Anti Mary-Sue Character Guide

3.3 - Names With Meanings Unfitting names that mean something

By my profile, I'm guessing people know I'm called Sarah which means Princess. I have not been given this name for its meaning but I am aware some people have.

Using name meanings can give a writer a lot of inspiration and, if you're like me, names can be really difficult. This is fine so long as the name fits.

Honestly, don't purely rely on a name's meaning for every single character. It's obvious when you do this. So here's an extreme example. In a class of regular students, you wouldn't have someone just walk in and find they were called Blanket; named this because a blanket is comforting and reassuring. Your character might be the most comforting person who ever existed in a novel, it doesn't mean you can go around calling them Blanket.

Basically, as I always say, make it suitable to the context. Just because you've considered the name meaning, doesn't mean you add in a random name without giving a reason as to why they're called that, especially if they're not commonly found in their culture. Is it a family thing? A nickname? A middle name they prefer to use? Add the detail.