# Choosing Character Names



## Jeff C (Oct 10, 2014)

I'm just curious and want to get some ideas.  How do you (literally you) pick a name for a character?  

Do you go as far as thinking through this character's heritage and background.  If you imagine a character of having red hair and light skin would you give him/her a Irish/Scottish based name?  

Do you have the story line written and just fill in names as you come up with something fitting?


I'm having some trouble over thinking character names, coming up with something that is easy to pronounce, but still is different.  I was using Luke as a name for my protagonist and the whole time I'm thinking "star wars, star wars, star wars." Even though it is a completely different genre and does not follow the "epic" story line.  

What are your opinions on something like that?


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## Jeko (Oct 10, 2014)

I either:

1) Use the first name that comes into my head. It's usually the best.
2) The above, but I decide to change the name to the first name that comes into my head after I've decided to change it. It's usually the best.
3) If no name has popped into my head, I give them a stupid name until one pops into my head, and i change it to that.

Getting worked up about names is just, IMO, an excuse to stop working on the plot.


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## Morkonan (Oct 10, 2014)

Jeff C said:


> ...I'm having some trouble over thinking character names, coming up with something that is easy to pronounce, but still is different...



Well, the first thing you might want to do is to just spell it differently. For instance, instead of "Jeff", it's "Geoff." For "Luke", though, once can't very well go with "Look."  You could, however, spell it "L'ook." Somehow, that probably won't work, either... dunno why, sounds perfectly reasonable to me. This is probably why I don't have any children. The Universe will not tolerate a parent in Western civilization naming their child "L'ook", because it sounds perfectly reasonable to them.



> What are your opinions on something like that?



Avoid names that inspire the wrong imagery in the Reader's mind. That's more difficult to do, these days. Communication being what it is and being so hotly competed for, we get names shoved in our faces every day. Who's that celebrity I was thinking of.. uh, I'm terrible at celebrities. Ah, got it, "Kim Kardassian" <sp>. So, if I named a character Kim Karda or Kim Kardo, I'd be in trouble. "Kimberly" wouldn't be too bad, though. But, only as long as she didn't have dark hair and a butt you could stack dictionaries on...

Honestly, though, if written well, it doesn't matter what you name your character. So, there's no use in worrying about your character somehow becoming "confused" with another. Within reason, that is - You can't very well name your character Luke Skyrunner and pull it off.

For myself, I have certain conventions I experiment with. For Fantasy, I try to use the sounds of certain syllables to set the tone for a character. I want that name to help me partially build first-impressions. That's something common in fantasy, since it often deals with absolutes and heavy imagery/metaphor. Fantasy is richer, in that regard, in my opinion. (Not "richer" in quality, just with the icing a bit thicker on the cake in some ways.)

I also don't name my protagonist for awhile. I think about the character, first, and write a bit. I'll use placeholder names, when necessary, in order to get some writing done. When I have a good understanding of the character, I'll settle on a name. That's not always true, though. It's just a rule of thumb.

When manageable, unique names can shine. Experiment with alternate spellings and words you wouldn't normally think to see in a name. Also, don't underestimate the value of a phone-book! Yes, in the age of The Internet, a printed phone-book can be a good writing tool.  Here, I'll open some random pages and give you examples: "Prevo." Cool, huh? "Steahly", another interesting name. These were the first names I looked upon, by the way. "Van Ness", ooooh, a name commanding attention! The top of the page starts with "Vaden." So, we have "Vaden Van Ness!" Too close to Darth Vader, though... Unique letter combinations can sometimes be troubling. But, the repetition flows smoothly. I bet this character's father would have liked "L'ook," too. But, I bet "Vaden Van Ness" would have gotten beaten up in grade-school a little less frequently than "L'ook."


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## Elvenswordsman (Oct 10, 2014)

I like a guy, whose name escapes me (Donaldson?), who names his characters quite directly. The villain in the series was called Lord Foul the Despiser (pretty direct and terrifying name).

I translate words, mostly, to create the name I want, with the sounds I want.

Ganz Schwarzberg - Giant Black Mountain - Dwarf, huge axe.


