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Why was Theon Greyjoy named after a Stark>?


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Yea I noticed this yesterday as well. Additionally, I believe in the same chapter that it is mentioned that Theon is named after a Stark, it is also mentioned that as far as 100 years before there had been a Greyjoy rebellion (or maybe just lots of raids, I forget) which required the Lannisters and the Starks to work in Unison against Greyjoy raids/ rebellion. Regardless, this establishes hostility between the Starks and Greyjoy's as far back as 100 years, prior to the events in A song of Ice and Fire.



Regardless, my personal belief about the matter was that we're supposed to read more into the extent to which Theon desired to be a part of the Starks, and in this particular case indeed WAS a part of the Starks. This was just to contrast his subsequent actions against them all the more clearly, and highlight to what extent he had betrayed himself in doing the thing's he'd done in order to please his father.



Either that, or there is some feature of Theon Stark's life which subsequent volumes will elucidate for us that made him admirable in the minds of the Greyjoys.


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I don't think he was actually named after a strak. I think the starks and the Greyjoys just happen to share names. I think I read something about this before and someone said they share a common ancestor (but i'm very much not aware of a lot of the history, i'm just parroting what I remember)


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The -on suffix appears common in Greyjoy names (Dagon, Balon, Victarion, Euron, Theon, Aeron). Theon is a better fit with that convention than he is with the Starks. As for Theon Stark, perhaps he had an Ironborn mother?



Also Theon means godly in Greek. Only a godly man may sit the Seastone Chair. Make of that what you will.


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Yea I noticed this yesterday as well. Additionally, I believe in the same chapter that it is mentioned that Theon is named after a Stark, it is also mentioned that as far as 100 years before there had been a Greyjoy rebellion (or maybe just lots of raids, I forget) which required the Lannisters and the Starks to work in Unison against Greyjoy raids/ rebellion. Regardless, this establishes hostility between the Starks and Greyjoy's as far back as 100 years, prior to the events in A song of Ice and Fire.

Regardless, my personal belief about the matter was that we're supposed to read more into the extent to which Theon desired to be a part of the Starks, and in this particular case indeed WAS a part of the Starks. This was just to contrast his subsequent actions against them all the more clearly, and highlight to what extent he had betrayed himself in doing the thing's he'd done in order to please his father.

Either that, or there is some feature of Theon Stark's life which subsequent volumes will elucidate for us that made him admirable in the minds of the Greyjoys.

He was called the Hungry wolf, I'd assume he had a healthy appetite for things the Ironborn could respect

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IIRC he was called the hungry wolf because he was always at war??? Not sure how that affects the OP though???

Well a IB appreciate people with a great appetite for war.

Yes the Starks and the IB have been at war often. The Greyjoys are a lot younger as a ruling family, before Aegon the conquerer the Harlaws were topdog.

Is it possible that an intermarriage between a Stark and a Harlaw or a Greyjoy happened. After all through a thousand years history some attempts of a brokered peace must have been tried. Who knows, maybe the Harlaws conquered the Riverlands with Stark approval pre-conquest

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There's sprinklings of Joffrey's all over Westeros, same with Theon, probably. Just a famous name that's been used by a lot of major families.



From a meta-writing standpoint, GRRM probably had him named Theon to add a little extra coloring to Theon's whole dilemma of where he belongs, whether it's with the Ironborn or with the Starks.


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He wasn't. The Ironborn are primarily First Men, just like the Northmen. They have rather similar dialects and share a lot of names and/or pronounciations (as well as history and myth).


Rodrik is another name common for both Ironborn and Northmen.



Ironborn and Northmen pronounce most of their male names with a and o, while Andals prefer y and e and i. Examples would be Brandon/Brynden, Eddard/Edric, Quenton/Quentyn.


Female Andal names get shortened by a syllable or two. Examples are Arya/Arianne, Alys or Aly/Alysanne.


Robb/Robert is an uncommon male example of that as well. Actually, Robin as the third variant in a very Andal-heavy culture fits like a T.


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Joffrey Velaryon was named after Joffrey Lonmouth, rumored to be a lover of Laenor. So Joffrey has nothing to do with the Velaryons nor the Valyrians, but it may be a stormland name as House Lonmouth is from the Stormlands.


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