Stories Behind Our Names
By Tori Eldridge
September 13, 2021My name is Tori—not the diminutive of Victoria, but an adaptation from the Viking god of thunder. If I were a character in your story, the origin of my name might reflect my personality and guide my mission. Whether you created me as Thor’s Earthly descendent with yet-to-be-discovered magical powers or a feminist hero battling corporate injustice, the story behind my name would add another layer of depth to your character’s personality and actions.
Nicknames and abbreviations reflect just as much. A Tori shortened from Victoria might prefer speed skating to tea parties or trendy nightclubs to philanthropic societies. She might yearn to stand out in school or have suffered through a childhood with parents too harried to bother with a four-syllable name.
Whether fictional or real, the names we appoint, claim, or inherit reveal secrets about our personality, history, and heritage that can spark ideas and drive a plot. What new book or character might the origins of your own name inspire?
Case Study: Tori Mei-Ling Eldridge
My parents met and married in Tokyo where they became close friends with a Norwegian shipping mogul based in Japan. His first name was Thorleif. They asked him to become my godfather, and I was named for him. From what I’ve been told, he wielded considerable power, so it doesn’t surprise me that my ambitious young father from a poor North Dakota Norwegian upbringing would view the wealthy shipping mogul as a mentor. Nor does it surprise me that my godfather, who had a wife in Norway and a mistress in Japan, would be impressed with my father’s beautiful Hawaiian Chinese wife.
My writer imagination is sparking already, but I have more of a background story to share.
Had I been a son, my parents would have named me Thor and—I would hope—have equipped me with the appropriate Thor hammer teething ring. Naming a daughter wasn’t quite as easy. The first girl’s name they considered was Turid, from the Old Norse language combining thunder god and beautiful beloved. Although powerful, the name would have confounded my teachers and sparked unfortunate nicknames from my classmates. My parents settled on the easier to pronounce Tori for me, but what kind of life would Turid have lived?
And these are only the origins of my first name. I have more stories and family history connected with my Chinese middle name—meaning Tinkling of Beautiful Bells—my Anglo-Saxon married surname, and my maiden name of Brenno, which I’m told was invented by an immigration clerk who couldn’t spell my ancestor’s actual surname and wrote down a bastardized phonetic spelling of the tiny island in the Fjords from which he hailed. The island had a famous strong man, worthy of his own short story. Which, of course, is the point of my essay.
Every person I meet in real life has a unique and revealing history behind their name. The same is true for my favorite crime fiction characters.
What does it say about Tracy Clark’s Cassandra Rains that she goes by Cass but never Cassie? How does S.A. Cosby’s complicated former-criminal protagonist go from Beauregard to Bug, and what was the story behind his grand and beautiful given name? Although authors may or may not disclose this information in their books, they usually have profound reasons for the names they choose. They also frequently have full names for their characters their readers will never know.
Case Study: Lily Yong Shing Wong
The hero of The Ninja Betrayed, book three in my Lily Wong mystery thriller series, has a name as layered and complicated as you would expect from a biracial modern-day ninja. Her full name, which I have never disclosed in any of the books, is Lily Yong Shing Wong. Every piece of that name carries emotional baggage drawn from family history, beginning with Lily’s mother and her relationship with her parents in Hong Kong.
As is so frequently the case, my character’s present is informed by her past.
Lily’s mother was saddled with a subservient Chinese name she had always hated. Since Hongkongers tend to also have English names, Lily’s grandmother called her child Violet after the flowers the girl loved. When Violet had daughters of her own, she named them Lily and Rose. Violet doubled down on her non-conformist independence by giving Lily the middle name Yong Shing, meaning Courageous Victory, that both Gung-Gung and Po-Po (Lily’s maternal grandparents) believed was far too forceful for a girl. Instead, they call her Lei Lei, a childish nickname that feels less endearing and more diminishing the older Lily becomes.
While the stories behind her first and middle names offer clues to a strong and rebellious woman, Lily’s Chinese surname unlocks the source of her complicated family dynamic.
As explained in The Ninja Daughter, Lily’s mother was supposed to graduate from UCLA with a business degree and return to Hong Kong where she would attract a husband willing to take her father’s name and inherit his international finance business. Instead, Violet fell in love with an agricultural student from North Dakota, ruined her father’s plans, and left him without a son to perform ancestral duties for him when he dies. In an attempt to repair family relations and reinforce ethnic heritage, Lily’s father gave his daughters the Wong family name. Now the filial duty to appease Gung-Gung’s future ghost has fallen onto Lily.