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## Ephemeral_One (Oct 10, 2014)

My solution is usually built around the world I'm working on. Most people tend to name their kids after whats on their mind at the time of the birth so the question is usually what kind of place were they born into?


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## TKent (Oct 10, 2014)

I keep an ear out for interesting names and jot them down.  I've got some names I like so much I want to build a story around them


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## MzSnowleopard (Oct 10, 2014)

I too keep an ear open and sometimes and an eye on name badges. I've seen some rater interesting names on them. Other than that, I think about the character, contemplating his or her history and bloodline- and then I go to websites for baby names- and see what's listed. I try to keep to familiar names, ones people know how to pronounce but every now and then a character comes up with an unusual name. Those go with the ones that are usually from another planet. ;-)


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## Jeff C (Oct 10, 2014)

Thanks for the input everyone.  I'm not really writing anything fantasy related, so I guess "normal" english names are probably the best bet.  

The most interesting name I've ever seen on a name tag is "Mudd" so maybe I'll end up writing a story about a girl named Mudd...One day


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## popsprocket (Oct 10, 2014)

Ah... yeah... names...

About 80% of my characters have placeholders that look like this: " [BAD GUY] "


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## tepelus (Oct 10, 2014)

For the story I'm working on now, one of the protagonists' names I got from a gravestone. The other one her first name was picked out of the blue, her last name from a cemetery list. The antagonist is German, so I picked a common German first name and then browsed the friend list of my German friend's Facebook and chose the last name from there, as well as the first names of the antagonist's "brothers".


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## Jeff C (Oct 10, 2014)

popsprocket said:


> Ah... yeah... names...
> 
> About 80% of my characters have placeholders that look like this: " [BAD GUY] "



This is probably my best course of action, just so I don't get to bogged down trying to force something haha


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## Lyra Laurant (Oct 10, 2014)

I always give my protagonist a short name or a nickname, because I know I'm going to have to write that a lot. XD

Lazy reasons aside, I go to babies names dictionaries and try to find names that fit my characters. I'm very picky with names, and it is hard to find a name that sounds good, is consistent with the character's ethnicity (but, well, my own first name is not really) and also has an interesting meaning.


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## No Cat No Cradle (Oct 10, 2014)

Sometimes I kind of sound something out until I like the way it rolls off the tongue. Though a good amount of time I will do a little research on names about meaning and origin. I try not to choose anything super uncommon because I like the name to blend into the page generally.


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## popsprocket (Oct 11, 2014)

If you're looking for a good place to _find_ names, then check out the credit roll at the end of a movie. Just let your eyes glaze a bit and write down the ones that jump out at you. This is good for getting natural sounding first and surnames, especially if you're after a combination of the two.


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## T.S.Bowman (Oct 11, 2014)

> You could, however, spell it "L'ook."



For the love of all that is holy, PLEASE no!!!!

That, I think, is my biggest pet peeve as a reader of Fantasy. Random apostrophes in the middle of a name drive me bugshit.


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## J Anfinson (Oct 11, 2014)

I just use something easy and temporary until the right one hits me. It's easy enough to use Word's find/replace tool to change every instance in a snap.


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## Seedy M. (Oct 11, 2014)

They come to me. Sometimes I make a name fit a situation. I've used aliases when in music and for the first book I had published. Tough guy detective? Rod Steele or Flint Hardy, I've used. Here in Panamá, there are a lot of names that just beg to be used. The Indios often have unexpected names - like Smith and Bosman, which are popular sir names. I like Dormiendo, which is "sleeping" in Spanish.
Cool Hand Luke was nothing like Skywalker. It's not an automatic connection. Luke is good name for a person from the south west.
Sometimes you're going to describe a negative character, so want an unusual name. I use things like Lutetia or whatever. They just occur to me. Also, names run in cycles. Cole is due for another cycle. I've used Cole Black. If you just want a different spelling, how about Luek?


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## Nippon Devil (Oct 11, 2014)

It depends on the character and setting for me.

If it's a modern setting, I use modern names. Jack, Jill, Frank, Bill, Betty, Sara, David, or something of the sort. But if the character is a bit mysterious or otherwise doesn't fit in normal social circles, I'll go with a nick name or something more dramatic/different. Veronica, Hershel, etc.

