Naming characters

[dzebra]

In my writing, the most difficult thing for me to do is come up with names for characters. I presently have a 5,500 word short story made up of characters with no names, but I have been wanting to expand that to a long story. To expand as much as I want, names should be implemented. I'll go back and edit some in.

How do you get names for your characters? Is there some giant pool of good names to choose from, are they selected randomly, or what? I think I'm mostly looking for an algorithm to match a name to a character, if such a thing exists.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Baby Books...the ones were they have lists of names. Or websites...such as behindthename.com...its my favorite. Google!

[Bakiryu]

just a random name from the top of your head that YOU, the AUTHOR likes and feel it fits the character.

Band names, ethnic names, random letter combinations....

[motherhubbard]

phone books

also, my family tree is a very interesting source of names that you would find in the ozarks a hundred years ago. I wonder if the whole country had names like these...

[Mortis Anarchy]

phone books

also, my family tree is a very interesting source of names that you would find in the ozarks a hundred years ago. I wonder if the whole country had names like these...

Good idea! Phone books and family trees!! Thanks!

[dzebra]

Ha! I looked in my family tree and I have a lot of ancestors in the "Butts" family. That's funny.

But yeah, I like the idea of a baby names book, that could help me pick a name that maybe means something relevant in another language. Thanks guys.

[JADJARHD]

I always pick the most dysfunctional characters and name them after my friends. That way when my friends read it, we get to laugh about it.

[Pensive]

I have read so many Urdu afsaanas (stories) that I never have problem in choosing an Urdu name. I can fairly deal with English names also. Otherwise, there are always symbolic names which I love to use like 'May' or 'Hope'. Like 'Sorrow'.

I would say baby-books is a good idea too!

[hedbanger]

When I need a first name, I look up baby name sites (there are TONS)

As for last names, I get a book (like an encyclopedia) that has tons of authors/editors, and pick someone.

[rabid reader]

I like anagrams take a word or a name of a person that you want your charactor to emulate. FOr instance, in my shorts if I want to create a quite/witty/analitical charactor I always name him Albert Tonnew. Its fun and easy, fun becasue you can take words and add a creative touch to them to make them names, easy becasue so long as you can pronounce the name, the organization of the letters matters very little.

[RobinHood3000]

I use a lot of names from my favorite comic book characters, but a lot of other times, I pick something ironic and, if it fits the tone, blatant (like Jock for a high school football player).

[Bakiryu]

Japanese anime! You can always find cool names. (I'm currently obsessed with the name Cunningham for some reason )

[the silent x]

if there is someone in the story that i relate to, then i give them my "second first" name, such as, my name is ---- but i like the name Lance Patrick Pointe or somehtign like that, so his first and last name say something about him, Lance Pointe, sharp, all around great at fighting, yadda, yadda

[hedbanger]

Another good way is historical or political figures.


I had a side character in a series named William Rehnquist x)

[Bakiryu]

I like to use names that mean something in another language: Like Koryu which is Japanese for Garnet or Ryu which means dragon.