What's in a Name

Ask a writer this question: "What's in a name?" The answer most likely will be, "Everything." I believe this, as I've long known the importance of a fitting name as it applies to characters in short stories and novels. Mickey Spillane's hard-boiled detective, Mike Hammer, is a good example. Would the character have enjoyed such popularity with readers had he been named Reginald Witherspoon? No way. The name does not fit the image. So while it's a given that the right name is all important in writing, it has occurred to me that appropriate naming may also play an important part in the outcome of many things. For example, try to imagine our Georgia Bulldogs as the Georgia Poodles or the Atlanta Falcons as the Atlanta Canaries.