Lord Derek Rockhard, or what's hidden in YOUR name?

So I’m in the process of mapping out my next series of books, and I’ve been reflecting on how important and evocative names are. I mean, a romance hero is more likely to be named Lord Derek Rockhard than Lord Percy Throckmorton, though I suppose Lord Derek Rockhard could be masquerading as Lord Percy Throckmorton by day and robbing the rich to give to the poor by night or something (and no, that isn’t the plot of my next book). But a whole host of things, some subtle, some overt, some singular, influence the way we feel about a name—among them strong consonant sounds, ingrained assumptions, and whether or not someone named Derek dumped us for our best friend in high school. So naming characters is a funny little science.

I love metaphor and symbolism in general and I always sort of reflexively look for it, so I’ve always been fascinated how strangely prophetic or poetic names often turn out to be. For example, there’s Helen Gurley Brown, the founder and Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine. “Gurley” sounds like “girly.” And how much more “girly” can you get than Cosmo? Or…Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue. When pronounced correctly, her name contains two very powerful words—“win” and “tower”— and she certainly towers in her industry. And remember that incident a few years ago, where 118 men were trapped in a Russian submarine and died? That submarine was called the Kursk, which sounds an awful lot like “cursed” to me. When I walk down the main street in my neighborhood I pass the offices of Dr. Chu the dentist and Dr. Vu the optometrist. I recently noticed that the last name of the wardrobe designer for one of my favorite television shows is “Rayment,” like “raiment.” And do I really have to mention Lorena Bobbitt, who's infamous for, er..."bobbing" it? Anyway, it’s kind of fun to think about.

And because I can never leave well enough alone and always end up digging a little deeper no matter what I’m doing, I like playing with the Anagram Genius, which can be both hilarious and downright eerie. If you haven’t heard of it, when you plug your name into the Anagram Genius it returns words and sentences created from the letters of your name. Here’s a fun example of what happens: last year when I decided to move to a new agent, just for fun, I plugged my agent’s (the one I have now) name into the Anagram Genius, and it returned the words “trade,” “love,” and “novel,” among other intriguing selections. And since his “trade” involves selling romance novels, I thought this was pretty bloody funny.  Maybe he was born to do it.

During the infamous dog mauling trial here in San Francisco a few years ago (two people were on trial for murder because their enormous dogs killed a San Francisco woman), I plugged the name of the defendant, Marjorie Knoller, into the Anagram Genius, and one of the words it returned was “killer.” A little shiver, there.

My own name, sadly, contains words like “alien,” “jungle” and “nun,” which might go a long way toward explaining something, but I'm not sure what. I should have changed my name to Julie Anne Filthyrich long ago. (or Julie Anne Superhot. Or Julie Anne Buythisbook.)

Here’s what comes up when you plug some celebrity names into the Anagram Genius:

Jerry Seinfeld—Friendly Jeers

George Clooney—Energy, Cool Ego

Michael Jackson—Manacle His Jock

Jennifer Aniston—Fine in torn jeans

Ashton Kutcher—Suck her hot tan

Angelina Jolie—I join anal glee

Anderson Cooper—Coarsened Porno.

(The program came up with these, folks. I'm just reporting them.)

So I thought you might have some fun playing with the Anagram Genius…the link will take you to a page with a light sample version of the program. You can download a larger trial version if you really get into it. Tell me if you come up with some funny anagrams, and if they fit you! And do you know of any fun or prophetic names?

Comments

[Amy W.]

Mine Rocks! My name is Amy Wilson, and my anagram is, "Is Womanly." I like to think it's true! ;)

[Cassie]

I don't think I like mine. It's sort of a contradiction. I'm Cass Underhill. Mine is "A Rich Dullness"!!!! My husband thought it was hilarious.

[Caro in SD]

Julie--I think mine rocks too. Here it is: "Clear Monarchy!" My husband Todd got "A Charmed Dot!" That describes our mariage. I'm the monarch, he's the dot. Heehe. Nice blog.

