Would a Darcy by any other name be loved as much? If Mr. Bingley were to say: “Ladies, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Mr. Fitzwilliam Odieux,” would the Bennet girls have spent more time trying to figure out why there was an unfortunately odious French relative in this tall man’s past…or, like me, wonder how to spell his last name…rather than focusing on the man’s reputed fortune or his stately air? Hmm.

Or if Pemberely were, let’s imagine, simply called Thistle Park, would we all be as immediately excited to get that first glimpse of the estate? Perhaps…but there is something quite grand, in my opinion, about the names Jane Austen chose for her characters and her settings. There seems to be much thought and care behind their selection.

And, of course, all of us Austen lovers know Jane changed titles as she revised and restructured her novels. That Pride and Prejudice was originally called First Impressions. That Sense and Sensibility was, in the beginning, Elinor and Marianne. That Susan later became Northanger Abbey. And I wonder if she agonized over making these selections the way I do over my own: Maybe this is a good title, but is it the RIGHT title? Will readers find it clever? Fitting? Memorable?

I find myself asking these questions — often — because, as novelists, we’re charged with the naming of many people, numerous places and bunches of book titles, and I know as a reader that we all make predictions about a book based upon some of these names. My debut novel, According to Jane, was actually a rarity for me in that it had only one prior title. I’d originally called it My Best Friend Jane, but made the switch early (sometime in the middle of the second draft) and was delighted that it stuck through right to the end.

My second novel, Friday Mornings at Nine, however, went through no fewer than 30 possible titles (!!!) before my publishing house finally agreed on one. My upcoming fall novel, A Summer in Europe (which is like a modern-day A Room with a View), had over 40 possibilities…and, in the end, my long list mattered not one bit. My editor and the sales staff made the final title selection!

In the realm of my romantic comedies, where I am not only the author but the publisher, it’s been no simpler. On Any Given Sundae went through half a dozen titles before I found what I felt was the perfect one for the book. And my next digital novel coming in September, Double Dipping, had so many title changes I can barely count them all. I wrote the first draft of that romance back in 2002 when I’d named it Second to No One. But with every complete rewrite (of which there were MANY!!), the title changed. One of my favorites was Two Scoops, Hot Fudge & a Man On Top…but that was kind of long and wordy (although, admittedly, descriptive). 

And, so, I ask you, what are some book titles, characters or place names that you especially loved? Names that you think added to the story because they were ideally suited to their novels? And are there any books you’d retitle if you could? For instance, would you change North and South to, say, Mr. Thornton Falls in Love? (By the way, did you know Elizabeth Gaskell originally called the book Margaret Hale but her publisher asked her to rename it? I just learned that today!) Would you rename Jane Eyre or Persuasion or Great Expectations? Would you call Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables something like Marcus Zimmerman or Charles Ashwood instead? And if you’ve titled a book of your own, how many names did you go through before you finally selected the one you felt was best?? I’d love to hear your thoughts!