annette. I'm sorry the rest of the comment got lost but I'm glad you liked the post.

[Nicola Cornick]

I hadn't thought of that, Lynda. That is a real shame if it puts you off some nice names!

[Teresa Broderick]

Lovely post and very interesting comments. My three brothers were all named for family members. Even though I was born at Christmas I wasn't christened until Patrick's Day, (that's another story), but did my name have anything to do with either? No! She toyed with a few and then said out of the blue she said I was to be called Teresa. She has no idea where it came from and there is no one else in our extended family who had the name. Guess I'm special :-):-)
By the way, The Nonesuch is my absolute favorite Heyer but oh how I wanted to slap that Tiffany!!!!

[Janice Jacobson]

Nothing about that particular novel reminded me of knighthood in flower, so if that was the author's intent, it flew right under my radar :) I don't recall, however, that the hero's name was ever given in full, or his titles either. I like it when the author tells me at some point what the hero's exact title was because that tells me where he fits into his society. Pecking order is so important, with males especially :)

I did run across a fan-written regency parody once in which the hero's name was Lance Thrust. I think that's more what the novel's author had in mind ;)

[Mary T]

I've had that happen to me Annette. Very frustrating. Caroline Warfield once asked for reader feedback on her website. She had about 10 questions, and I answered them all conscientiously. Took me about 20 minutes. I hit "post" and it disappeared into the ether, and there was no way I was going to re-do the darn thing (smile).

[Fran C.]

No, Nelda Sue you are not the only one. My aunt's first name is Nelda. It is a fine name.

[Nicola Cornick]

Haha! Lance Trust! Yes, I see. Yes, context is all in terms of names and titles. There is so much hinterland; it's not "just" a name.

[Nicola Cornick]

Teresa is definitely special- as well as being a very old and venerable name!

[Fiona Marsden]

My husbands grandfather born in 1908ish was John Baden Townsend. No prizes for guessing where the Baden came from. We named our son Joshua Baden. Funny thing when we were naming children was my daughter Pernell and later I discovered an Ellis Peter’s heroine called Pernel published the same year. Then I had a Ginevra named after an Agatha Christie character only to find out Ginnie Weasley from Harry Potter is a Ginevra.

[Kim]

This is very interesting! Its a wee alert to re-check some facts I've taken for granted in my 18th century France manuscript.

[Shannon]

As an aspiring author I really enjoyed reading this. My parents planned to name me Shane if I was a boy, and Shannon if a girl. So Shannon it is. Part of my dad's Irish pride!