This is one of my favorite parts of writing: naming characters in my stories and novels. I try to find names that go with the theme of the short story, or with the personality of that particular character.
In my Atlantis story I came up with sea/water names:
Baltic (named after the Baltic Sea)
Caspain (named after the Caspian Sea)
Marina (place where you store boats)
In my Mesopotomian Winter Solstice story I came up with old names from that region:
Tigris (named after a river in Mesopotomia)
Syria (named after a place in that region)
Basra (named after a place in that region)
In my current work in progress I tried for sci fi names and short and blunt pirate names:
Aries (named after a constellation)
Striker the space pirate (named for his ability to strike anytime/anywhere!)
Tiff the tough pirate girl (named after another word for a petty quarrel)
How do you come up with your character names? What is your favorite character name you've made up?
11 comments:
Many times I'll use the first name that comes to mind just to keep going so I don't stall and not write. Later, after some thought, I'll use the "replace" function once I've thought out what I want the characters to be named. Also, I like using the names of people I know in my books.
I LOVE your names! So fitting, and yet unique. I usually go babynames.com to look at character names. I search by meaning and by region, so I get names that suit the location of the book, but also the characters themselves. In my current WIP, my characters are named Cayla and Amos (meaning burden) in Hebrew.
20000names . com!
It's the best site ever, even though it has obnoxious advertising (If your volume is on, don't be scared when a woman's voice suddenly blares offering some free coupon or other). I used to go to babynames, but I like the above site better. It just has tons and tons of stuff.
I'm like you; I go from regional, but since it's fantasy with me, I twist it just a little so it's less Latin or Real-World rooted.
Most of the time, unless I'm writing contemporary or science fiction, I invent names ... though occasionally I'll use obscure real-world names or tweak them. I definitely choose by sight and feel over meaning, though occasionally I do write stories with the idea that the names should have a hidden reference and ...
... I'm one of those nuts that does naming languages, so I have a blast with making names that are highly appropriate (or ironic) in meaning - even though no one is ever going to know.
Twisting real-world names to give a short story an instant "X culture" feeling is something I do a lot, or simply creating something that's close to the language's structure / using a common element. See the names Rwynal, Rhadiath or Nydd, and you ought to thinking Welsh.
Tiff is an awesome name for a character. I had an RPG character once (barely played, alas; game died) named Chary, and her personality aligned somewhat with the word.
... wow, long post. Sorry.
(Reposted because I forgot to subscribe to follow-up comments and I wanna watch this one. *scuff*)
I take popular names and change a letter, add a syllable, switch up the spelling. I love that part of the process too!
Lisa,
I've done that before and then used the replace function! I like your names, they make sense with your characters.
Tiana, thank you! I sometimes go to babynames.com as well! I love Amos and that it means burden.
Jess, I've never tried 2,000 names.com, I'll have to look it up!
Lindsey, I love your lost post! You are so brave to make up your own names! I should do more of that.
Nisa, good idea to try experimenting with changes a letter or the spelling!
For my book WiDo is publishing, I looked up Greek names online. I fell in love with the last name, Alexiou. It just looks so dang awesome on the screen. And it just rolls off the tip of your tongue. ;)
Striker--I think of Wil Striker on Star Trek. Love it. I always had a crush on him.
I was almost named Marina! :) My mom changed her mind at the last minute.
And I have a Caspian in my WIP but he has a very small part.
Great minds think alike. :)
Honestly, the names for my characters just come to me. Occasionally they will change in the middle of a story and I have to go back and fix it in the beginning.
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You have a small gift waiting for you there.
I actually keep a list of names that I like. I compile the list from interesting names I come across in everyday life. I work at a law firm and a good amount of my character names have come from clients or lawyers! When it is time for me to name a character, I look at the list and I'm usually automatically drawn to one. It sounds strange but it's true :)
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