If my character is a proper english chap, he gets an English name. Germans get German names, etc. 

Last names play a role too. If the character is like an action hero, the name should be quick to pronounce and such. Blake stone, Mad Max, Max Payne, Jet Black.

For fantasy, I tend to use older names. Greek, roman, and even as late as Celtic and Germanic names depending on the setting and behavior of the character. If the character acts like a spartan, he will get a spartan name. "THIS IS GRIFFIN TOOTH!" I'm also not afraid to name my characters after non-mainstream gods/myths if they share some of the characteristics with that god/myth. I might call a goat man Pan if he drinks and sings for instance. I have also shamelessly named a feline who stands on his back legs Felix. 

...Or I'll use a baby name database. STAY AWAY FROM NAME GENERATORS!

It's very easy to be caught up on names. Luke isn't a super popular name, so of course you're going to think of the legendary Starwars. But what if you added a last name? Luke Perry-winkle? Luke Liquerbottom? Luke Sharp? Luke Peirce? Luke McBride? It's a bit harder to picture any of them holding a lightsaber.


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## MzSnowleopard (Oct 11, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> For the love of all that is holy, PLEASE no!!!!
> 
> That, I think, is my biggest pet peeve as a reader of Fantasy. Random apostrophes in the middle of a name drive me bugshit.



I concur! And for the love of sanity don't make up compound names. Someone I used to co-write with likes to do this with her minor characters. For one of the novels we had been working on together she created the name Tawneisha. I cringed every time I read that name. Eventually, I managed to convince her that the character was unnecessary.

If a writer wants to emphasis genetic heritage, in this case African Descent, that's one thing BUT combining 2 names into one, or sometimes 3 names into one, drives me batty.

IMO- short, simple first names are more memorable with main characters. Then the oddball 2nd or 3rd tier characters could have the weird names. But never, ever a compound name. 

When it comes to code names or call signs, I like to go with themes. With one team of characters I went with Greek Legends, with another I chose variations / synonyms of the same word. In this, I believe that the key is to have a method to your madness and keep consistent with it.


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## Kyle R (Oct 11, 2014)

You can try a random name generator, like this one: http://www.behindthename.com/random/

I like to take a normal name (or word) and change a letter or two to make it unique.

For instance, picking something at random, there's the _Daytona 500_ race. I'd take the _y_ and the _a_ out of it and have _Daton_. And voila! A new character name. :encouragement:


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## Morkonan (Oct 11, 2014)

Kyle R said:


> ...For instance, picking something at random, there's the _Daytona 500_ race. I'd take the _y_ and the _a_ out of it and have _Daton_. And voila! A new character name. :encouragement:



The name "Morkonan" comes from such a technique. 

(Though, Wizards of the Coast somehow stole my name and used it for their own purposes. Since the parallel evolution of such a brilliant name is unlikely, it is obviously the work of Evil Geniuses seeking to usurp its power...)


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## Gargh (Oct 11, 2014)

Re: OP... Have a look at this example of someone who's spent a lot of time choosing their character's names... http://www.fishpublishing.com/Fish-Anthology-2012.php#serene ... I rather like it! 

I filch names from book dedications, unless it really matters. I've used placeholder names before, but normally get used to them and keep them. Hint: If you do decide to use a placeholder, make it something simple and then you're less likely to misspell it and then miss it in a universal find & replace! I do wonder how long it's been since a character's been called Marilyn? It's a lovely name, but so difficult to disassociate.


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## NerdyMJ (Oct 11, 2014)

I like to use names that have some sort of personal symbolism (personal to me) behind them. For example, Katrina is my favorite girls' name because cats are my favorite animal and because of the nickname Kat, so I named my main character Katrina Kirby. Her last name is a reference to Jack Kirby, the co-founder of Marvel Comics. So I just always try to think of names that have sort of symbolism behind them.


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## voltigeur (Oct 11, 2014)

I usually go to baby name list along with Surnames for the nationality of the character.  I just have to remember to keep jumping aorund in the alphabet so I don't have all names begining in A. 

