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?

If you’d like, look up your own name as well and share the meaning.

Just for fun, I asked my girls.

M said: Philippa Gaunt, from The Children of the Lamp series, by P.B. Kerr. Philippa’s source is Philippos, a Greek name meaning “Horse lover.” The character loves animals, so M thinks it fits. Though Philippa prefers cute, cuddly animals to horses.

C said: Gregor from Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins (which took a bit for her to get into, but she really, really liked). Gregor’s source is Gregorios, a Greek name meaning “Vigilant.” She thinks it fits because Gregor is really, really concerned about watching over his little sister, Boots, in the underland.

I’m going to pick Arwyn from Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien, but you knew that), mostly because it’s the only character name I’ve ever considered giving one of my girls. (It was A, if you must know, because she was born a week before Return of the King was released. And yes, I am that sort of geek. I didn’t, in the end, because I figured she would kill me when she grew up.) Arwyn’s source is a Welsh expression meaning “Muse.” And yes, I do think that fits, especially in the books, because Arwyn doesn’t actually do anything, but sit around being pretty and inspiring Aragon.

And, for good measure, my name’s source is a Greek expression meaning “Bee or honey.” Which seems to fit, since I always need to be doing something.