: Re: I gave my characters names that are exactly like another book. Is it a problem? Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't

@Jessie137

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There is absolutely no rule against it, but if your set of names crosses a certain threshold of recognizability you will have to reckon with the perceived reference to another source, intentional or not. Readers accept intertextuality and will look for a deeper meaning when they spot a coincidence like this.

The more unusual any given name is, the more attention it calls to itself and the more memorable it is. Likewise, the more widely known a specific group of names gets, the more immediately recognizable the combination will be. If a set of names is featured in a work that becomes a very widely known and popularly referenced piece of culture, they will be remembered.

The names you picked (Emma, Oliver, and Jacob) are pretty standard names, not the most common, but certainly none of them stand out as unique. As a group they're not remarkable. The previously published work that already used those names was a big enough deal to become a Hollywood production, but it is not a cultural touchstone. People watched it once, if at all, and did not dwell overmuch on the characters or their relationships. Those who read the book might have a stronger connection to it than to the movie, but there are fewer of them, and if you are not writing for the same market you'll probably have relatively little recognition. I've seen Miss Peregrine and did not make the connection, so I think you're safe from the average reader picking up on it. If you happened to hate that story, the author, or the message and wanted to be completely sure to disassociate yourself from it, you might want to change one of the names, but if you don't mind the occasional person making the leap, then no problem.

For contrast, let's say you had selected instead Bella, Edward, and Jacob. A very similar selection, even some overlap, and none are particularly remarkable names in and of themselves (Bella's out of fashion and therefore more memorable). However, this group of names permeated pop culture when Twilight blew up, not least because people picked sides on the love triangle and were constantly referencing it out of context. Even people who had never seen or read it were familiar with "Team Edward/Team Jacob" debates, and the actors were on tabloids everywhere for a long time. If you happened to choose these names for your story everyone would assume it was a deliberate reference and expect to find some thematic relevance in the work, perhaps even to discover that this is an AU fanfic. If the theme were absent, they would assume you were a massive Twilight fan. If your male characters are peers, even using just Edward and Jacob would have a significant echo of Twilight and would prime readers to expect a rivalry of some sort. The connection would be inescapable for many readers, and you would have to account for that in the text or repeatedly justify it in your discussions of the book.

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