What’s in a name…

Character names. What’s in a name? I was recently asked how I decide on the names of my characters. That’s something that usually happens right after I chose the theme of the work. Sometimes I hear a name in passing, or I recall someone I once knew, but usually it just is a name that comes to me when the idea first hits. I then build a character ‘look/feel’ around the story and the name, then choose a cover that fits both of these elements. It has taken me as long as 6 months to name a main character (I just insert bright pink stars in place of the name as I write and go back later and change the stars to the name). Does the name need to ‘fit’? I think it does. It goes along with the overall feel of the story I believe. We have all known someone in the past that we love/hate/admire etc, and that ‘name’ conjures memories good/bad etc. I try to avoid using names of someone I knew, but that proves impossible sometimes, and isn’t meant to signify any meaning. All my characters are purely fiction and have no association whatsoever to anyone in particular. What’s in a name? A story of course!