LKH sounds crazy the way she explains it but I do get what it's like when sometimes a character's name just feels right and any new names you try just aren't working out so you eventually say fuck it and just go with the original name. I find the best thing is go with an alternate spelling or a similar name.
Using Alastair as an example, it only took a few seconds to find this:
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-07-14 04:55 pm (UTC)Using Alastair as an example, it only took a few seconds to find this:
Alastair has 26 variant forms: Al, Alasdair, Alasteir, Alaster, Alastor, Alaisdair, Alaistair, Alaister, Aleister, Alester, Alistair, Alistar, Alister, Allaistar, Allaster, Allastir, Allistair, Allister, Allistir, Allysdair, Allystair, Allyster, Alysdair, Alysdare, Alystair and Alyster.
Alastair is also pronounced similarly to Alistaire and Alistir. Another suggested similar baby name is Alisdair.
Surely out of almost 30 alternate names LKH could have found one that worked.