Picking character names

[E.M.]

I always have problems picking names, not for my main characters, they always seem to come easy to me. Its the other characters in my books that are hard. I was wondering how others picked names for their characters. Any hints that might help me?

[Rachel]

I have a simple strategy. I take the characters age and figure out when they were born. Then I google "girl names 1992" or whatever. I read through the list of popular names for that year until I see one I like for the character.

[L.K.]

I think it would depend on the genre. I write fantasy so I can get away with crazy names. One of my favorite ways to create names is to think of a word (or words) that describe your character. Write it down and then play around with the letters. For instance, one of my main character's name is Salvarias. I got this by playing with the word salvation. Another is Lunara which is a play off lunar.
At one point I thought about about writing a horror book set in real time. For that, I just went through a baby names website and made a list of boy and girl names I liked. That way I'd always have a handy list right at my fingertips. Took awhile, but once you have a solid list, you won't have to do it again.
I think it was Michael Sullivan who likes to use street names. I thought that was an interesting idea.
And never underestimate the value of your friends and family. Every once in awhile my husband can come up with a great name. I've also seen authors do a poll here. Might be fun to involve readers.
Good luck!

[S.]

One way I used to make up names is to look around all the objects in your location, and see how you can meld them together.

I have a name Handoor for a character: saw my right hand + saw the door knob = Hand + door = Handoor.

I still do that, but I will admit I've been having problems coming up with names lately.

[Quanah]

L.K., I asked my husband to name, and describe, a sexy name and woman. That's how Terra, from "Terra's Nite Out" was created. He liked Terra spelled that way for some reason.lol

[L.K.]

Yeah, those husbands can be creative. Mine came up with Grayden for another series I'm writing. Love the name and spelling.
For me, creating names is fun. However, after looking back on some of the names I came up with I'd like a do-over. Sometimes when I throw letters together, it looks cool, but when you hear someone try to pronounce what you have in your head it's kinda painful. I have a MAC with speech and now I make it say the names I come up with to see how most would sound it out. It's changed my mind a few times.

[E.M.]

At the moment all my books are fantasy, mostly vampires so I have a wide age range. I had a Scottish vamp in one book and my husband picked his name from a list we found on the internet, ended up with Lochlann. Love the idea of making up your own names by playing around with items etc that might come in useful in a new paranormal book im working on. Thanks guys

[Norm]

I have used Google to find popular named in a place and time as well. Also, Scrivener has a Name Generator tool that can come up with some interesting monikers.

Norm Hamilton author of The Digital Eye
Indie Writer Book Reviews
Services for Writers
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email: Norm Hamilton

[S.]

There are a ton of name generators out there, many of which will give you laughs. I like using them just to see the cooky names that come up. I have an old how-to be a villain guide.

It's awesome. Mix this with those crazy name generators, and you've got a recipe for a really fun, off-the-wall, classic story. And combine that with the http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/ove... list to make an even "killer" one.

[Brian]

Try looking at a map. Sometimes a city, town, or street name can be used for a character.

[Ethan]

For my characters, I've always looked at baby name lists which include the meaning behind the name.

If the character is part of a certain race, political, or geographical background, I will already have a background in mind for them—Germanic, for instance. Then, I will look up the meanings behind the names from that background to find one that describes a certain aspect of their personality.

[Mary]

As I write Science Fiction, perhaps I need a name for a Doctor who specializes in robotics. I research who started the field, and then take their assistants name and change it a bit. Makes it something extra to those on the know when they read the book, and helps me out!

[Ethan]

Mary wrote: "...then take their assistants name and change it a bit. Makes it somet..."

That's a terrific idea! I love when authors tip their hat to a reader in little ways like that.

[F.W.]

Kitty wrote: "One way I used to make up names is to look around all the objects in your location, and see how you can meld them together.

I have a name Handoor for a character: saw my right hand + saw the door ..."



I must admit I also tend to look around my room for inspiration first. I was recently trying to find a name for a lawyer in my book and sitting on my desk was an old seagate harddrive. So Charles Seagate came to life.

[Martyn]

For minor characters, I use both names of friends and beta-readers, but also names of people who irritated me in the past. There's no better revenge than killing your old supervisor in a gruesome fashion...

[James]

Now that I think of it, I use unusual names in the novels I write, and fairly plain names in the short stories. In my first novel, the main characters' names are Topher Bill, Michael Zorn, and Kenneth "Gertrude" Hughes. In the most recent short story I wrote, the main character's name is Jeff.

Even odder: the novel I'm completing right now has characters named Tommy Trigger, Sal the Butcher, Boston Washington, and a deadly group of quadruplets who call themselves "Daddy's Girls," but the main character goes nameless. It's in first person, and everybody just refers to him as "you". (He actually has a name, but you have to figure it out.)

James Noll
A Knife in the Back
www.jamesnoll.net

[Jim]

In the world of 'Levels', the total population remained fairly small and constant - approximately 1,500; and, since the family unit concept did not exist, each inhabitant only had a first name.

The challenge was to avoid repeating a name; so, throughout the process of naming characters, I kept close track and a book for expecting parents containing a wide variety of male and female name suggestions close at hand.

[G.G.]

James wrote: "It's in first person, and everybody just refers to him as "you". (He actually has a name, but you have to figure it out..."

That's interesting. It might drive me crazy not to know though. :P

[James]

There's no "like" button here, so I'll just say I appreciate the response.

: )