Naming characters and places based on Mediterranean / Greek / Romance names
I'm building a world loosely based on Mediterranean countries, such as Greece (Crete & Cyclades), Spain (all regions), Italy (Sicily, Sardinia, Naples area, a bit of Umbria and Tuscany) and Southern France...
I've done a lot of research on names and etymology, but I am kind of worried my names are going to sound "off" if I base them on actual historical names from these countries... I've researched both ancient and medieval names.
Would Marcelline, Penelope, Tullia, Ugo, Giselle sound weird in fantasy? And more importantly, would they sound weird to English-speaking readers? And more, more importamtly - if I ever get readers from, say, France - are they going to roll their eyes off in disbelief? Lol
Thanks!
Posted Feb 19, 2026, 9:59 PM UTC
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