10 Tips and Tricks for naming characters (and places) in fantasy settings
naming characters can be hard, but thankfully your favorite name expert is here to give you some advice on naming characters! keep in mind these are just the things that work for me, so you may have other methods that work for you and that’s totally fine too! if you would like to share them in the comments, this is a place to do so. we’re all here to help each other out!
1. mash up two names together
just stick two or more names (common or otherwise) together almost like you’re making a ship name. this is also possible to do with words instead of names. for example, i have a character called Brenneth who’s name came to be when i put Brandon and Kenneth together. what started as two regular names became a cool fantasy name super quick.
2. spell words backwards
this one is a little harder to make work, but if you can find a good one, it’s worth the extra trouble. for example, i have a character called Avon, which is nova (as in supernova) backwards.
3. look at street names
this one works especially well for naming places. you never know what street names you’ll come across, so it’s always worth it to check them out while you’re in the car (or you can explore on a gps). i’ve found this works especially well in residential areas. for example, i have a city in my world called Evonvale, named after a street in my hometown.
4. keep a list of names
i keep a list in the notes app on my phone of names i like. i have a lot so i keep multiple lists separated by meaning and gender in one folder. i make note of the exact meaning and pronunciation of each name i write down, just to stay organized. we here at @oc-name-database have a ton of names for you to add to your list and are constantly adding more, so check us out to see what names you can find!
5. use nicknames!
characters always feel more real and genuine when they have nicknames. you can either shorten a name you already have for a character, or if you feel your character’s name is too short or informal, you can expand upon it to create a longer name. for example, the name Seraphim could be shortened to Sera. conversely, a name like Ana could be lengthened to something like Illiana.
6. look up names on baby naming websites
there are plenty of baby naming websites that have search functions and filters to allow you to search for names with specific meanings, genders, and origins. this is very useful for writers who want names with significant meanings or names from a certain region or ethnicity.
7. keep it simple
it can be very tempting to choose an interesting and complex name, but usually this makes it difficult for others (or even yourself) to pronounce. try to stick with names that roll of the tongue easy and make sense when seen in written form. a great way to check this is to say the name aloud yourself to see how it feels or to ask a friend or two to read the name aloud without first telling them how. this will give you an idea of the difficulty of the name.
8. add/change prefixes/suffixes on names
by adding or changing the beginning or ending of an already existing name, you can create something unique for your character. for example, i have a character called Tirally, which is the name Ally plus three letters at the beginning.
9. change certain letters of names
similar to tip 8, changing letters of preexisting names can make a unique and special name while maintaining the familiarity of the original name. this tip works best for changing only consonants or only vowels, and not the two together. for example, i have a character called Katariva, which is the name Katarina with one letter changed.
10. make the names have some sort of coherence between them
this is especially important for fantasy settings with different races of people. you don’t want your orc names to sound just like your fae names, which sound just like your mermaid names. each race of people should have a unique way of naming themselves which will have to do with their culture and language. this applies to places as well; you also wouldn’t expect Tokyo to be down the street from Paris, even if you didn’t know better. for example, in my world, one race has names derived from ancient greek myths (such as Daydelus, Ariadnee, Miduesa, or Brysius) while another has last names that always include an english word (such as Meeks, Rainless, Keye, or Mireson).
