Weekly Geeks 2009-06 What's In a Name...

While the Weekly Geeks post didn't specify you had to use book character names, I feel like I'm partly cheating for my post. Oh well.

For this week's edition of Weekly Geeks, we're going to take a closer look at character names. What are some of your favorite character names? Go to Google or a baby name site like this one or this one, and look up a favorite character's name. What does their name mean? Do you think the meaning fits the character? Why or why not?

Jack (as in Jack O'Neill) Its source is John, an English name meaning "God's grace." Supposedly his nickname for Jonathan (though I don't remember this ever being used on the show.) Meaning: Its source is Yehonatan, a Hebrew name meaning "Gift of God." He is a character played by Richard Dean Anderson. The meaning for Richard...Its source is ric hard, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Powerful leader." The entry for Dean..."Its source is denu, an Old English name meaning "Valley dweller."

I like the 'powerful leader' description. You can't really get any more Jack than that.

Daniel (as in Daniel Jackson). Its source is a Hebrew expression meaning "My judge is God." Jackson (his last name, like Jack's above)...Its source is John, an English name meaning "God's grace." He is a character played by Michael Shanks. The entry for Michael...Its source is a Hebrew expression meaning "Who resembles God."

I can't really draw anything from those meanings that relate to his character. Though he is (in some ways) wise like Daniel (from the Bible)--a scholar who is good at solving mysteries (scholarly mysteries). Deciphering language, symbols; decoding cultures, etc. He's the philosophical one of the team.

As you might have predicted, Teal'c is not in any baby-name dictionary I could find. It would be cool to see if the show's creator ever gave this Jaffa name a meaning. Teal'c is played by Christopher Judge. Christopher...Meaning: Its source is Kristophoros, a Greek name meaning "Christ carrier."

Samantha (as in Samantha Carter). Its source is Samuel, an English name meaning "God heard." She's a character played by Amanda Tapping. Amanda....Its source is amanda, amandus, a Latin name meaning "One that must be loved, lovable."

Jack sure finds Sam lovable...


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews