Character Name Tracking?

[Mike]

I have been wondering if anyone else tracks the names of the characters that they use in their work? I began tracking the names (first, and last when appropriate) of characters about the time I self pub'd my first book. I did not want to duplicate a character, if by name only, in stories with no intended connection. I will not say that I would be opposed to using a name again in a separate book, but I feel like I would like to avoid it as much as possible.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

[T.R.]

I'm pretty bad about this; I even go so far as to shy away from names I use in drafts or writing exercises I don't intend to publish to use in other drafts.
If a name is really generic like James or Bob I might be okay with reusing it but I'll go out of my way to emphasize a different surname.

[Martin]

Every name I use goes into a spreadsheet.

Full Name, Nicknames, Titles, Character description, story name, Status, death date, special attribs.

My characters do appear in more than one book. They might be a minor character in one story and the protagonist of another.

A spreadsheet is the only way to keep track.

[Angel]

I have a similar strategy to Martin's except I cross out each name I've already used.

[Justin]

I usually come up with some pretty unique names so I never run into this issue. Although I will sometimes check to make sure a name I come up with isn't already floating around being used elsewhere.

[Rachael]

Good idea! My stories typically have huge casts - I've probably duplicated names here and there without realising it. I try to avoid it by giving my leads slightly unusual names without being too outre, but everyone slips up from time to time. Will start doing this in future ...

[Mike]

Martin wrote: "Every name I use goes into a spreadsheet.

Full Name, Nicknames, Titles, Character description, story name, Status, death date, special attribs.

My characters do appear in more than one book. The..."

Spreadsheets are my friend. I track everything, although I do not have a spreadsheet to track my spreadsheets, yet.

[Safa]

I list the names in word doc and try not to repeat names.
hopefully :S

[Grey]

I try to avoid repeating names when I can, but there are some of them I just like enough that I probably won't mind if I use them again.

Granted, I'll try to put some distance between the books if that happens.

But yeah, no. No actual spreadsheet. Just good old memory. XD

[Elena]

I keep a document listing all character names and relationships, it really helps when I decide to change someone's surname or first name.

I also use free genealogy software to track dates of birth, kids, etc.

[Michael]

I do try to not repeat first or last names. For the most part, I trust my memory to keep track of names. Of course, this does lead to the occasional slip. I have two characters with the same last name, whose stories are centuries apart. I just made one the descendant of the other and moved on.

[Mimi]

Elena wrote: "I keep a document listing all character names and relationships, it really helps when I decide to change someone's surname or first name.

I also use free genealogy software to track dates of birt..."

Hi, Elena. I was curious if you would share what software? thanks.

[Mimi]

Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)

[[deleted user]]

Mimi wrote: "Elena wrote: "I keep a document listing all character names and relationships, it really helps when I decide to change someone's surname or first name.

I also use free genealogy software to track..."

Legacy is a free download, and I use it to keep track of my real genealogy, with more than 10,000 families. You can probably Google genealogy charting and find more.

[Christina]

Mimi wrote: "Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)"

And I'll disagree on grounds that carefully selecting my names based on their meaning is what ran my first book into pre-production hell for years. ;p

Personally though, I'm okay with repetition, both as a way for authors to connect their stories (either as an easter egg or 'in universe' sort of nod), or to mimic real life where people have the same name. There was a book a few years back that I enjoyed, but cant think of the name of, but the author had the protagonist complaining that all the students seemed to be named Michael or Jennifer. Reality can be refreshing. ;)

[Mimi]

Ken wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Elena wrote: "I keep a document listing all character names and relationships, it really helps when I decide to change someone's surname or first name.

I also use free genealogy soft..."

Thank you! xoxoxo

[Mimi]

Christina wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)"

And I'll disagree on grounds that c..."

Hahaha.... I guess you have a point. My class of 30 in high school had 5 Katarina's, 4 Zuzana's and 3 Silvia's....it was a circus lol.

[[deleted user]]

I think Mary and its variations is the most common name I've run into. That goes for my generation and the generation prior to mine. Some years ago I had the opportunity to introduce Mariana to Mary Evans and Mary Sue. I visit the local nursing home to see my friend Mary, and I dedicated my first book to Mary. At one time, in the same nursing home, there were no less than five Marys. You can name a character Mary, but exactly who she is and why she's there will probably be difficult for readers to remember.

