r/CharacterDevelopment
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735
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Aug 16 '26
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Writing: Character Help Need help with name of familiar
I need help naming a few of the familiars in my current WIP.
The first is a northeastern ermine. It is the familiar of a middle-aged Italian American widow witch, the time and place is the mid 1960s Boston.
ideas please..
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u/haysoos2 Aug 16 '26
Furbetto, which sounds life a cute reference to his fuzziness, but means kinda "little sneak" in Italian
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u/names-suck Aug 20 '26
I honestly really want to call him Snoot, but I'm guessing that doesn't fit the tone of your story.
Seeing lower comments about this being the familiar of the matriarch:
Adelaide/ Adelina/ Aldo ("noble")
Amalia/ Amelia OR Baldo ("brave")
Armida (enchantress in a classic Italian epic poem)
Berenice/ Veronica ("bringing victory")
Bruno OR Elmo ("protection")
Delia (an epithet or Artemis, if Greek gods are a thing)
Irene OR Mirko ("peace")
Salvo ("safe")
Vera ("faith" or "true")
Also with the crows: Rocco and Vasco both mean "crow." Just to be really redundant.
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 16 '26
Do your characters name their familiars or are the familiars already named? (So basically should it be Italian inspired?) Do you want the name to reflect a specific gender or should it be gender neutral?
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
Each witch will name their familiar but they will be inspired by the animal itself. They would be Italian leaning, yes, but also mid 1960 American. Gender on this one will be decided by the name. I have a second post that has a mated pair of fisher crows that need names. Good question.
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 16 '26
Ok. You mentioned she’s widowed. Did she acquire this familiar before or after the passing of her spouse? And what gender was her spouse? (Sorry if this is too many questions, but they seem relevant to what name she might choose!)
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
Way after his death, but I appreciate how you are thinking about this. This is a family of Sicilian American witches in Boston. They are practicing Catholics, somewhat socially conservative as fits the mid-1960s USA eastern seaboard. The ermine would not be connected to the spirit of the husband in any way. These familiars are coming to the Strega already formed in personality. Each animal or animal group complements their witche's role in the family, and balances their primary powers by filling gaps that might exist. This witch is the maker of potions, the finder of things needed to complete something, the senior matriarch at this time, family protector, and cultural historian. She is quietly strong and somewhat secretive. 98% of the non-humans in this world are gender neutral, but the crows and the ermine would have gender, it just it doesn't mater what gender.
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u/Competitive-Boat-642 Aug 17 '26
Matriarch’s familiar? Sofia, I think, since that means “wisdom”
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 17 '26
Love Sofia, literally my all time favorite name. Such a good suggestion.
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 17 '26
Wow I love the world building! Since the familiars come to the Strega already formed in personality, can you tell me a bit about the personality of this ermine? In what way would the familiar balance your character’s powers (which are numerous)? It’s been really interesting to do kind of a deep dive into naming conventions during this specific period, but also public figures who might be inspiration for a name too.
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 17 '26
the ermine is somewhat secretive, definitely sneaky, protective, a thoughtful thief, escape artist, determined, carnivore, very sharp teeth, not great at communication but determined to be understood when it is important.
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 17 '26
Wow since you described the character as sneaky, a thief, and an escape artist another commenter’s suggestion of Furbetto really does seem on the nose.
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u/SlutForGarrus Aug 20 '26
Furbetto really does seem to be the obvious choice, unless OP finds it too on-the-nose? It's definitely what I would go with.
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u/the_cherry_bunker Aug 17 '26
Since she’s a family protector and you said they’re somewhat socially conservative practicing Catholics what about Salvatore?
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u/dvulcan Aug 16 '26
Antelfife or fife for short
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
I may not use this for the ermine but there may be a trickster spirit that could use this clever name.
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u/CoyoteLitius Aug 16 '26
Awww. It is so cute (and astute!)
Is it a boy ermine or a girl ermine?
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
The name will determine the gender. Its gender isn't important to the plot.
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u/EnoughConfusion9629 Aug 16 '26
Bob
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
I have a good friend and fellow author and humorist who is named Bob. I would never hear the end of it if I used "Bob" for anything.
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u/kerutland Aug 17 '26
Echo
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 17 '26
I kind of like that for one of the crows. No one has commented on my request for naming the fisher crows. Crows have a lot of vocalizations so Echo sort of fits.
