On Naming
Names can be so fascinating, but what to name your characters can sometimes be downright agonizing. Some people have an easier time naming their own children than they do the children of their mind—their characters.
There is so much in a name. It’s not just what people call you, it’s how it sounds, where it’s from, what it means and who else has held that name before. All of these things need to be taken into account when naming your characters.
The sound of a name can invoke a feeling or an impression. Names with hard consonants give their bearers the impression of being a strong person – men with names like Michael, John and Richard; women’s names such as Katherine or Margaret. Other names denote a softness or weakness to the person – Harold, Myron, Grace or Claire (my apologies to people with these names).
Names are also culture and country-specific. You wouldn’t name a Welsh character something Hispanic. You need to be sure that the name you give to your character is appropriate to where they come from and when. You can’t give someone a name that wasn’t used at the time that they lived—and that includes unusual/modern spellings of traditional names like the currently popular Caitlyn (thanks to Ms. Jenner).
Within culture-specific names, you might also want to consider the point of view of your reader. To my American ear the name Ulrich sounds like it would be perfect for a villain, but perhaps to a German speaker it is a name of power and strength. To try to figure this out, you can either ask your readers outright, or research who else has held the name in question. If it’s the name of a popular, handsome movie star, you might not want to give the name to a maligned character.
Personally, I’ve gotten a good bit of kick-back from my character St. John Fotheringay-Phipps (correctly pronounced Sinjin Fungy-Fipps thanks to the wonderful British language), otherwise known as Fungy. He started out being purely a comedic character, an extreme dandy. But he quickly grew into one of my favorites and I couldn’t just leave such a strong and wonderful character alone. He needed to be fleshed out and deepened. He needed to be a hero, and so I ended up with a protagonist with an odd name. But he bears it well and, in fact, in his book, A Dandy in Disguise, what he is called changes as he grows—in the beginning of the book he is just called Fungy by the heroine and others, but as she gets to know him better and he grows as a character, she and others begin to call him St. John instead. A more dignified name for a more mature character.
In my current book, I’ve named my hero Stephen, but as he is growing and developing, I’m thinking that a name that begins with S might not be appropriate or quite strong enough for the man. I’m thinking of changing his name to David. But in order to make this change, I’ll need to write a scene from his point of view using the new name and then a scene from the heroine’s point of view using the new name. If it feels comfortable, I’ll make the shift throughout the manuscript. If it still doesn’t feel right, I’ll keep his name as it is.
Why did I chose David for this character? Because it is a strong name with those 
hard consonant sounds, and yet the biblical David did have moments of uncertainty, of weakness, of vulnerability and all of these characteristics apply as well to my hero, who grows from a man of certainty to one who isn’t so sure that what he’s doing is right for him, and then moves onto a new path knowing that he’s finally headed in the right direction. All this, I feel, is embodied in the name David, based on biblical stories and other people I’ve known, heard of or read about with the same name. So, you see, it isn’t just one thing which determines a character’s name, but a whole slew of variables.
As I am traveling just now and meeting an incredible number of new people from all over the world, I’m embracing the opportunity to not only get to know these people, but their names as well. Just within the past few days I’ve met Eavan from Ireland (pronounced Yvonne), the aforementioned Ulrich from Germany (who is not villainous at all, but rather a very sweet man), and Pilar from Boliva. I’ve met people from Senegal whose names I couldn’t even begin to pronounce (or write) and others who come from a fascinating mix of backgrounds with equally interesting names. As I struggle to take in their names, they do the same with my own odd name – most people hear Mary when I say Merry, and one person misheard altogether and is convinced my name is Merriweather (I don’t have the heart to correct her after spending a whole day sight-seeing in her company).
Have you struggled with naming your characters? Have you thoroughly investigated the fantastic website ? How do you figure out how to name your characters?
