Part One: 7 Steps to Naming a Character
Picking a character's name can be really difficult. The name has to be memorable, has to fit the era, has to fit the character, and has to be unique. It's almost as stressful as picking out a baby name- if not equally as stressful. Elizabeth Sims (the writer of the Rita Farmer Mysteries series) uses seven "rules" when picking her characters' names.
1. Check Root Meanings
Obviously, you know not to name your character an adjective like Loyal or Kind, but it's good to check the meanings of the names you choose if it really matters to you. Taking a dominant personality trait and finding a name that means that same thing is a good way to find a name.
Example: Andrew means manly. If you're character is a rather strong guy, Andrew could be a good name. Just remember that you don't have to correspond the character's personality with the name.
2. Get Your Era Correct
There are so many ways to find the correct names for the correct era, so don't just wing it. Why is this so important? The names make it more real for the reader. If a girl named Brittany is walking around in the WWII era, it just wouldn't make sense.
Example: Like I stated above, if a girl named Brittany or Chelsea was the main character of a story set in WWII, the reader would probably not be into the story. Instead, think about names like James, Robert, or Mary. If they were walking around during that era, it would be more believable.
3. Speak Them Aloud
Names may look great written down, but readers may get confused if the name is too difficult or just doesn't sound right. Now, this doesn't mean everyone's last name has to be Smith or Johnson, but doesn't Harry Potter have a nice, easy ring to it?
Example: Avoid using names like Hayden Nuss, where the last letter of the first name and the first letter of the last name is the same. This can be difficult to say because readers may accidentally read it like Hayde Nuss or Hayden Uss.
4. Manage Your Crew Appropriately
Don't let all of your characters' names sound exactly the same. Use different first initials, last initials, and syllables in each of the character's names. People may get confused if five characters have A as their first initial, especially if they are in the book frequently (that statement doesn't count as much if you are writing a series like Harry Potter where many people only appear in a couple chapters).
Example: Imagine having characters like Poppy Hart, Peyton Rein, and Piper Grace. Personally, I would confuse them. Also, they each have two syllables in their first name and one in their last. Try using names with more variety like Jasmine French and Liv Gonzalez.
5. Use Alliterative Initials
If you don't know what this means, it is giving the character's first and last name the same first letter. I do want to point out that you should NOT do this technique with every character in your story. It's a good idea to do this if you want to bring attention to a character or make them more memorable.
Examples: Bilbo Baggins, Severus Snape, Moaning Myrtle, and Ratso Rizzo.
6. Think it Through
Always make sure that you are sure of the name that you want. Don't randomly come up with a name and call it good (unless they are a very minor character, then it might be okay).
Example: Many murderers in stories don't have middle names or initials because the more intricate you are, the more likely there is someone out there with that name that may get angry.
7. Check Them Again
Always check your names again. Make sure that all of them work with the era, and just go through the steps again. Make sure that no characters can be easily confused or forgotten if they are a main character.
Example: In an article that I read, an author had to find a name for a Japanese-American character. They came up with a name, but after everything was printed, they found out that the last name they used was actually Chinese.
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I hope this helped! If you have a name you aren't sure about, or you need some ideas, feel free to comment and ask about them!
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