What's In a Name?

   None of these men are named Jacob.
   There's Ernie, Harold, Tom, and Vincent, to name a few. Their faces appear on a plaque depicting men in my town who died during World War II.
  Fast forward from that era to 1999. Every year since then, the name Jacob has been the most popular name given to male babies in the United States. Jacob is a name with Hebrew roots.
   Some people surmise the name is trendy because of Jacob Black, a character in the 'Twilight' novel and movie. Twilight debuted in 2005--six years after the Jacob phenomenon took hold, so the book is probably extending the name's popularity.
   I'm writing a contemporary novel for young adult readers. Novelists in that genre are advised to choose trendy names for their characters. Doing so adds authenticity.
   Perhaps that's true. But I have no intention of naming my characters as Joshua, Christopher, Tyler, Ethan, Jacob, or any of the top names of the past decade. When a name gets lumped into a trend, it looses distinction.
   The greatest opening sentence of a novel might be from Moby Dick. It consisted of three words: 'Call me Ishmael.' That name--another Hebrew one by the way--is ranked 2,971 in names chosen for boys last year. Ishmael is a distinctive name, even though I won't use it.
   As a person working in the creative arts, I abhor trendiness. It's better to follow one's own creative compass, if it increases the risk of not being recognized.