Tiffany Problem

The Tiffany Problem refers to the issue where a historical or realistic fact seems anachronistic or unrealistic to modern audiences of historical fiction, despite being accurate. This often occurs with names, terms, or practices that, although historically accurate, feel out of place due to modern associations. Coined by Jo Walton in 2019, the name for the problem comes from the name Tiffany, a form of Theophania, that was a common name for girls in medieval England and France. However, if a historical fiction writer named a character Tiffany in a medieval European setting, the audience would likely see it as inaccurate.