The Power in Naming Characters

How many of you spend a gazillion years coming up with the perfect name for your characters? Does it matter?

Maybe you make Post-it lists of names that make you smile--or grumble. Maybe you go to a name dictionary and find out the many meanings and backgrounds of the names. Maybe you pick something that sounds good but needs all the names to "match" in some way.

Procrastination?

Maybe. Okay, a little, but some of that time spent is pertinent to your writing time. That's because naming characters--especially major players--can help characterize, show background, and hint at things that might be coming, or they can immediately push your reader out of the experience of your story.

Here are a few suggestions when naming characters and a few suggestions on how to come up with names for your characters.

• It needs to make sense overall. Time period, station in life, and culture all have a play here. Don't name your field worker character who lives in the 1800s, Lady Tiffany Giselle Garr. Unless the fact that her name doesn't fit with her situation (or the time period, for that matter) has something important to do with why she was named this, just have it make sense!

• Make it memorable. That doesn't mean you can't have simpler names that often are overlooked in favor of interesting or sometimes made-up names. You want your audience to remember this name.

• Be careful of how you name all the characters. One thing that always drives me nuts is when there are multiple main characters with the same starting few letters. And if they start with the same letter, there should be some serious length differences. I don't want to have characters named Kade and Katy. I will forever get them messed up! Kade and Kole are also rough because they present the same way visually. Kade and Kennedy are a maybe as long as they aren't both major characters.

• Consider genre. Historical novels should have historically accurate names. Sci-Fi and Fantasy, you can get a little more embellished and creative because we have nothing to compare them to.

• Consider the meanings behind the name. I love this one. I don't always follow it, but I get wrapped up in researching name meanings and whether that's the right name for my character. You can hint at a character's inner strength with what you choose to name them. Or maybe it's what their parents thought of them. They were the ones who picked the name!

• Keep a running list of names. You know when your friend is telling a story about someone at work, and they say a name combination, and you are just floored by how amazing that name is? Write it down. When you're reading, and you hear an interesting first or last name, write it down! Keep your list on post-it notes, in a doc, a notebook devoted to names, or any other place that pleases you!

• Look in the phone book. I used to do this all the time when I was a kid and looking for good names. It was before the time of at-home computers and instant access to the internet. I'm unsure if the phone still exists, but if you can access one, use it.

• Use Behind The Name. This one is a lot of fun, and it's where I often get lost in the many meanings and lists of names.

• Name generators. There are a ton of different ones out there. Scrivener has a built-in one, and I really like Fantasy Name Generator. It's good for names, even if they aren't fantasy. I usually have to take it down a notch when writing realistic, but I can find some good leads when I'm coming up completely empty.

• Look on a map. One where you can see the names of different streets is best. Or use an online map and use the different features. Find a random city, look at the names of streets (I found Dakota Drive), and then look at nearby restaurants (Sherman's). Now, I have a character named Dakota Sherman. Use the names of lakes, other businesses, parks, etc.

• Open up your old yearbooks and find names there. Just be careful you don't name characters directly after anyone you know--or used to know. You can switch up different forms of the name, too. Instead of Katherine, maybe you use Katy, Katarina, or Rin.

I'm probably missing some major considerations. So, if you have something I didn't include, add it below! And if you have unique and interesting ways to find names or great sites that help, share away! Happy naming!