Defending “Bad” Names by Dawnpaw

Dawnpaw shares their opinion on some names from the series.

Hi, my name’s Dawnpaw! Today we’re gonna be talking about “bad” names in Warriors.
Every single time that I hear someone say “Twigbranch is a horrible name!” or “Ivypool doesn’t know how to name kits!” or “Fidgetspinner XD” I just sigh and roll my eyes.
What’s so bad about the name Twigbranch, you may ask? Or Bristlefrost? Or Thriftear? Or Fidgetflake? Those are all perfectly fine names in my opinion.
“But Dawnpaw,” you may say. “They just sound so stupid!”
Okay, a bit weird? Yes, of course! These names ARE a bit strange. But flat-out stupid? NO!
Let’s take a look at a very controversial name, Twigbranch.
Whenever Warriors fans discuss “bad names”, Twigbranch’s name always comes up. Usually people say, “A twig and a branch are basically the same thing so the name Twigbranch is dumb.”
Yes, I do agree with that. It would be like naming a cat “Fireflame”, or “Streamriver”. But unlike lots of cats, Twigbranch has her name for a reason.
The Erins wanted to give her a name that meant something, like her sister Violetshine, who was named after her mother Pebbleshine. Twigbranch’s name symbolizes her growth from a small apprentice to a fierce warrior, just like how a twig grows into a branch. So, this name does sound kinda dumb, but it’s not “bad”. Twigbranch actually means something, unlike names such as Brackenfur or Thornclaw. What was going through the minds of Bluestar and Firestar when they gave them their names?
(We actually know what was going through Firestar’s mind as he named Thornclaw…literally nothing)
Now, let’s move on to the IvyFern trio: Bristlefrost, Thriftear, and Flipclaw.
Okay, I’ll admit: at first I was so confused. I was like, “What the heck is a thrift or a bristle?”
…
Yeah…
The name that I like the most out of the three is Bristlefrost. The name makes me think of a serious and hard-working young cat who will protect their Clan at all costs. And that perfectly describes Bristlefrost.
Flipclaw makes me think that he’s energetic, funny, and the comedic-relief out of the three. And he sort of is! Flipclaw during Veil of Shadows was kind of funny and I genuinely laughed at his silly dream.
And then there’s Thriftear…this is the name that I hate the most. “Ear” is such a weird suffix, the only time it makes sense is in Smallear’s name.
But these three names are unique, two of them being brand-new to the series (there was a kit named Bristlekit in Tallstar’s Revenge). I’d rather have names like Flipclaw and Thriftear rather than another cat with “Leaf” as a prefix. Please, stop with the prefix Leaf. It’s overused.
Next we have my boy Fidgetflake. To me…this name is adorable. I LOVE the suffix “flake”. It’s so pretty and unique, and I think Fidgetflake is a great name (and stop with the Fidgetspinner jokes, they’re old).
Lastly, let’s talk about SkyClan. Leafstar is the queen of…unusual names. Yes, Bellaleaf, Billystorm, Harrybrook, and Rileypool are weird names. Yes, they should have just be renamed altogether. But they weren’t, and I kinda like that. It’s different for Warriors and gives SkyClan character.
So…yeah, that’s about it. Bye for now, from Dawnpaw. 🙂