[Mike]

How about random name generators, anyone trying any of those? If I need someone to pop into a scene and let's say get hit by a falling piano, I like to get the character name from one of the online name generators. I find using tools like that in that case allow me to focus creative efforts in a more productive direction.

[Ian]

Mimi wrote: "Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)"

I find that names are vital for me, too. I put a lot of effort into my characters' names, and if I have a character that I haven't yet settled on a name for, I have serious difficulty writing anything much about them.

Back to the OP ... Yes, I track my names. So far not hit issues duplicating from one story to the next, but I need to keep a note of any names and related details that I've settled on or I'll get muddled very quickly. I haven't gone the whole "character sheet" route, but I do keep brief notes in a Word doc.

[Melissa]

I actually have to track letters. I have a habit of getting hung up on a certain letter and going for names that start with that letter. For example, there was one story where I kept going for names that started either with C or M and had to go back and change a couple of names.

But finding names for my characters tends to be a rather involved process for me, so I always remember what names I've used.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

I don't worry about this much. I write so many different kinds of stories and in various genres, I'm bound to use the same first name over again at some point. I can't see it creating any serious issues in the stories, so I generally don't worry about it. I do keep a list of names in the Happy Clown Burger books and their position in the store since there are so many characters in them, but that's the closest I come.

Sometimes if I really like an name, I'll reuse it. I loved Daniel Pellagrino's last name in The Asphalt Carpet so I reused it in Doll House as Jeff's last name. I guess they're distant cousins or something.

[Mimi]

Ian wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)"

I find that names are vital for me,..."

AMEN to that, Ian.

"Writer should create living people, not characters. A character is a caricature." :-)))
Ernest Hemingway

[Owen]

We don't try to avoid duplicating names much (first names). Our feeling is that similar names occur all the time, so we don't worry about it. For example, we have 3 characters named Robin, but they are different enough that no problems have arisen so far. But if beta readers get confused or ask questions, we do change names.

The bigger problem for is the getting stuck on the first letter thing Melissa mentioned. For awhile, everyone's name seem to started with M. Then there was a rash A's. We finally made a list and started picking names beginning with letters we hadn't used. Now we have a glossary with a list of personalities, which avoids issue for the most part.

[C.B., Beach Body Moderator]

What... just tracking the names?
:D

My character tracker spreadsheet (page 1) lists the following information on each character, in columns. *ahem*

First Name - Avatar
Last Name - Avatar
Race
Gender
Class (Class Type)
Myers Briggs Classification
Height
Body Style#
Hair Style Colour
Hair Style #
Facial Hair #
Eye colour (# Style number)
Descriptor
Secondary Descriptor
Favourite Colour
Sexual Orientation
Other Characters they really have a crush on
Other Characters they really hate
Fournimer Nickname
Lissa Nickname
Additional Nicknames
### Power
Player Name
Player Job
Player Secret
Misc.

Additionally, I have other pages to track the spells they use, and the equipment they own. There is also a page just for how to talk like one horrible, horrible, character.

I also agree with Melissa. No main characters in my book share a name that starts with the same letter. I was really into P and M when I started, and I needed to do a name cull.

I really tried to make everyone's name sound different (except for the twins), and a different letter at the start really helps that. I kept the flow, the sound, and even the amount of syllables different if I could. Distinct names really does help readers keep track of them.

I have had a few people tell me, oh you know that character I mean, the 'Z' one!

When it is done poorly, it can really take me out of the story. If I need a tracker to keep your characters separate when I read... I am generally not going to remember who they are.

[Rebecca]

I have a list of names I like, or find interesting, and I put a check next to a name when I use it in a story. Some have a couple checks, but most only have the one.

I also have a handful of place holder names for drafts. If I'm not sure what a character's name should be when I start writing, I use one of the place holders until I know the character well enough to give them a fitting name. I know a lot of people would consider that an absolutely horrible idea (names make the character!), but I use it when I need to, and it's been helpful so far.

[Amanda]

C.B. wrote: "What... just tracking the names?
:D

My character tracker spreadsheet (page 1) lists the following information on each character, in columns. *ahem*

First Name - Avatar
Last Name - Avatar
Race
Gen..."

That is a great list! I've never thought to putting all of that down like that. I have little scribbles here and there in my notebook.

