I’ve been thinking about this overnight, and it occurs to me that for me there is a definite pattern.
—When there is harmony between a name and avatar, such as with Harp and many others (Fireside, miasmom, augustlan, etc.), there is a very distinct image in my mind.
—When the name and avatar differ, usually one is much stronger, and that one prevails. If it’s the name (e.g., TitsMcGhee, PnL, chyna), then I don’t care if the avatar changes. When it’s the avatar (e.g., for me, cak’s brilliant giraffe, eponymoushipster’s weird monkey, jbfletcherfan’s little squirrel), I depend on it and would be put out if it changed because then I’d have to shift concepts.
—When the name and avatar differ without harmony (again, in my own perception), and each is strong in its own right—daloon’s are a good example here—there is always a tension, but either one could change and I’d still have a vivid sense of the personality coming through.
—When someone changes avatars all the time, such as asmonet or the jon-blonds, I pretty much ignore the avatar and look to the name.
Just as a postscript to my prior comment, if someone called himself or herself after any body part (say, ToesMcFoot or eyesNlashes or ElbowJoint) I’d have a pretty hard time not visualizing that image whenever I saw the name.