What's in a Name?

Hello, gentle readers!

What’s in a name? Everything, especially if you’re writing historical western romance. Names should be in keeping with the time that you’re writing in AND should fit your character…which brings me to my current conundrum. I have chosen a name for the heroine of the new story I’m working on. And it does fit her. Very much so. She’s a very prim and proper Bostonian suddenly thrust into a small town in Texas. And she’s a doctor.

Here’s the problem. My hero just doesn’t think her name fits her and calls her something else, a nickname that isn’t normally associated with that name. Well, of course, she doesn’t like it and pretty much tells him so; however, our hero is a fun-loving, not serious in the least type person and insists that’s what he’s going to call her. Doesn’t matter much what she says. And to make matters worse, he has everyone in the whole town calling her this new nickname that just isn’t the norm for her name, much to her frustration (though not for long).

So here’s my question…I can do this, can’t I? There is no hard and fast rule that says because your name is this, everyone will naturally shorten it to the most common diminutive. You see, over the course of the story, my heroine will lose some of her properness and learn to have fun and then her new nickname will fit her perfectly.

Do you have an opinion on this? I would love to hear your thoughts…or am I worrying over nothing (I’m really good at that)? 

Until next time, remember to spread kindness wherever you go.

Marie