Should I Use the U.S. Names of the U.K. Names

[Al-1701]

In my writing.

Having read the comics, books, and general information from the U.K., I find myself sitting here with realization the people in the U.K. were much better at naming ponies for the most part.  I prefer the U.K. names of the Princess ponies (and their depiction in general as baby dragons beat bushwoolies every time) over the names given to them in America.  I also prefer U.K. names of the Big Brother/Adventure Boy ponies over their American names.  Even a few individual cases like Sugarberry/Strawberry Fair and Sweet Tooth/Lollipop go to Hasbro U.K. for the superior naming.

I'm building a world that takes some inspiration from the television show as well as the comic and other sources along with my own material.  Wizard Wantall is a comedic foil villain and the Weather Witch is an ally while generations of living on the fringes of the Jewel Desert is what caused Twinkle Eyed ponies to develop jeweled irises.  Even some ponies bring together traits from the two sources like Wind Whistler is both an intellectual and signer and Gusty is a fighter but also desires to be a nurse so she can help others in ways besides violence.

So, should I use the U.K. names or the U.S. names?

[Nappercasper]

I think USA use there names and the UK use there names. I don't think it really makes much difference really.

[BlushingBlue]

If it's for fanfiction purposes (i.e. entertainment, not education), go ahead and use whatever names you feel fit the character best. If you want to be proactive about avoiding possible reader confusion, just add a note at the beginning that your fic uses UK names with US English. I don't think you have to worry about mixing, matching, and making up character traits; that's what AUs are for, after all.

living on the fringes of the Jewel Desert is what caused Twinkle Eyed ponies to develop jeweled irises

Ah, I love when people use this trope. Something about the TEs being desert ponies just makes my heart go yassssss. Although, I'm pretty sure you mean corneas and not irises. Having rigid irises would make it very hard to see properly.

[LNS]

Honestly use whichever you prefer. If you like the UK name for a pony better than the US name, use the UK name. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think it would confuse anyone, but if that's a concern like BlushingBlue suggested just make a note so people are aware that you use the UK name instead.

[Al-1701]

Thanks, and I mean the Jewel Desert has a magic to that had caused the plant life to become crystalline.  It has a more limited affect on ponies and it is the cornea.  Need to update my notes.

I will use the U.K. names for most of the ponies, and I can give notes in each chapter.  I know a friend of mine used the original Japanese names in a Pokemon fanfic and would have name notes for each chapter.

[Leave a Whisper]

I don't see why you can't use the UK name if you think its better.

[Strawberry Swirl]

I don't think it should be a problem if you use names that sound better to you.
I would do the same thing, TBH I can't stand the American Princess' names!!

[Taffeta]

I think USA use there names and the UK use there names. I don't think it really makes much difference really.

Sadly most UK collectors use US names, because otherwise people don't know what they're talking about and it was just easier to conform. I wish it wasn't that way, simply because the UK names are at risk of being lost, and, as the OP noted, there is a far wider diversity of naming in the UK line. It would be lovely for them to have a bit more prominence online. I dislike having to always put the US name in brackets after I mention any pony with a dual identity.

I think it's a personal choice, ultimately. I know some UK collectors who mix and match names. I use UK names for all ponies released here, but I sometimes use collective set names like Twice as Fancy or Big Brother because they encompass all of the ponies released in this style, whereas Party Pony and Adventure Boy only refers to the first sets of each style.

If you like the UK pony names better, use them. If you prefer a US name, use it. It's your story. Your world. Your rules I love the idea you have of incorporating the characters from both sides of the cultural pony pool, because Wind Whistler is a much stronger character in the US depiction (she was basically a whistling idiot in the comics I seem to remember) whereas Gusty has that role as the nurse (along with Lollipop later on) but also has that determination in the animation.

Will Shady get to be a bit more psychadelic and a little less depressed in your interpretation?

 I think Hasbro US reused too many names, probably to save on trademarking. You can only have so many Baby Cuddles/Cuddles's, Sunbeams, Sniffles and so on. I also really hate the US names for the Rainbow Curl Ponies, because they sound like someone didn't really try very hard. On the flip, I actually like the name Molasses (rather than Gingerbread, which is the one and only UK-only repeat name I think) and I wish Pina Colada had been used in the UK release of the tropical ponies, but only if Sail Away kept her name

[LadyMoondancer]

I think you should use the names you like best, be they UK or US. 