[Mike]

C.B. wrote: "What... just tracking the names?
:D

My character tracker spreadsheet (page 1) lists the following information on each character, in columns. *ahem*

First Name - Avatar
Last Name - Avatar
Race
Gen..."

Yikes!

Incredible work.

Only a few times have I felt I needed a tracker as a reader. Very thankful for the wiki's on "A Song of Ice and Fire". I did do them on Audible which I believe contributed to some of my lack of properly identifying names, as I did not see them only heard them. You wind up with names that are phonetically very similar but visually very different, and can lead to some confusion.

[C.B., Beach Body Moderator]

Yes, I will admit it.

I think spreadsheets are neat.

[J.J.]

Mimi wrote: "Christina wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Names are vital. They cary power and soul. I do believe writers need to put a lot more effort into not just keeping up, but picking out names. :-)"

And I'll disagree..."
If you look at the names from the 2010 census, top 5 names are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown and Jones. While they may seem boring, for secondary characters, it would be realistic to have the names show up more than once. also, if you decide to go with an Asian character, it's interesting to note that there are supposedly only about 100 Chinese family names still active.

And as you point out, there is a popularity with first names that's time dependent. It might be worthwhile to search popular baby names for the year a character was born (not the year the story is set). One story idea I've got that I don't have plans to write just yet includes a character whose parents gave her the popular name of the day. If I ever write it, I plan to take the year of release and go back 21 or 22 years and give her one of the top 5 names of the particular year.

but I have to say, if you're looking for different last names, I've used this site quite a bit.

http://names.mongabay.com/data/1000.html

You can find some uncommon names if you scroll down to the lower rankings, but one of the more interesting things is you can identify names by race (admittedly limited number of races) If you want an African American character, it might help to make sure the name you choose isn't exclusively a white name or you can find Hispanic names that get beyond the standard Ramirez, Hernandez, etc.

[Jens]

The novel I am editing now takes place in the world of high-level competitive figure skating. I don't want readers thinking my characters are based on real skaters or coaches (they're not), so I have to be careful with my name choices. This is easy enough for the American characters-- you can give an American almost any name. The same goes for Canadians. But for the Russians, it's nearly impossible to choose a first name that isn't the same as some big name skater's.

[J.J.]

A Ukrainian immigrant once told me there were 90+ ethnic groups within Russia. Have you thought of researching names from a part of Russia we don't normally associate with the typical Russian here in the West?

[Jens]

J.J. wrote: "A Ukrainian immigrant once told me there were 90+ ethnic groups within Russia. Have you thought of researching names from a part of Russia we don't normally associate with the typical Russian here ..."

I did use a few names (mostly surnames) from other ethnic groups. It wouldn't be realistic to veer too far off the path-- you don't find too many Chuchkis or Tajiks in the skating world.

[[deleted user]]

I don't believe I've ever repeated a name, except when I've used the same character in more than one book. However I definitely used variations on a name, such as Danielle in one book and Dan in another. They're both common names anyway.

[Micah]

Mike wrote: "How about random name generators..."

I'd be wary of them. First of all, they're online so anyone at all could be using them and you run the risk of using names selected by others. Secondly, they typically are not random enough. I.e. they have a relatively small database of both first and last names and they tend to be biased toward specific kinds of names (Anglo, for instance), which means you're likely to come up with many repeated last names.

If you're curious about them, create a list of a few dozen names and take a look at what you get. You'll probably see pretty quickly what I mean. Most of the time you notice repetition very quickly.

[Micah]

But personally I don't fear repeating a name. It's very unlikely I'll come up with the same name.

However, I do make a point of using the first name Alan a lot. It's a tribute to a Pink Floyd song I like. So often when I need a name for a relatively minor character, he becomes Alan.

[Samantha]

I like to give my heroes strong names; but I'm kind of running out. any tips?

[Mimi]

I love to search my library and history books for names. Even names of rocks and precious gems. Strong and powerful...:-)

[J.J.]

Jens wrote: "I did use a few names (mostly surnames) from other ethnic groups. It wouldn't be realistic to veer too far off the path-- you don't find too many Chuchkis or Tajiks in the skating world.."

Shame, those are interesting names. Then again I'm writing SciFi so I like interesting names. Only restrictions lie in how the world order might changes and evolves in a particular universe over time. So admittedly I keep the main characters Eurocentric to relate more to the English audience, but I reach for foreign or colorful names whenever I can.