Naming a 'lady of the night'...

[texas_girl]

Hi there. I'm writing my western... and then comes along a female character of ill repute. What do I name her? I've thought of some: Jeannine, Lula, etc. I want something period and realistic... and evil. She could be considered an antagonist. Help please. :)

[Puma]

Jezzie or Jezabel were the first ones in my mind. Puma

[Bracken]

Cassandra. Belle. Leticia. Nell.

Well... here: you pick.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poindexterfamily/OldNames.html

[alleycat]

Well, you could use something Biblical (as was often done back in the 1800s), or look up a period name (just look up famous people in the 1800s and use one of their first names), or one of the common name such as Jane, Mary, Emily, etc., or a combination of two of them (Sarah Jane).

[Maryn]

I hope it's not inappropriate to chime in when I don't write westerns. But even in those days, nobody held their infant daughter and said, "She's going to grow up a whore, so let's give her a name that fits."

Research the popularity of names given about twenty years before and you should come up with a name that rings true rather than from a stereotype of western women of ill repute.

Here's one place to look: http://www.google.com/search?q=popular+names+1870&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Maryn, fan of realism

[lcwrite]

One of the legends of the Yellow Rose of Texas is Emily West Morgan, a former slave/99 year-long indentured servant that worked as a prostitute. She kept General Santa Anna busy long enough for Texas forces to unite.

You might use some variation of her, say Amelia or something.

[lcwrite]

Or maybe watch a bunch of Gunsmoke episodes and get a name for one of Ms. Kitty's girls. What was the character name of the girl in Hang Em High?

[Bracken]

I hope it's not inappropriate to chime in when I don't write westerns. But even in those days, nobody held their infant daughter and said, "She's going to grow up a whore, so let's give her a name that fits."

Research the popularity of names given about twenty years before and you should come up with a name that rings true rather than from a stereotype of western women of ill repute.

Here's one place to look: http://www.google.com/search?q=popular+names+1870&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Maryn, fan of realism


True, but I'll bet prostitutes then (as now) chose their own "work names", both to protect their true identities, the reputations of their families, and also... well, it's just helpful to have a different persona when one does that kind of work. A work name is rather crucial. It seems pretty universal, among sex-workers past and present, that they work under a fake name.

It might not necessarily be a "slutty" or "sexy' name... just a name that an unrefined and uneducated woman of that era would believe to be elegant and sophisticated.

[texas_girl]

I hope it's not inappropriate to chime in when I don't write westerns. But even in those days, nobody held their infant daughter and said, "She's going to grow up a whore, so let's give her a name that fits."

Research the popularity of names given about twenty years before and you should come up with a name that rings true rather than from a stereotype of western women of ill repute.

Here's one place to look: http://www.google.com/search?q=popular+names+1870&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Maryn, fan of realism

The names I've been looking at were already popular in the 1800's. Though I do see your point, no one would name their child hoping she would become a prostitute. I want something that was common, yet subtly denotes her character.

[MissAimee]

If you want something from the 1880's here the Social Security Administrations.. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/. It gives you all the populars names for each year from 1880-2011.

[alleycat]

Magdalene?

[Shadow_Ferret]

Can't you just name her an ordinary name? I really dislike names that seemed to have been chosen to fit a character's profession or their destiny or what have you. You know, the names they discuss in literary class: "why did the author choose this name?"

Just give her a nice woman's name from the period. Emily.

[Jamesaritchie]

Don't do an evil name. Might as well hang a sign aorund her neck saying, "The writer really wants you to know this is an evil woman, even before she does anything evil."

Just give her a name, exactly as her parents did. If you want to add to it, give her a nickname. Nicknames were extremely common in the old west, for men and woman.

[Mark W.]

For me, it would depend on her history. Is she a "high brow call girl" or a low born whorehouse girl? A high brow girl would probably choose a alias which carries meaning beyond the obvious in order to create a persona.... say "Ophelia" or "Madgaline". A low born girl would chose an alias to advertise and entice men for services... say "Happy Alice" or "Lady Lace".

[Bracken]

A low born girl would chose an alias to advertise and entice men for services... say "Happy Alice" or "Lady Lace".


"Fanny". Or "Fancy". Lol. :tongue

[J.W.]

Richard Rachel Nixon

[Cav Guy]

True, but I'll bet prostitutes then (as now) chose their own "work names", both to protect their true identities, the reputations of their families, and also... well, it's just helpful to have a different persona when one does that kind of work. A work name is rather crucial. It seems pretty universal, among sex-workers past and present, that they work under a fake name.

It might not necessarily be a "slutty" or "sexy' name... just a name that an unrefined and uneducated woman of that era would believe to be elegant and sophisticated.
They almost always did use "working names" (either of their own choosing or 'given' to them by patrons).

You might consider mining Shakespeare or other literary sources as well. Some of the Frontier folk were very well-read (or possibly she selected it as a reminder of her background...keep those doors open).

One of the more famous soiled doves went by the name "Squirreltooth Alice" because she had a pet squirrel. There might also be a name the other girls use for her that isn't necessarily her work name.

[texas_girl]

Thanks Cav Guy!