HPL character names that start with "W"

[Paul Baack]

Maybe I'm crazy, but as of late I've been noticing a preponderance of characters in Lovecraft's fiction whose name starts with the letter W.  Obviously, he has plenty of other characters with different initials, and I've not done any sort of quantitative cataloguing, but it still seems to jump out at me.

Just off the top of my head:

The Wolejko family (The Dreams in the Witch-House)
Herbert West
Henry Anthony Wilcox (The Call of Cthulhu)
William Channing Web (The Call of Cthulhu)
Hannah Wingate (The Shadow Out Of Timel
Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee (The Shadow Out Of Time)
Williamson family (The Shadow over Innsmouth)
Whatley family (The Dunwich Horror)
Prof. William Dyer (At the Mountains of Madness)
William J. Monahan (The Haunter in the Dark)
Dr. Wilson (The Shadow out of Time)
     
I also seem to recall a Widener Library, but can't put my finger on the story.

Has anyone else noticed this, or do I need to adjust my medication again? 

[TransconaSlim]

There are more then one character named Whipple in the stories. 

Dr. Elihu Whipple (The Shunned House)
Capt. Abraham Whipple (The Case of Charles Dexter Ward)

I think it's pretty obvious for this, seeing how his maternal grandfather, Whipple Van Buren Phillips, was such a big part of his life and development. 

[MAS]

Yeah, don't forget Charles Dexter Ward himself.

I've discussed this before in another context, but do you think some letters of the alphabet have a certain feel to them?
Letters such as 'W' and 'V' seem to carry a more ominous feeling to them...but why?
Of course, I'd imagine this should vary from person to person based on experiences unique to the individual.

I certainly don't want to promote any pseudoscience nonsense but as a literary tool if the sociological consensus of opinion indicated 'W' to provoke dark, mysterious qualities then it would be a cool way to subtly influence the reader.  Maybe Lovecraft felt the same way?
Maybe....

[Lambda]

Also, don't forget the Waites. 

[Paul Baack]

Yeah, don't forget Charles Dexter Ward himself.
...
I certainly don't want to promote any pseudoscience nonsense but as a literary tool if the sociological consensus of opinion indicated 'W' to provoke dark, mysterious qualities then it would be a cool way to subtly influence the reader.  Maybe Lovecraft felt the same way?
Maybe....

D'oh!  Forgot to mention maybe the most famous Lovecraftian "W" name of all!  Of course, Charles Dexter Ward.

Comedians have long held onto a theory that the letter "K" is inherently funny (Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen always loved the word "Buick").  Perhaps it's from reading too much Lovecraft*, but I always felt that "W" words --  especially proper nouns -- carried a rather archaic or antiquarian feel.  Which is perfect for HPL's melieu, with its echoes back to America's colonial times.

I think you're onto something here!

* It could be argued that there's no such thing as "too much Lovecraft." 

[Kaelestes]

A little off topic, but I was reading Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan again the other day and the name of one of the characters popped out of the page for me. The guy was called Charles Herbert. It's a small thing, but I know Lovecraft was a fan so I wonder if he might have plucked this name and used it to create Ward and West.

Comedians have long held onto a theory that the letter "K" is inherently funny (Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen always loved the word "Buick").  Perhaps it's from reading too much Lovecraft*, but I always felt that "W" words --  especially proper nouns -- carried a rather archaic or antiquarian feel.  Which is perfect for HPL's melieu, with its echoes back to America's colonial times.

My first name starts with a "K" and my last name starts with a "W." Does this mean I'm a paradox....?

[Paul Baack]

A little off topic, but I was reading Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan again the other day and the name of one of the characters popped out of the page for me. The guy was called Charles Herbert. It's a small thing, but I know Lovecraft was a fan so I wonder if he might have plucked this name and used it to create Ward and West.

Comedians have long held onto a theory that the letter "K" is inherently funny (Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen always loved the word "Buick").  Perhaps it's from reading too much Lovecraft*, but I always felt that "W" words --  especially proper nouns -- carried a rather archaic or antiquarian feel.  Which is perfect for HPL's melieu, with its echoes back to America's colonial times.

My first name starts with a "K" and my last name starts with a "W." Does this mean I'm a paradox....?

Not unless it stands for "Kooky Warlock" or "Kindly Werewolf" or somesuch... 

[Genus Unknown]

"Kooky Warlock" isn't much of a paradox.  I've known a few warlocks in my day, and they were all a few lightbulbs short of a hamster.

[bar1scorpio]

You wonder if he pronounced the "W".

[old book]

Winifred...don't ask me where.

[Ruth - CthulhuChick]

Winifred...don't ask me where.

Name of one of his co-authors. (He may also have used it)

[old book]

...or Winifried Peabody in Derleth's Lurker, perhaps...