[Julie Anne Long]

Those are cool, girls! LOL. How can you argue with a "clear monarchy?" And cassie, I think "a rich dullness" describes the finish on my furniture. LOL. Or maybe my mind after too many late nights writing. I forgot to share mine with you guys from the shorty version of Anagram Genius, but it's not a very good one: Alien on Jungle. When I downloaded the trial version, the best one I got was, "Ole! Jingle a nun!" LOL. Anybody got any more??

[Donna S.]

oh no! Mine is Rat on Lividness! I need to change my name. :)

[Isabel]

Julie, what's in a name is one of my favorite topics. Believe me I've paid close attention to names since my mother's old dentist had the last name Tooth.
Rich my better half, is "His Grand Rich" and interestingly enough his last name means "lion" Richard the lionhearted perhaps?

I'm "Rosier, amiable star". My cat Jaggers is "eggs jar"...ok....and my bird E.B. when I spell out her name is "able ridge"

Just for kicks I looked up Britney Spears and came up with "Best PR in years" and Kevin Federline "Keen fine Drivel"

Now I'm addicted to this site :)

[Julie Anne Long]

Donna, yours is pretty funny! LOL. Don't worry, I have a friend who's the nicest guy in the world, just a very mellow sweetheart raised in the midwest...and one of the words in his name is "nazi!" LOL. Maybe our names contain alter-ego's, too...hmmm...

Hey Isabel! You and your hubby have GREAT ones! How nice to be an amiable star! LOL. And that's an interesting connection re Richard and Lion. This is trippy, isn't it?? I love it. I love my sister's anagram: "In zestier blackheart." It makes her sound like a flamboyant pirate.

A few other interesting ones: Lance Armstrong becomes "Strong-arm Clean." And Leonard Cohen, one of my favorite songwriters/poets (and not the cheeriest guy in the world), came back with "non-drole ache."

It IS kind of addictive once you get started. :) Let's hear more, if you guys have more!

[Isabel]

Well, I searched some of my favorite classic authors like Charlotte Bronte "tolerant botcher". Jane Austen "tune a jeans". Charles Dickens "He's a slick dancer". William Makepeace Thackeray "Tame Whackier, palacelike may". Mary Shelley "Really shy, me". Emily Bronte "timely boner". Gabriel Garcia Marquez "quiz magic, rare algebra". Miguel de Cervantes "scavange elite mud".
Ok, I'm getting carried away now...

[Julie Anne Long]

Wow, Isabel! I especially love the Garcia Marquez anagram. If you were to describe his books in just a few oblique, poetic words, those would be the words. Lovely. And of course, any anagram with the word "boner" in it is going to crack me up.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's is brilliant, too: "Gloom led literary cause." And Emily Dickinson: "Skinny Domicile." For a woman whose world was very small, as she seldom left home...but whose soul was immense, of course.

Once you start doing these, it's kind of hard to stop. :)

[Isabel]

I got goosebumps when I saw the results for GGM. That's just how his writing is "magical and rare"

Ok, so it continues...chocolate is "cool cheat" not bad, eh?

[Anna Louise]

My DH is enjoying this a little too much. He's "Am Is Hot." I'm "Halo As in Nausea!" I do like the halo part, though. My sister's is "Skinnier, Rich Neat!!" She's none of those things!! She's hoping it's a prediction. This is fun.

[Lareign]

Hah. On my full name, I got "Well! Magical hinderer!" On just first and last name, I got "Grand wailer." I think my mom would agree with that one, haha. I've felt like wailing the last few days-my a/c broke Friday, and while emergency maintenance came out and fixed it, now it can't be turned onto Auto, like normal. It has to be on Cool or Off. Although now it's on Fan, and I'm hoping that'll ease the electric bill, since I can't get it fixed till Wednesday. And I've been fighting with a close friend...so yeah, lotsa wailing lately. :P

[Julie Anne Long]

I'm really enjoying these yin/yang husband/wife anagrams. They're pretty wild. And "Skinnier, Rich, Neat!" sounds kind of like an affirmation, Anna Louise, or New Year's resolutions. LOL. Either that, or like you're being nagged!!

