names invented by writers

I have an absolutely crazy passion for names. I read endless books about them and when writing, I often change the name of my character 3 or 4 times before I feel I have the right one. 

So I’d like to bore my readers with a few words about names invented by writers.  So far I haven’t tried to invent a new name for any character.  But other writers have or have adapted a name they have found and popularised it.  These are just a few, and I’ll possibly write some more later.

The name Corisande has been taken from a character in the Amadis de Gaul, a collect of chivalric romances.  It was used as a poetical name for Diane De Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II of France... Later Disraeli used it for a character in one of his novels... and while it never become popular, it was in occasional use.  

The name Pamela which was very popular in the 20^th century was apparently invented by the Elizabethan Poet Sir Philip Sidney.  It probably means “all sweetness”. 

Vanessa, now very well known, was invented by Jonathan Swift, who used it as a pet name for a lady friend and correspondent... Esther Vanhomrigh…Van from her surname and “Essa” from her first name.

The name Geraldine was invented by the poet, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, as a name for Elizabeth Fitzgerald, a lady he was in love with.  Geraldine was obviously derived from her surname.  Coleridge used the name in his poem “Christabel”, making the last syllable rhyme with “mine” rather than the “Gerald-een” sound that most people use.  The name has always been popular in Ireland.  It can be abbreviated to Gerry, or Dina...

Lucasta, a rarely used name, was invented by the poet Lovelace for one of his loves, a member of the Lucas family.  But the meaning can also be seen as “Lux Casta” or “chaste Light” in Latin.