How To Name Fantasy Characters

If you write or plan to write a fantasy story, you’ll know the bane that is naming your characters. You’ll find that although your creativity is limitless, choosing appropriate names for your character to be very difficult, if not thought blocking.

So here are three tips I have for naming fantasy characters!

Is the character coming from a warrior tribe? Was he raised in a feminine setting? What race of people did he came from?

Again, my favourite advice would always revolve around world building. Because just like you and me, we are product of the environment we were raised in. And that includes our name.

A western-raised child would probably have English names such as John or Jane. A China raised child would probably have Chinese names such as Tan or Wong.

So now it goes back to your character’s environment. If he was raised in a warrior tribe, usually in that culture, they would give you fierce sounding names such as Toruk or Gromar. If he was raised in an elegant culture, they would give names that roll nicely out the tongue such as Eleanor or Yera.

Another key aspect regarding this advice is to keep the other characters who were born in the same culture to have similar names. It’s only realistic.

For example, in Game of Thrones, the Targaryeans who were from Valyrian culture all have ‘ae‘ and ‘y’ in their names such as Daenarys, Viserys, Aegon and Rhaegar.

So if you could define a culture, it will be easier for you to determine your character’s name.

So I hope you find this article useful and I wish you all the best in your writing! Don’t forget to follow my blog and check out my own fantasy book, The Ocean Hearth. Cheers!