2025-03-04 4:58:17 ¶ ●

# TMA Name Meanings And How They Intertwine With Their Character

Jon - The name Jonathan means “God has given” which is quite ironic considering a fear entity (that some people worship like a God in the TMA universe) spends the entire series giving Jon the power of The Eye. His last name is also deeply ironic, as the last Sims means “To Listen,” which…is not the right sense for Jon’s main thing, but it is perfect for a statement taker.

Martin - The name Martin means “dedicated to Mars” and “God of war.” While a name that means “God of war” seems a little intense for Martin, it does tie into the themes of his story about constantly being underestimated and having a lot more fierceness than he tends to outwardly show. His last name Blackwood means…you guessed it, “black wood.”

Tim - The name Timothy means ‘one who honors God.’ Much like Jon’s name meaning, his also has a hint of irony considering he serves a figure that is viewed as god-like in the TMA universe, but it’s ironic in the opposite way of Jon since Tim does NOT honor The Eye. However, his last name Stoker suits him a little too well. It means “one who tends to the fire”….which I don’t love considering his death.

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Sasha - The name Sasha means “Defender.” It’s a very sweet first name considering how many of her actions in the series are in the name of defending her friends. Her last name James is SUPER interesting because James means “holder of the heel.” That’s a phrase that comes from a Bible story about a man named Jacob who was born holding onto his twin brothers heel as a sign that he’ll eventually take his brothers birthright. Which is relevant to Sasha because she was supposed to take Gertrude’s place as head Archivist.

Melanie - The name Melanie means “darkness,” which is fitting for a ghost hunter who is first drawn to The Institute because she finds an Avatar of The Stranger begging the Angler Fish creature in the dark. Her last name King means “rule” or “monarch.” It’s a fitting name for someone becomes a leader of a cult in Season 5, and it’s a powerful name for one of the characters who has one of the strongest wills in the series.

Georgie - The name Georgie means “farmer.” That meaning doesn’t have a lot of tie-in to canon, but it could make a Corruption or Flesh avatar Georgie AU hit super hard. Her last name Barker means “Shepard,” which has a lot of relevance to her role in the story. Like a shepherd she tries to guide Jon away from the fears, and while she unfortunately fails due to no fault of her own, she is able to be there for Melanie when she walks away from the fears. Shepard’s also have religious symbolism which ties into Georgie’s role as a chosen one cult leader in Season 5.

Basira - Basira’s name means “wisdom.” That’s fitting for a character who is so grounded in logic that she’s able to think herself out of The Stranger’s ritual. Her last name Hussain also means “handsome” or “good.” So that could be a tie in to how she perceived her role as a cop before the Daisy character development, or it could tie into her role in helping stop the apocalypse in Season 5.

Daisy - Daisy’s nickname means “purity and innocence” and she says in canon that she uses that nickname because she likes the irony. Her real name Alice means “noble,” a powerful name for a women who uses her powerful position as a cop get away with brutality. Her last name Tonner is just as strong as it means “thunder.” A force of nature that is typically used to symbolize strength.

Peter - The name Peter means “rock” or “stone.” An ironic name for someone who’s so…“stoney” 🥁 His last name Lucas means “bringer of light” or “to shine”….which is not a name meaning a guy who likes to be followed around by fog probably appreciates.

Elias - The name Elias means “The Lord is my God.” In a similar vein to Jon, it’s an ironic name considering his body ends up as a vessel to a guy who practically serves The Eye as a religious deity. His last name Bouchard is no less ironic. It means “brave,”….which Elias is not shown to be in his statement.

Jonah - The name Jonah means “dove” and doves typically symbolize peace, love, hope, and renewal. While I wouldn’t use the words “peace” and “love” while describing a character like Jonah, “renewal” does ring a bell. His life is in a constant state of renewal as he has to jump from one body to a next. His last name Magnus means “Greatest” which could be a tie-in to both his pride and his role as the one who created The Institute.

Gerard - The name Gerard means “hard spear.” That doesn’t have any relevance to canon, but it does have relevance to his last name. His last name Keay is a variation of the last name Kay, which means “Wharf.” He has a name that’s extremely fisherman coded and that’s hilariously funny to me because it literally has nothing to do with anything.

Gertrude - The name Gertrude also means “hard spear” and yes I will be thinking about how Gertrude’s name parallels with Gerry’s forever. Gertrude’s last name Robinson means “son of Robin.” Robin’s tend to symbolize good luck, happiness, and rebirth. While that isn’t perfect symbolism for Gertrude, you could argue that she has good luck to be able to foil so many rituals and survive far longer than anyone else involved with The Institute. (Though personally I would assign her as a raven if I were to give the cast bird symbolism.)

Michael Shelley - The name Michael means “a gift from God.” I find the fact that his name references him as a gift a little disturbing in this specific, particular, context considering that Gertrude did give him away like one. His last name Shelley means “meadows edge.” Meadows tend to symbolize peace and tranquility, which fits both a character who had peace in ignorance about the fears and a character who seemed like a very soft person.

2025-03-25 23:28:11 ¶ ●

The lyrics “She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love.” but with Gerard thinking about Michael Shelley while being with The Distortion.

The lyrics “She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love.” but with Georgie thinking about her college friend Alex while being with Melanie.

The lyrics “She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love.” but with Martin thinking about Season 1 Jon while being with Season 5 Jon.

The lyrics “She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love.” but with Jude thinking about Agnes while being with her girlfriend.

The lyrics “She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love.” but with Tim finding out Not! Sasha wasn’t Sasha.