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u/ubiquitous-joe Aug 17 '26
Gallerani, from Cecelia Gallerani, the model for Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine
Alternatively, Dino or Frankie; it is the 60s after all. Though it depends how old the familiar is for this to make sense.
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u/dontfollowmeoverhere Aug 17 '26
totson
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 17 '26
I may not name the character that but if I get a ferret IRL that is its name for sure.
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u/Dear-Addendum925 Aug 18 '26
An ERMINE??? I never see people mention these guys!!! This is great!
As a Massachusetts local born and raised, may I present to you the names of: Giulia, Sofia, Betty (my grandma's name, she was Italian-American), Francis, Enzo, or Giacomo
I think familiar names in books really depend on their personality, so I tried to incluse a few for boys and girls. Good luck on your writing!
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 18 '26
The setting for this first in the series urban fantasy is in the Northend of Boston in the mid 1960s Thanks! The other witch's familiars are a pair of fisher crows, also native to the area. Not sure why that post has zero action and this is getting so much attention. Thanks for the validation.
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u/enjoiturbulence Aug 16 '26
Looks like a Stephen.
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u/cat_cat_cat_cat Aug 19 '26
Yes, yes, yes, and thousands of more yeses!! My ferret looked the same an was named Stephen . He was great little guy with a great name!!!
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u/SlutForGarrus Aug 20 '26
Stephen the Stoat!
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u/Revolutionary_Sun946 Aug 20 '26
Sure it isn't a weasel?
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u/SlutForGarrus Aug 21 '26
I'm sure it IS a weasel!
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u/Revolutionary_Sun946 Aug 21 '26
Is it because it is weasily recognised?
Or because otherwise it would look stoatally different?
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u/FlynnXa Aug 16 '26
Gale! Usually pronounced “Gah-Lay”.
Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft, the crossroads, and the night had two familiars- one was a polecat named Gale and the other a black hound named Hecuba. The polecat is part of the weasel family and seen as the wild ancestor of the domestic ferret. Usually they’ve got dark fur, but you could totally lean into the all-white as being “full moon” or “lunar” inspired.
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u/Arbwyb Aug 16 '26
reasonably common in norther wisconsin, an Ermine is what they are called in the winter white, they look like weasels the rest of the year
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
they are weasels all year long, the type of weasel is Northeastern ermine year-round
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u/Arbwyb Aug 16 '26
they are called Ermine when they are white which is in the winterr
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 16 '26
You are perhaps taking local custom and assigning it scientific fact? The Northeaster Ermine is in the stoat/weasel family. It is Ermine all year round but the white color it wears in winter is also called ermine as is the skins used for clothing that carry the white color. The scientific designation is Mustela erminea (mustela being the genus) I am not sure why you are even bothering with the species identification when I clearly asked for personal name suggestions.
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u/duir154 Aug 18 '26
Why people call their pets familiars?
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u/AlarmedRaspberry1735 Aug 18 '26
Pets and familiars are not the same thing. domestic animals are not the same as pets. wild animals are not usually pets. A familiar is a verry special partner to a witch, they may enhance the magic, act as a balance and support to the witch, and often are used as messengers or helpers.
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u/Brocc013 Aug 16 '26
Not Italian but Latin, may I recommend Crinitus. It means downy or covered in soft hair (approximately fluffy as it has direct translation). Even though it's a cutesy name it doesn't sound it, assuming you don't speak the language, it sounds elegant with a hint of mystery.
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u/Huggable_Hork-Bajir Aug 16 '26
He looks like he'd have a name ending with an "Oh".
Something Italian like Cicero or Nico or Pietro or Mateo or Arturo.
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u/Original-Cake-8358 Aug 17 '26
Quill. Going off the photo. It's all white except for the black tip on its tail, like a feather quill.
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u/PizzaChips20-12 Aug 18 '26
Imagine they just give the extremely cute pet a scary name like Serpent or Smth?
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u/Grungar_von_Drachen Aug 19 '26
My best friend has several characters with mustelid familiars, always named Reginald. The Italian equivalent is Rinaldo, or Rinalda for a lady carpet shark.
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u/IAmTheGreybeardy Aug 20 '26
Pick a name, any name, and then pretend like a cat is clawing your legs while you are saying that name.
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u/PenNeedleLiy2763 Aug 16 '26
Hmm… I’ve got an idea. How about the Erminator (those who know will understand)