Character names

[Paul Raven]

Saw this get underway in the Melissa Leo thread and thought it deserved its own.

What names have particular soaps used most often?

What are the the most common soap names?

What are the least used names?

etc,etc

Y&R have repeated a lot of names over the years.

Originally,I think that Bill Bell liked to use family and friends names.

There were 2 Brads who were major characters.

David was used several times, as was Michael.There was Jack Curtis and then Jack Abbott (named for Jack Smith?)

Derek Thurston and Derek,Cricket's rapist. Matt Miller and Matt Clark.

Sharon, teen runaway and Sharon Collins. Amy Lewis and Amy (Matt's girlfriend)

[LoyaltoAMC]

Victoria seems to have been a popular soap name. Off the top of my head, OLTL, Y&R, Texas, AW, GL, Dark Shadows have used it. Also Jennifer or Jenny have been used on AMC, OLTL (twice), GH, Y&R, ATWT, GL, Dark Shadows, SFT, and Days, and I'm sure on some others.

[applcin]

GH had a Michael-fest going on: Mike Corbin, Sonny (Michael Corinthos, Jr) and Carly's son Michael. Then there was Michael "Stone" Cates. Also, Rick Webber's adopted son, Mikey.

Lucy Coe was involved with 2 Kevins: O'Connor and Collins.

[Cheap21]

The ones that have been used once. I dont think a listing of these need to be brought up as these are obvious

OLTL currently has 2 Johns. John McBain and John Manning (Jack)

A common name is Hope. Soaps which have used this are Days, Y&R, OLTL, GH, B&B, GL

[reallyhateskateonlost]

What are the least used names?

AMC-Erica Kane

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Y&R had two John's on at the same time. John Abbott and John Silva.

GH had Luke Lorenzo Spencer and

Lorenzo Alcazar.

[AlexElizabeth]

OLTL loves the name Sam. Sam Vernon, Sam Rappaport, Sam Manning, and there was a Sam Vance who was involved in the Lord heir storyline.

[All My Shadows]

I'm creepily interested in names and name trends, etc. So let me ramble.

I was thinking the other day about how there are names that are relatively common in real life (well, I know several people who have them) but haven't been used a whole lot by soaps. Angela, Megan, Melissa, Tammy, Cindy, Rebecca, Deborah/Debra, Michelle, Denise, etc. Of course there have been soap characters with those names, but when you consider that up until September, there were three major characters named Carly in soapland, but not a single Michelle or Cindy or Melissa, it's kinda odd. Then on the male side, there haven't been many soap characters named Justin, Brandon, Jeremy, Timothy, Shane, Seth, Jordan, Cameron, Aaron, Kenny, etc. But three characters named Rafe that I can think of.

Some names seem to be "retired" once a character takes off and becomes synonymous with the name. You won't be seeing any new characters named Erica, Reva, or Marlena.

[DeeeDee]

Y&R had three John's (John Sr, John Jr, John Silva)

[Cheap21]

GL - Michelle Bauer

AMC- Cindy Chandler

AW - Cindy Harrison

GH - Melissa Bedord

Days - Melissa Anderson

B&B - Erica Lovejoy

[All My Shadows]

Yeah, but I meant on a soap at that time.

Leave me alone, Cheap You coulda just let me think I was right lol.

[MoTheGreat]

What about Lily- Y&R, AMC, ATWT

[Cheap21]

and Days

[soapfan770]

I recall one poster once kept track of every character named Angel in soaps and found six of them. The only one I was familiar with was Angel on ATWT.

I've always thought it funny my own name-Dustin--and my sister's name Ashley haven't got much usage on soaps except of course for Dusty on ATWT and Ashley on Y&R. Well I guess there was also Ashleigh on GL but I digress.

[AllMyDaysatGH]

Has there ever been another Kendall in soaps? ;-)

[SFK]

"Erica" SHOULD have been retired and every time I heard a commercial for SN's "Being Erica" my brain backfired.