Message: "The use of obviously Italian names on those who obviously aren't Italian..."

[Opinions] The use of obviously Italian names on those who obviously aren't Italian...

by Briallen (Ora)

3/24/2006, 8:00 PM

Okay so I work at a bookstore and publishing houses send us advance reader copies of books and one we got that I'm currently in love with is The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi (it's being hyped as a "Da Vinci" type book but it's so much more than that and SO much BETTER! Which surprised me! It's a lot more believable too which I really like).

Anyhoo, the main characters are Dr. (Sister) Ottavia Salina, Captain Kaspar Glauser-Roist and Professor Farag Boswell.

One of the things I've fallen in love with in this book (aside from the story, lol) are the names! All the beautiful Italian names which has just renewed my love of the country, language and culture of Italy. I went through a few years where I loved them but people were like "you could never use that name! It's too Italian! You don't look at all Italian!"

Could this be a problem - well, not exactly problem but would it really raise a lot of eyebrows? Keep in mind, I'd probably be living in Britain or New England USA so if possible, would some of these names just be too odd?

Some of my favorites from the book:

Doria
Lucia
Giacoma
Rosalia
Livia
Filippa
Ottavia
Agueda

Salvatore
Dante
Domenico

Random Italian names that I like: (my taste in Italian names is... a bit more dramatic and broad than my taste is "common" (or whatever you'd say) names)