Character Names the Same in Numerous Books

I’ve noticed lately that there are a lot of similar names in books .I think authors need to buy a baby names book to come up with some new ones. I went to my stats and characters in your library to find these numbers. I only counted it as 1 if it was a person in a series. Some were surprising only 1 Heather, in real life I know about 6 or 7 .
the Top Names Were...
58 books -John/Johnny/Jonathan
24 books -James/ Jamie/Jamison
26 Books -Charlie
23 Books- Henry/Henri- Mary-
22 Books -Sam/Samuel/Samantha
20 Books -Ann/Ana/Anna/Anne
19 Books -David
18 Books Edward- Jack
17 Books Michael/Mike-Richard/Rich-Robert/Rob/Robbie-
16 Books -Dan/Danny/ Daniel
15 books-Sue/Susanne
14 books -Jennifer/Jenna/Jennie/Jenny-Sara/Sarah- Matt/ Mathew- Pete/Peter
13 Books Rose/Rosie- Elizabeth/Eliza- 13 Books
12 Books Lily- Kathryn-Ben- Bill/Billy-Bob/Bobby-Carol/Carolyn/Caroline
11 Books Joe/Joey-Simon
10 Books Alice- Eleanor /Elinor-Fred/Freddie/Fredrick-Grace-Jess/Jessie/Jessica- Jim/Jimmy-Kate- Mark-Rachel-

If they're striving for realism, they're more likely to use a name that was popular during the era they are writing about - the wrong name in a time period can strike a sour chord (Brittany or Tiffany in one of Jane Austen's novels, for example?)

If it's scifi or fantasy, then they just fail.

That's really intresting! I too noticed that names are often repeated. Sometimes I mind and most times I don't but you know a lot of common names nver show up in books. Like Emily or Erin or Lindsey. I don't get that at all.

It was actually the name Sam I've been noticing so much and Claire/Clare which only ended up being 5 books which really surprised me.

Be careful what you call similar names. Annas and Ann(e)s don't like being grouped together ;)

I can find it a bit confusing if the same name is given to a boy in one book and a girl in another. It took me a while to work out that Charlie in Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School is a girl, and in another picture book I had a moment of giddiness when Sam, a short-haired, dungaree-clad child who I had thought was a boy, turned out to include dresses among hisxxxher favourite clothes.

#5-Oops sorry your right ,but it was quite a task and my actual list got mighty unruly.I toned it down to post so mixed some names together that in my mind are similar.
I put the Sue's & Susanne's together too and I hate being called Susan or Susanne so I know what your saying!