And Lareign: Grand Wailer sounds very... majestic. Like you're the town cryer, or the Chief Mourner, or something. And Magical is SUPER cool. Hinderer is also a very good word. Makes you sounds like someone who can stop evil doers in their tracks..."Well, Magical Hinderer, we need YOU to save the town from Godzilla!!" And etc. And GL with the AC, Magical Hinderer. :) That must be a drag. It's freezing here in SF, believe it or not. Foggy, windy, the works. The sky was the exact same white shade all day long. We should have very smudgey fireworks against the fog tomorrow night :)

BTW, the anagram for The Fourth of July is "Hurtful of the Joy." Is that a subtle little reminder to, um, let GO of the firecracker right after you light it, lest the joy hurt? Is that a hint at the sacrifices our Founding Fathers made in founding the country?? Regardless, hope everyone experiences a good dose of joy tomorrow, and may it be pain free. :) Happy 4th of July to us Americans, and for those of you living elsewhere, feel free to raise a glass to us Yanks tomorrow. :) (It's always good to have an excuse to raise a glass, yes?)

[Isabel]

Happy 4th of July :)

[Marcia Hodge]

I love mine! My name is Marcia Hodge and anagram is: "Oh Dear! Magic."

[Julie Anne Long]

LOL! Marcia, yours is great, too! Maybe you and Lareign should join forces. :) I wish I had "magic" as part of my name, too!!

On the flipside of the cool anagrams, a friend of mine was dismayed to discover that his was "stinking cow vet." Supportive friend that I am, I laughed really hard. (He doesn't particularly smell, and he's not a vet, and he has a big dog, but no cows).

[Marcia Hodge]

My full name anagrans to: "Gracious and shame." I much prefer "Oh Dear! Magic!!"
But, then, either is far preferable to "Stinking Cow Vet." Bahahahahahaaa!

[Julie Anne Long]

Boy, Marcia, all of your anagrams are pretty cool! HOw did you manage that?? LOL.

[Marcia Hodge]

I have always been unlucky at cards and in love, so perhaps the anagram Gods have decided to bestow their kindness? One last anagram; my maiden name anagrams to: 'I am calm arms.'

This was fun. Thank you!

[Ranurgis]

I get one that's not too bad with my full name, though it does *not* apply to me "Muscular thrush lazing". And I really can't relate to my shorter name "Slug zinc rush". I guess a lot of people would equate me with "lazing" and "slug" though since I've never been a super-active person and then, of course, I have to rush everywhere to make up for lost time.

You're right, this is addictive. Have to see now how the rest of my family makes out in this.

My mother was into numbers. Not quite sure how but for instance: Her mother died 9.9.1949, her father 10.10.1978, my father 4.4.1983. Of course, she figured she'd die on a double day-month date too. But she died 21.8.2003

[steve]

what the? hey, julie, didn't we play this game like 4 years ago during some downtime at FCA? anyway here are a few using different combinations of my name:

1) stephen edward czerniak = Dark wrenches pedantize. hmmm, pulling a muscle in at night while reading?

2) stephen czerniak = Prize keen snatch. WHOA! something i've been looking for. hehehe.

3) steve czerniak = Raze sick event. many meanings, i guess.

that Z just throws things into the wild arena.

now for the wife:

1) allison wonsun kim = Now. Skull insomnia. THIS is crazy true!! allison's full name and she is addicted to melatonin and has trouble falling asleep every night!!! scarrrrrry...

that's it for now.

[Julie Anne Long]

Ranurgis, your anagrams are cool, in that all of them contain contradictions! Isn't that interesting? You've got "muscular" and "lazing" in one, and rush and slug in the other. Two sides of your personality warring with each other?? LOL. These are really interesting.

Estebean! Yeah, you're the guy I referenced up above who had "nazi" in his name!! Remember that?? Those pesky "z's." But my sis has a "z" in her middle name, and she ended up with the word "zestier" as part of her anagram. Some people have all the luck! Alli's, your wife's, is VERY trippy...maybe she should drop the "Kim" from her name altogether! Wonder if she would sleep then?? And yours are pretty cryptic. "Dark wrenches pedantize?!" That's what you should name your next CD!!

[Vibram]

Success breeds success. (People who are successful find it easy to repeat their success)