I really like some of the UK names, like the princesses being named after gemstones.  But some of them are "ehhh" to me, like the Rainbow Curls each being called "Rainbow [something]".  My memory is not good enough to remember four "Rainbow [something]" names in a set.  (Which is too bad because Stripes and Streaky are awful names.)

[Taffeta]

I think you should use the names you like best, be they UK or US. 

I really like some of the UK names, like the princesses being named after gemstones.  But some of them are "ehhh" to me, like the Rainbow Curls each being called "Rainbow [something]".  My memory is not good enough to remember four "Rainbow [something]" names in a set.  (Which is too bad because Stripes and Streaky are awful names.)

I dunno about other kids, but with those names I always just omitted the Rainbow and called them Rider, Storyteller, Cloud and Magic. Rainbow was just for special occasions (they did live on Rainbow Mountain, so I kinda assumed it was a sort of family name that came first, rather than last...Japanese style?)

Rainbow Storyteller is admittedly a mouthful, but the ponies are so pretty that its almost an insult to call them Streaky, Stripes, Raincurl and Ringlet.

[Al-1701]

I like the idea that Rainbow is a "house" name.  I had a similar idea that "glow" is a kind of title for the Glowing Magic ponies.

I've also added a second word to the names of duplicate named ponies.  If you've ever hear the G1 unicorn Twilight referred to as "Twilight Mist", that was started by me.  I call the So Soft pegasus Twilight Hope which was inspired by Babylon 5 and one of the sayings of the Minbari "I am the candle against the night" or something like that.  Not sure what to do about Fifi and Fifi. 

[LadyMoondancer]

I renamed SS Twilight as Candlelight.  But Twilight Hope is also cute.  "Rainbow" being a family name is also great.

Fifi is a weird pony name to begin with because it's just . . . a name.  A stereotypical name for poodles and, apparently, hairdressers??

[BlushingBlue]

I don't personally see the harm in two ponies having the same name. I'm not the only person in the world with my name, not even the only person in my own family. I can see how it would be confusing in a story with a limited cast though. IMHO, I usually prefer straight up renaming rather than tacking more words on the end to make a name unique. (Hasbro seems to love doing this with G4s, even when it's unnecessary! Sweetie Babs Seed? Daring Do Dazzle??) I do think Twilight Hope is a lovely name, albeit kind of grim. If that's the tone of your fic though, more power to you. My own AU is pretty dire, so no complaints there.

Fifi is already a nickname in the human world, so I don't see why one or both pony Fifis (Fifies? Fifii?) shouldn't have multi-syllabic "legal" names. Like how Princess Mi Amore Cadenza simply goes by Cadance. I can totally see TAF Fifi being the estranged daughter of some sort of wealthy, eccentric fashion mogul who saddled poor Fifi with some ridiculously overblown name like Finery Felicity Fiore Finesse, and she's like "Ugh. Please, just call me Fifi."

You should take my naming opinions with a rather large grain of salt, though. Two of my beloved childhood pets were named Stripes and Streaky, so clearly I'm awful at naming and probably come from a long line of awful namers.

[Al-1701]

Get this, in a group of about a dozen people who meet once a week, another person has my first name and another person has my middle name.  Along with having the first name of my father (and my grandfather), there is a person completely unrelated to us with my first and last name in my voter precinct too (never met him but see his name on the name sheet when I go to vote.

I had a thought.  TAF Fifi could be Fifi Perm since she came with the Perm Shop.  Unicorn Fifi is just Fifi.  Just, TAF goes by Perm.

[Taffeta]

Of course, depending whether you have a Perm Shoppe or a Crimp & Curl Hair Salon. Or the more obscure Twirl & Curl Salon name...

I actually consider Taf Fifi the Fifi and the other the imposter, but tha is just because we only had baby fifi over here. Renaming the taf makes most sense because of baby fifi...but another option would be to ditch her and use a grooming/pretty parlour instead (Peachy, Snuzzle or Kiss Curl!)