Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? The names Suzanne Collins chose for her characters are fascinating, none more so than her teenaged heroine.
Our Baby Name of the Day is Katniss.
Katniss Everdeen is a poor girl from the poorest of twelve districts in the dystopian future world Collins introduces in The Hunger Games. The Games are no mere sport – inspired in part by Greek myth, the Games pit one girl and one boy from each of the districts against each other in a giant environment built for each annual competition. The winner receives fame and glory, plus plenty to eat in a world where that’s not a given.
Only trouble? The way to win is by killing the other 23 competitors who are, naturally, also trying to kill you.
Collins supposes that some contestants step forward, eager for a chance to take top honors, nevermind the bloodshed. But in Katniss’ neck of the woods, it takes a lottery to find the required volunteers. There’s a twist, but ultimately Katniss ends up headed for almost certain death in the arena.
But our girl has a talent, and here’s where we circle back to her unusual name.
From the first page of the story we learn that Katniss feeds her frail mother and younger sister by foraging and hunting, despite the fact that both activities are technically illegal. Her name – katniss – is the name of an edible aquatic plant. Really. It was a staple food among some Native American tribes.
Katniss is part of the sagittaria family, named for their arrow-like leaves. Sagittaria comes from the Latin sagitta – arrow. (Though the word almost certainly has roots in another language.) Katniss is an expert archer, taught by her late father, the skill honed by the need to put food on the table, and ultimately what allows her to triumph.
Lastly, the plant is hardy and adaptable – qualities shared by the character.
Collins was clearly a clever namer. Other Hunger Games choices like Primrose have been profiled here before. But the question is this: will anyone actually use the name for a daughter?
Nancy took up the question a few months ago, and some said yes. Katniss is, after all, a perfectly legitimate nature name worn a truly heroic figure. The movie adaptation is expected in 2012, with Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence picking up Katniss’ bow and arrows.
As for her sound, the first syllable fits with all of the Katherine spin-offs that we’ve heard over the years. She’s just a little bit different than Kate and Katie. There’s something quite feline about Katniss, but Kitty seems like an up-and-coming nickname, so maybe that’s a bonus, too. Her ends-in-s second syllable fits with stylish picks like Alice and Frances and Carys. Feminine, but strong, too.
File this one somewhere between Renesmee – a name that really only works for a fictional character – and one that is more generally wearable.
Molly says
February 11, 2012 at 3:00 PMWow. I was barely able to put this book down for a second after the first few pages got me completely hooked. Normally it takes a week to read a book, but now I read this in 24 hours. Suzanne Collins here has an immediacy to it that, when combined with the very dramatic life-or-death plot, is incredibly compelling. It’s entertaining, and incredibly disturbing all at once. They say great art leaves you changed after you experience it… and this book definitely did that. Suzanne Collins has, with one amazing work, propelled herself onto my top shelf.
Have a nice day,
Molly
Beth says
February 11, 2012 at 11:27 AMI remember seeing this name before I had read the books, and didn’t care for the “-niss” at the end. I’ve read all 3 in the Hunger Games trilogy, and I’ve got to say, Katniss now exudes strength and resilience. If it wasn’t such an obvious fan-girl name to give your baby (and if my man would take it seriously haha), I’d be all over it.
Kristine says
August 2, 2011 at 1:42 AMAm I the only one who doesn’t like this name? It is too sci-fi to be used I think.
Alyssa says
July 31, 2011 at 11:07 PMLove Katniss! I raise dairy goats and named one of my babies this year Katniss, and she went on to beat all the other goats in the show ring 🙂 It would be awesome to meet a person named Katniss, but I could never do it.
Julie says
July 28, 2011 at 5:07 PMI just read this week’s Baby Name Wizard post about “the kind(s) of consonants in today’s feminine names” and then I came over here to read the NOTD. Katniss is an interesting name when you consider that it contains both a “plosive” K and T, and Laura Wattenberg feels that “plosive” consonants are losing popularity. I wonder how that trend will affect a name linked to a work of popular culture?
It’s too similar to my elder step-daughter’s name to even consider it, but it’s interesting.
Names4Real says
July 28, 2011 at 4:50 PMOkay, I liked you before, but now I think we should be Best Friends. 🙂 I loved that you picked Katniss to cover. It’s my favorite guilty pleasure name.
I keep hoping to find one, but no such luck. Sadly, I have found about six Renesmee so far this year and its only July. Blech.
appellationmountain says
July 29, 2011 at 6:21 AMLOL! 🙂
I honestly do think Katniss is wearable. There are oodles of names that weren’t, practically speaking, names until some writer used them for a novel. It’s the way of the world. But somehow it isn’t considered very sophisticated these days. Or it isn’t considered sophisticated UNLESS the story itself is an established literary classic. It’s fine to borrow from Shakespeare or Jane Austen, but a new book aimed at a young adult audience? Not so much.