Vary rarely will I choose a name based on its meaning. It just isn't part of the process unless I want to see who is paying attention.


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## Jeff C (Oct 12, 2014)

voltigeur said:


> Vary rarely will I choose a name based on its meaning. It just isn't part of the process unless I want to see who is paying attention.




See, that's the problem I ran into when I first started to think of names.  I had to research a name, find one that meant "strength" or what have you.  I was doing more googling that writing though, so I figured I'd kick that habit rather quickly haha


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## thepancreas11 (Oct 12, 2014)

All of my names have meaning, but that doesn't necessarily mean they mean something...wait, I can say this better.

Every character I write reminds me of a person I know. The two become inexplicably linked, and eventually, or sometimes purposefully, at least a part of the name gets ripped off this real-life character and stamped onto the fictional one. For instance, my MC's name is Sam Bentley. He reminds me of my grandfather, Richard Bentley Traub. I don't particularly care for either Richard or Traub, so I stick in Bentley. Now, when I write Sam's character, I remember how to write him. I find, for me, this little trick makes characterization so much easier.

The other thing I might do is give the character a name associated with a certain situation from past literature. I have a character named Simon P. Jupiter. He's a fisherman. So was Simon from the Bible. I'm not particularly religious, but I do like the name Simon. Jupiter comes from the idea that he will eventually have some god-like powers, that he's in space, and that the name Jupiter does not sound like a human name at all, which, for me, puts a funny spin on the character from the beginning. The P. is just a placeholder and does not stand for Pancreas, I assure you.

As far as the Luke thing goes, you needn't worry. Plenty of people are named Luke. Cool Hand Luke, for example.


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## fabric_letters (Oct 12, 2014)

NerdyMJ said:


> I like to use names that have some sort of personal symbolism (personal to me) behind them.



I do the same and pick names which have a personal connection to either me or someone who the character is based upon. If a name doesn't come to me instantly or before I begin writing I will give them a shorter name like 'Kim' or 'Joe' while I write.


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## InstituteMan (Oct 12, 2014)

I put a lot of thought into names. Mostly, I like to use allusions to myth or history or literature. I try not to expect a reader to have to spot the allusions to understand a story, but I hope that the allusions can be happy Easter Eggs to some readers.


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## CyberWar (Oct 13, 2014)

I first come up with a setting for the plot, and pick the names appropriate to the cultures therein. For a sci-fi setting, where more exotic names would be appropriate, I also try to picture the fictional culture of the characters first, selecting names accordingly.

For example, I will try to make the names of characters from a brutish, warlike alien race sound accordingly - sharp, rough, brutish. Or conversely, peaceful and cultured alien characters will also have pleasant-sounding, eloquent names.


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## Bishop (Oct 13, 2014)

In my noir book, I use real, human names. I pick them based on how I just sort of... imagine the name's fit with the character.

As for my sci-fi, for humans I take modern human names and distort them. I shorten them, or lengthen them, change letters (often to be more phonetic) and I mix roots and endings of existing names. To make it sound "human" while still retaining a distance from current culture. For some reason, I especially love ending main character names in the letter K... >.> Not sure why.

For aliens, I get an idea for how their language might sound, and make up things based on that. For instance, one alien species in my books has a language that accents hard consonant sounds and avoids soft sounds and vowels. They have sharper, more biting names. Others take on human-ish names (societies in my books use a distant form of English as its common language as a form of reparations for crimes against humanity in humanity's space-infancy) so that they can be more understood by other species when their languages are too alien or impossible for other species to replicate the sound of.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Oct 13, 2014)

My characters come from all over Europe, so I just went to a names website and looked for German or French or Spanish (or whatever) names that sounded good and had meanings I liked.


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## Hailey_Murray (Oct 20, 2014)

I actually love character naming! If I don't have the character name when I start writing, I use the name of a friend or someone I know who mosts reminds me of the character as a placeholder until I come up with the perfect name. I write "real world" fiction, not fantasy, so my character names are based in where the character is from/their heritage and also their social class. I'm name-obsessed (really, names and trends in naming are fascinating for anyone who loves words!) so I have quite a large name 'vocabulary' before resorting to baby name books, etc.


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