When it comes to naming characters, I always try to find the right fit—something unique but not too unusual, and hopefully not a name I’ve overused (almost had too many Margarets at one point!). But as someone called Lorna, I’ve always felt like I belong to a pretty exclusive club. I mean, there aren’t that many of us, right?
That’s why I was totally amazed when a friend accidentally called me the other day. I missed the call, so I messaged them back, "Did you mean to call me, or was it a pocket dial?" The response I got had me laughing: “Sorry! Which Lorna is this…?”
Wait, which Lorna? It turns out, this person had more than one Lorna in their phone! I was the “wrong” Lorna! I always thought being a Lorna put me in rare company, but apparently, my friend has their own little Lorna collection.
But you know what? We had a lovely catch-up anyway! It made me think about how much a name can shape our sense of identity—whether it’s a unique name that stands out or a more common one that people run into all the time. And it’s something I consider when naming my characters, too. I want them to have names that feel like they belong to them, something that adds to who they are in the story.
So, if you’re reading one of my books and wondering where the names come from, just know that each one is chosen with care—especially after my brush with being the “wrong” Lorna.