Of course, Renesmee leaves me cold, so I’m not sure I’m any different. Then again, I read both series – Twilight and Hunger Games – and enjoyed both. It’s just that Twilight strikes me as a pop culture phenom, while The Hunger Games seems more like a future classic. So Renesmee is like taking a name from a soap opera character while Katniss feels like borrowing from the heroine of a future award-winning indie flick. Though, of course, parents do both, and sometimes those soap opera names are gorgeous.
Maybe I’m overthinking …
photoquilty says
July 29, 2011 at 8:40 AMI don’t think you’re overthinking, Abby. Twilight was simply not as well written, and it was centered around a love story with the vampire stuff being incidental, IMO. The Hunger Games was very well written, was centered around the political state of the future US, and had an incidental love story. I think that’s what makes The Hunger Games literature, and Twilight will be about the same as Flowers in the Attic: well known, not respected.
Names4Real says
July 29, 2011 at 4:26 PMI think Katniss is totally wearable. She just doesn’t fit in with my other favorites, but I would use it as a middle name in a heartbeat.
No, I agree with you. I don’t think it matters where you find a name you love. Be from Twilight, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, or All My Children, it’s your baby, your choice. Grudgingly, I guess that’s true about Renesmee (I just don’t like it).
K says
October 29, 2011 at 2:30 PMWe named our daughter Katniss. She was born in Feb. 2011 and that was the only name we really considered for a girl (we decided on Katniss before we knew there was going to be a movie). She goes by Katniss, Kat, Kitty (her grandmother calls her that), and sometimes Baby K. We may call her Kate or Katie in the future if necessary. So far, we still love the name and don’t regret naming her Katniss, but if the name gets too popular, we may switch to using her middle name Alina.
Sarah A says
July 28, 2011 at 4:17 PMKatniss is pretty cool, but not my favorite name from Hunger Games. I much prefer Primrose and Rue. I do think that her sound is very current and the nn Kat is adorably retro. Thumbs up from me 🙂
Megan M. says
July 28, 2011 at 2:51 PMI don’t love the sound of it, but it’s obviously an inspired choice for the character in the books. I think Collins’s naming choices are right up there with J.K. Rowling – unusual, striking, purposeful.
appellationmountain says
July 28, 2011 at 3:34 PMWell said!
Liz says
July 28, 2011 at 2:27 PMSeems pretty awful in sound and really limiting — so connected to those books. Are we sure it’s a Native American name? More specifics would make that seem more likely.
appellationmountain says
July 28, 2011 at 3:34 PMNope, not sure about that at all. I know they were eaten by Native Americans, but by tribes separated by distance and, I believe, speaking unrelated languages. It was definitely wapato, at least at one point, when Lewis & Clark were in the Pacific Northwest …
Not sure what that means for katniss’ origins. She’s undeniably obscure, even if the plant has history.
Joy says
July 28, 2011 at 11:40 AMI haven’t read the books, but when I see Katniss, I see/hear “catnip” or “cat hiss.” Say it out loud a few times, and it sounds an awful lot like “canvas” or “Kansas.”
appellationmountain says
July 28, 2011 at 12:25 PMYou’re not alone – the character is called “catnip” as a teasing nickname by another character in the book!
Lola says
July 28, 2011 at 10:59 AMI think it’s kind of neat-o, rather hippyish is how it strikes me. I wouldn’t have minded being named this myself rather than Freedom or Rainbow (which is what they camethisclose to naming me). Just starting the book now but thought the same as C in DC, Katniss doesn’t work for me, but it would work beautifully to honor a Kat- in anyone’s family history.
C in DC says
July 28, 2011 at 9:51 AMI just finished reading the first book last night! I love that Katniss isn’t a made up name. It wouldn’t work with our last name, but I hope to see some little Katnisses soon (maybe named in tribute of the Kates in a family’s older generations.)
photoquilty says
July 28, 2011 at 5:54 AMI love, love, love the series, but these names are for pets in my household.
Nook of Names says
July 28, 2011 at 4:15 AMLove it! There are some wonderful gems to be found in nature, especially if you dig a bit deeper, as Katniss proves. Do you know which Native American language it comes from? And what was its original meaning?
appellationmountain says
July 28, 2011 at 3:31 PMNot a clue! The link above – http://www.homeandgardenideas.com/gardening/flowers/annuals/growing-katniss-plant – was one of many that indicated it was a staple food for Native Americans. But I’m pretty sure that at least some Native American tribes called arrowhead or katniss by another name entirely – wapato. (That’s the name recorded by Lewis & Clark.) Katniss is referenced in a nineteenth century work about Pennsylvania history, focused on Philadelphia – but it appears that both Native Americans AND relatively recent settlers used the name. In searching for similar words, I found references from the same region to an unrelated – but equally edible – plant called hopniss. So there’s something there … but I can’t quite reach it.