My character has the wrong name - please help

[Albaalba]

I'm 100,000 words into my mainstream novel, and my hero is called Adrian. I've always been dubious about his name, but now, at the end of my first draft, I think it's wrong for him - too... wet,,, and it's affecting the story. Can you naming experts help please?

Is 'Adrian' a suitable name for a middle class, sporty doctor, aged 35, who is fundamentally nice but a bit misguided? He's masculine, but not excessively so. Is it suitable for a romantic hero, or do you sort of wrinkle your nose when you hear it?

If you don't like Adrian, why? And can you come up with any alternatives? A multi-syllabled name would be good, as the other main character's name is short (makes it easier on readers). Names beginning with A would be helpful (to avoid my head exploding with confusion), but I could live with a non-A name. Name cannot start with 'M'. That's taken.

Please help. Are my instincts right here?

VocationalGoat I feel your pain. I have 2 hours a week to write - so I am spending it on Mumsnet to try to think up a new name :-) But Adrian is just so wrong that it's messing up how I write his character. How did you know yours was wrong?

Max. Hmm. That could work.

I think I will do a find and replace for Max, Tom, Daniel and Andrew and then read a couple of chapters. Maybe Theo too.

He's too old/ young for Theo.
Andrew is as wet as Adrian imo.

Allan? Seems cooler than Alan somehow.

Totally wrong for a masculine 35 year old sport doctor. i would go for Adam.

I'm about the age of your character and Ben was a very popular name at the time. There are quite a few Joshua's around of my brothers age (4 years younger). Adam is not bad but Alan or Allan was def not popular in my generation. There were lots of David's, Anthony's, Matthews, Peters. All a bit boring maybe!

Not Andrew, if you don't want him to sound Scottish (the patron saint)

Joshua would be good.

I have a 35 year old doctor brother LOL
James
Mark
Andrew
Chris
Dan
Rupert
Will
Rob
Simon
Richard
Alex
David
All fit the type!

Did you say NOT Scottish?

If you were leaning towards Scottish I'd have said Fraser. There are loads about in that age bracket who fit the brief (imho!)

Andrew, known as Drew (know a 34 year old one of those )?

Edward would be Ed I think, not Ted. Ted is much younger (and Teddy is in his 80s )

Simon? Philip?

Joshua/Josh
Joseph/Joe
William/Will
Nicholas/Nick
Jeremy/Jez
Jonathan/John
Richard/Rick/Rich

Alban? Bit on the Scottish side though.

I am quite fancying sporty doctor Fraser

A PP suggested Gus.

if you lengthened that to Angus that would fit your A criterion.

It also says sporty Scottish doctor to me!

My character is the only non Scottish one, so to avoid confusion I want to avoid the Scots names, like Gus. I do like Fraser, not appropriate here but I will save him for another day :-)

Winterqueen great names but unfortunately most match close family or the names of other key characters.

Thanks everyone, it's really helped to reaffirm that Adrian needs a new name, and I've got a few to try on him, see how they fit.... Now wondering if it's harder to name a character than a child.

when you described him Ben came to my mind.

but Adam would be much better than Adrian.

Adam, Tom or Ben i think

Perhaps you could just turn him into Hadrian?

That should emphasise separation from the Scots.

Ha, yes, well that's why I chose Adrian initially, and because being from over the border, or the wrong side/separation, or being different is his greatest fear.

I'm mid 30's and Scottish. Most boys at school were Ross, Scott or Martin.

Alec?

I would go for Alexander as well but shorten it to Xander.

The only Adrian I know it's plump and bald (but lovely).

Craig or Gabe (short for Gabriel) have a similar 'a' sound in them and we're names of two popular, middle class boys I went to school with in the 80s (I'm 35 now).

I know an exceedingly good looking Scot called Andy but it's a bit dull. Abe or Alex might work?

My first thought was Tristan...

I've read the OP and nothing else, so not to be influenced, but his name is clearly Patrick.

I wouldn't change his name, tbh.

What is it that means a certain character has to have a certain name? Why? Why is it the rule that an Adrian can't be a certain (cool, sexy, etc)kind of person (or age)? On this board you read all the time that people grow into their names - someone suggests a "horror-name" but there is always another person who posts they know one who is lovely and in their mid-20's or something.

Buck the trend of feeling you have to call your characters by predictable names. Your writing will not stand or fall on the name of the character. You could have Trevor, or Godfrey or Colin (so long as it's not way out of the realms of likelihood), but your writing and plot would carry the story, not the baggage of a kind of name.

Which is kind of why it was brilliant that "Flynn Rider" in Disney "Tangled" was actually called Eugene. They should have called him it earlier in the plot though.

Christopher nn Kit
Adrian nn Adie/Ade
Haydn
Liam
Ben

All literary Adrians live in the shadow of Adrian Mole.

Reading your description I thought "Frazer", but this may imply Scottishness, which may or may not bother you. Alexander and Anthony are great suggestions too.