Duty, love, sacrifice. Betrayal, rebellion, courage. The emotional baggage in Lily’s name is almost as heavy as the grief she carries for her murdered sister. All of it informs her character and motivates her actions.
Then again, a snappy name with a monosyllabic punch might be all an author needs to create the next iconic protagonist.
How about you? What are the stories behind your names?
About The Ninja Betrayed by Tori Eldridge:
Things get personal for Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja Lily Wong in Hong Kong when she dives into the dangerous world of triads, romance, and corporate disaster during the height of the pro-democracy protests.
Lily’s mother has been summoned by her grandfather, Gung-Gung to attend an emergency board meeting. Lily is happy to take her father’s place for exotic travel, family reunions, and romantic dates with her new boyfriend, Daniel Kwok, who’s there for business. Lily and her mother stay at her grandparents’ hillside home on Hong Kong Island, but tension between Gung-Gung and Ma makes it hard to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, especially with the city in turmoil. Gung-Gung won’t say anything about the meeting and Ma is worried that her career is in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the teenage daughter of Gung-Gung’s driver is pulled into the dangerous riots.
As Lily and Ma discover shaky finances, questionable loans, and plans for the future involving them both, Lily’s escalating romance with Daniel puts her heart at risk. Will her ninja skills allow her to protect her mother, the family business, and the renegade teen while navigating love, corporate intrigue, and murderous triads?
Comments are closed.
“Pleasant Arts Flower Co., Limited is among the certified and
proficient counterfeit plants makers in China.
China Best Artificial Plants Supplier
You have quality content on your blog, I appreciate it and I’ll always come around.
Those who are facing issues with AOL Email account or those who are getting errors like AOL Mail Not Working Error contact us for the best solution for this.
Thank you for providing this interesting and interesting topic information. I will regularly update your next posts.
Foodnerd provides the top food delivery service in Pakistan. Just place your order online & we will deliver to your location. We guarantee food quality!
Foodnerd has the best restaurant POS system & has years of experience in delivering Lightspeed POS Software effectively. Contact us & run your business smoothly.
Worried about your grocery? Don’t be! Howmuch is the best online grocery store & delivery service in pakistan. Order your grocery products with free shipping NOW.
We provide the best grocery pos sysem. Easily run and scale your business with our grocery store pos system & manage your costumers on Howmuch inventory software.
Very nice blog and articles. I am really very happy to visit your blog. Now I am found what I actually want. I check your blog every day and try to learn something from your blog. Thank you and waiting for your new post.
Je ne suis pas vraiment un lecteur Internet pour être honnête mais vos blogs vraiment sympa, continue comme ça ! Je vais aller de l’avant et ajouter votre site à vos favoris pour revenir à l’avenir. advgamble.com
It’s a great pleasure reading your post. It’s full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that “The content of your post is awesome” Great work.
This is really a nice and informative, containing all information and also has a great impact on the new technology. Thanks for sharing it.
It’s a great pleasure reading your post. It’s full of information I am looking for and I love to post a comment that “The content of your post is awesome” Great work.
The information you have posted is very useful. The sites you have referred was good. Thanks for sharing this.
Wonderful article. Thanks for putting this together! This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here.
Awesome and interesting article. Great things you’ve always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this kind of post.
This is the first time I visit here. I found so much interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles. I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work.
Nice to read your article! I am looking forward to sharing your adventures and experiences.
I would like to say that this blog really convinced me to do it! Thanks. Very good post.
Great Efforts! Thanks for posting this useful information with us.
Superbly written article. If only all bloggers offered the same content as you. the internet would be a far better place.
This is the first time I am visiting here and I found so much interesting stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. Thank you.
I think that thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here.
Thanks for the tips and information. I really appreciate it.
Thanks for a wonderful share. Your article has proved the hard work and the experience you have got in this field. Brilliant. I love it reading.
This is the first time I am visiting here and I found so much interesting stuff in your blog, especially its discussion. Thank you.
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. Therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article.
I love this blog! The flash up the top is awesome!
That is really nice to hear. Thank you for the update and good luck.
Excellent and very exciting site. Love to watch. Keep Rocking.
What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more posts like these. Thank you very much.
Assuming you are searching for more data about level rate locksmith Las Vegas check that immediately.
I read that Post and got it fine and informative.
Good article , I am going to spend more time learning about this topic