be creative for me!

[deird1]

So, I've been coming up with superheroes.


I have the tentative beginnings of a superhero story brewing, in a world which
a) has to be somewhat similar to the Marvel and DC universes, in that it features masked/caped superheroes flying around the place defending the innocent
b) can't actually be the Marvel or DC universe, for plot related reasons.

Hence, I've been coming up with backstory - including the world's very first superheroes, both from London in the 20s.


And here is my shallow, ridiculous, first-world dilemma: I don't have a last name for my first-ever superhero.

His superhero name? Got that: Black Arrow.
Powers? All figured out?
Personal life? Done.
Costume? Easy.
First name? It's Leonard.
But his last name? ...no clue.

I should be moving on and continuing to come up with an actual story, but instead I am sitting here, headdesking, and growling "Dammit, Leonard, just give yourself a last name! WHAT IS IT???"


So - any suggestions?

I'm wanting something British and mildly upperclass, probably a trade-ish name. Like Weaver, Tanner, Wright, or something.

Help?

Comments

[spuffyduds]

Hmmm, Wheelwright?

[lutamira]

Here's a fun chart I like to stare at sometimes. Maybe some good ideas there?

[deird1]

Oooh...

*stares*

[gillo]

Try Googling English cricket and rugby teams from that period, so you can find something plausible - both games were much more upper-crust in England back then. Or look at websites of Top Schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Rugby) in their historical bits to find the sorts of names that were associated with the Upper crust.

Or just Google ducal names - Cavendish, Talbot, Grosvenor and so on...

[draconin.livejournal.com]

(Draconin:) If he is Black Arrow then surely his surname *must* be Fletcher!

[mercredigirl]

I like this one!

[immer_am_lesen]

Bah, beaten to the 'Fletcher' name. ;-)
Fletcher; Carter; Cooper; Wright; Smith.....; Weaver; Chandler; Tailor/Taylor; Chapman; Knight; Tinker; Mason.

Have fun! :-)

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

The problem with surnames based on an occupation is that by definition, they're not very upperclass. A Weaver or a Fletcher would be skilled working-class, not a member of the aristocracy. And while it's obviously possible the family may have risen in social class since they first acquired their name, it's less likely they'd have broken into the actual aristocracy.

Plus having a name that sounds like a working class occupation doesn't give the impression of being very upper-class.

Following on Gill's suggestion, these are the surnames of the members of the Middlesex County Cricket Club first class team during the 1920s:

Allen, Atkinson, Bennett, Beton, Bettington, Burtt, Butterworth, Canning, Carris, Childs-Clarke, Clifford, Crawley, Crutchley, Cuthbertson, Dales, Dalmeny, Doggart, Dunglass, Durlacher, Durston, Enthoven, Fowler, Gray, Guise, Gunasekera, Haig, Hart, Hawkins, Hearne, Hendren, Hill, Horton, Hulme, Hunt, Kidd, Killick, Lee, Lester, Livock, Longman, Love, Mann, Martin, Massey, Moffat, Munt, Murrell, Newman, North, Nunn, Paine, Peebles, Powell, Prentice, Price, Raphael, Robins, Robson, Russell, Saville, Sharpe, Sherwell, Sims, Skeet, Stevens, Sweetland, Tanner, Twining, Warner, Wenyon, Wheatley, White, Wormald.

There's a 'Tanner' in there, but he seems out of place to me. And a 'Fowler', but that's okay because fowling is definitely an upperclass sport. :)

[curiouswombat]

I'd go with Gunasekera just to be awkward...