There she is. Badass.
I get it. In fact, I got it about two weeks after I wrote the original post, so I wrote a follow-up post (here) taking back my assertion that Katniss was the modern day equivalent of Spock - a science fiction character and not a name. It wasn't a full take back (I never said that Katniss is a real name), but I did admit some wrongdoing. Nonetheless, the Katniss backlash continues. So, I'm trying again.
(The beginning of the most recent comment on
the year old "Katniss is Not a Real Name" post)
I'm still not going to declare that Katniss is a real name (despite the snide, but funny and informative comments I've received). What I will do is acknowledge that I'm not sure that there is such thing as a "real" name. Any word is a name, right? Well, in some states there are words that legally can't be names (think: terrible, horrible 4-letter words) and a judge can actually rename a child if the parent chooses one of the forbidden words. Beyond those rarest of rare circumstances, pretty much any combination of letters can be a name.
Celebrity parents are the most shining example of taking a seemingly random word and turning it into a name. Apple Martin (Gyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter) always comes to mind in these type discussions, though there are far more random words that have become celebrity baby names (i.e. Pilot Inspektor). So, I admit, Katniss is not just the name of a book character, it's also a viable option for the name of a real life lady or gentleman. That's my amended statement - Katniss could be a name.
Pilot Inspektor Lee (son of actor Jason Lee)
Will Katniss become a popular name and someday reign the Top 100 list? Ummm, I don't know, though I kinda, sorta doubt it. But, I'm perfectly happy being proven wrong. So, go ahead - prove me wrong. Start naming your babies Katniss!!!
