If you see a character named "Clive", what do you think about them?
Almost certainly British. As a given name it really thins out in the second half of the twentieth century, so in someone of my own age or younger I wouldn't be surprised if they had chosen it for themselves. I happen to like the actors Colin Clive and Clive Francis, so I have positive if slightly theatrical associations with the name, but I am aware that C. S. Lewis preferred to be called Jack.
The protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI is named Clive & my partner is playing the game right now, so I've been thinking about this a lot! Mostly in negatives: not an action hero; it feels out of place in the game. Stuffy, tight upright shapes in "liv," probably that's me drawing on British associations subconsciously. Skinny beaky guy. A name that precludes nicknames, emotionally distant, formal; but too concise for great dignity, a single syllable, pert, taut.
British, or maybe Australian or South African or something. (My immediate thought was "not just British but English specifically," but upon further reflection what I really mean is just that I don't associate it with Scotland; I don't know beyond that. But I'd be surprised to learn that a Clive was USAmerican or Canadian or whitish.) Middle aged or older, probably, unless this is a period piece. I don't have strong class associations, though that doesn't mean it actually lacks them.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 05:42 am (UTC)Almost certainly British. As a given name it really thins out in the second half of the twentieth century, so in someone of my own age or younger I wouldn't be surprised if they had chosen it for themselves. I happen to like the actors Colin Clive and Clive Francis, so I have positive if slightly theatrical associations with the name, but I am aware that C. S. Lewis preferred to be called Jack.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 06:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-18 07:29 am (UTC)