how to name a character: a quick guide.
one of the best--and hardest--parts of making a new character is choosing their name. over the years, i have a few methods i use, so i thought i’d throw together a quick rundown.
first, the obvious: consider whether you want their name to be meaningful in some way. this is a classic, and you can be straightforward, subtle, or ironic. (gloomy goths named sunshine, anyone?)
also consider what names were popular in the year they would’ve been born, or popular names from their culture.
the name someone has often says more about their parents than the character themselves, so consider. maybe the character’s mom is a politician who named her son after abraham lincoln, or maybe their family immigrated from russia, so she gave her daughter a popular russian girls’ name. are the parents the type to do a ton of research before choosing a name, or was it spur-of-the-moment? would they choose something trendy or go out of their way to make sure the name was uncommon? is there a relative or friend they might’ve named their kid after?
similarly, for last names, consider, would their parents have their kid take only one of their names? whose? would they hyphenate it or make one the middle name?
nicknames! does your character use one? did their parents choose a name specifically because it could easily be given a nickname... or specifically because it can’t?
avoid choosing a name that’s irrevocably associated with a popular piece of media, unless their parents are the sort to name their kid after their favorite character. names like “harry” or “claudia” are common and “normal” enough that you’re probably in the clear (unless harry is a wizard or claudia is a vampire), but don’t name a character “hermione” or “lestat” unless their parent is a harry potter or vampire chronicles superfan.
if i’m stuck between a few choices, i’ll often write down a list of first names i like, then list of last names i like, and try out every possible combination until i find one that feels right. process of elimination will take you a very long way.
avoid giving two characters names that sounds too similar, even if they’re relatives. you’re just asking for some confusion.
resources:
nameberry. easily my favorite name website. not only do they have thousands of names from all over the world, they have an amazing advanced search. you can filter names by meaning, origin, number of syllables, and scarcity! they also have a TON of lists of themed names.
magic baby names. this is a cool one! enter some names that you like, and it’ll recommend names that have the same vibe. this is VERY useful for naming siblings. can’t figure out what to name emily’s six younger sisters? pop her name into the generator and see what comes up.
nymbler. their “explore” feature works similarly to magic baby names, but their “choose” feature is essentially tinder for baby names. they show you a name, along with its origin and meaning. you tell them whether you like or dislike it, and it modifies what names it shows you based on your answers. can be a VERY big timesuck if you go down a rabbithole.
random lists. sometimes you just need a big list. their female name generator is here, and their male name generator is here.
fantasy name generator. for all your dnd and supernatural thread needs.
social security. no, seriously. they keep a record of the most common names each year, which can be very handy if you think your character’s parents would’ve chosen something that was popular at the time.
and that’s pretty much it! go forth and name your characters! (and apologies if those resources makes google think you’re pregnant.)
