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18 Memorable Character Names from the Works of Charles Dickens
Born near London in 1812, Charles Dickens suffered many hardships throughout his life. Like many of the characters he would later create, Dickens stayed for a time in a workhouse, witnessed the death of several family members, and fell in and out of love a few times. All of this went into such classic stories as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations.
Dickens's characters typically had
colorful names; the following list offers a sampling of these unusual and unique character names.
1. Harold Skimpole (Bleak House)
This cheapskate claims he knows nothing about money management and uses that as an excuse to never pay for anything. Some claim Dickens modeled Skimpole after Leigh Hunt, another writer of the time, which, not surprisingly, caused a bit of animosity.
 Charles Dickens crafted a number of colorful character names in his stories. |
One of Dickens's many orphan characters, Sloppy lives with Betty Higden and is taken in by the Boffin family. The noble Sloppy later has a hand in exposing nasty Silas Wegg.
3. Wopsle (Great Expectations)
Wopsle is a parish clerk when we meet him in this classic story, but he doesn't stay one for long. Choosing to become an actor, he changes his name to Waldengarver.
4. Polly Toodle (Dombey and Son)
Polly Toodle is Little Paul Dombey's nurse who gets fired after taking him to visit her dingy apartment in London's poorest area. Jolly and plump, Polly is a ray of hope in the face of poverty and hardship.
5. The Squeers (Nicholas Nickleby)
Wackford Squeers is the patriarch of this conniving, weaselly pack. The Squeers run Dotheboys Hall, an orphanage for unwanted boys whom they mistreat horribly. Daughter Fanny, son Wackford, Jr., and the missus are each more cruel than the last.
6. Luke Honeythunder (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
As with most of Dickens's characters, Luke Honeythunder's name fits him well. Described as boisterous and overbearing, this philanthropist is the guardian of Neville and Helena Landless.
Our list of memorable character names from the works of Charles Dickens continues on the next page.
Memorable Names from Dickens's Works, 7-18
Here is the rest of our list of memorable character names from the works of Charles Dickens, beginning with a character from Bleak House.
7. Tulkinghorn (Bleak House)
This unscrupulous lawyer to the Dedlock family learns of Lady Dedlock's secret past and tries to take advantage of it. It doesn't end well for him -- he is eventually murdered by her maid.
8. Bumble (Oliver Twist)
A petty officer in the workhouse where Oliver spends much of his time, Bumble symbolizes Dickens's contempt for the workhouse system.
9. Silas Wegg (Our Mutual Friend)
This street vendor is a gold digger after the Boffin family fortune. He tries to swindle the family when he's hired to read to Mr. Boffin, but Sloppy later exposes Wegg's ulterior motives.
10. Dick Swiveller (The Old Curiosity Shop)
Though the name sounds a little on the sinister side, this character is not a villain. Swiveller wants to marry the sweet and pretty Nell Trent but ends up with the Marchioness instead. He and the Marchioness expose the evil Brasses, Swiveller inherits money from his aunt, and the couple lives happily ever after.
11. Paul Sweedlepipe (Martin Chuzzlewit)
An eccentric barber, landlord, and bird lover, this character later inspired A Christmas Carol. Themes of greed and false honor run through Martin Chuzzlewit and also appear in the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, published the following year.
12. Caroline "Caddy" Jellyby (Bleak House)
This sympathetic young woman is neglected by her mother, claiming, "I'm pen and ink to ma." Caddy ends up leaving home and marrying Prince Turveydrop.
13. Smike (Nicholas Nickleby)
The title character in this beloved story rescues Smike from the evil Squeers. As it turns out, Smike is Nickleby's cousin. Unfortunately, this is discovered after Smike has died from the Squeers' cruelty.
14. Mr. Sowerberry (Oliver Twist)
Oliver Twist runs away to London after being mistreated and abused by this ugly, cruel undertaker.
15. Uriah Heep (David Copperfield)
Uriah Heep, the antagonist of this novel, is one of literature's most wicked villains. Scheming and hypocritical, he plans to ruin Copperfield's friend Agnes Wickfield but is ultimately undone by
Mr. Micawber.
16. Pumblechook (Great Expectations)
The great expectations of Pip, the main character and another Dickensian orphan, come from this rotund, loud-breathing guardian who takes Pip to wealthy and eccentric spinster Miss Havisham.
17. John Podsnap (Our Mutual Friend)
Dickens coined the term "podsnappery" to describe middle-class pomp and complacency. John Podsnap embodied this undesirable trait. Apparently, he was modeled after Dickens's first biographer, John Forster.
18. Lucretia Tox (Dombey and Son)
Described as tall, lean, and sad, Lucretia is friends with Mrs. Louisa
Chick. Mrs. Chick has a brother named Paul. Lucretia is in love with Paul. Paul has a wife. Paul's wife dies. Lucretia hopes to marry Paul. Paul doesn't want Lucretia. Lucretia remains loyal, despite her broken heart. Classic Dickens.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen