Naming Names

Advice on assigning monikers to your characters... for better or worse.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

One question that I see pop up regularly in online writing groups goes something like this:

“How do I come up with names for my characters?”

Character names are important. (Duh.) Some authors use placeholder names during writing. When I wrote my first novel ever, an old man spent the whole first draft as Grampy George. Unfortunately, this was high fantasy, so the name was jarring and totally didn’t fit the vibe. Other authors prefer to come up with the perfect name before they start. This is my preferred method these days (mostly so I don’t end up with another Grampy George).

There are plenty of places to find names, though many authors seem to draw a blank when it comes time to actually name their imaginary people. I love names, so I’ve been collecting them as I find ones that I might like to use for characters one day. But where do I find these gems?

Here are some of my favourite sources:

The Media You’re Already Reading/Watching/Playing

Of course you can’t name your character Harry Potter, but both the first name and surname are fair game on their own if they’re a fit for your character. Mining names from existing media works best for real names, especially if they’re common. Trying to get away with unironically naming a character Obi-Wan Smith in your historical fantasy is going to cause problems.

Baby-Name Sites and Books

These are treasure troves of names, usually complete with meanings (if that sort of thing is important to you). My favourite is probably Behind the Name, which also offers the ability to search name popularity for various years in a few different countries. That can be super helpful if you’re writing historical fiction… although, keep in mind that the records don’t go back that far, so if your story is set in the 1500s, you might need to look elsewhere for names.

Which leads to…

Your Own Family Tree/Genealogy Database Websites

I’ve found so many cool old names in my genealogy research. Though I don’t write much historical fiction, I’ve nonetheless been able to use some of these names in my own work. In my second novel, The Last Minute, the Hayes brothers, Austin and Kemp, bear names that come from way back in my family tree. (Hayes, Austin, and Kemp were actually all surnames… but surnames can work great for modern first names!)

As another benefit to poking through the branches of various family trees, you might also find some unintentionally hilarious names. I’ve been keeping a list of these. Some sound like they might be right at home in a Harry Potter-esque fantasy world, while others are so suggestive that their bearers are probably glad they didn’t have to contend with 21st-century middle school. Curious? Here are some examples of the latter (these are all real names that I found in various old records):

• Colon Augur (I don’t even want to know)

• Fanny Cove (um…)

• Salmon Cone (isn’t this a type of sushi?)

• David Smallpiece (this guy’s parents were keeping expectations low)

• Willie Tucker (totally a drag name)

Summing Up

Potential character names are all over the place. I recommend keeping a spreadsheet or document of some sort, and when you come across a cool name you think you might want to use at some point, pop it in there. This also helps cut down on repetition so you don’t end up with five unrelated stories with a major character named Elizabeth.

If you’re a writer, what’s your favourite way to come up with names? Do you use any of these methods?

Let me know in the comments!