I've been on wattpad since I was twelve and for almost eight years. In that time I've gathered a lot of experience on writing and reading Harry Potter fan fiction. Now, I want to share all I've learned with you: from plot holes, unfinished work and...
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To me, I believe names are important; especially when they're in a novel as you have complete control over your OCs. As usual I'll be using examples from my previous fic to help you name your characters. But I will also be offering different ways you can find inspirations for your OCs; let's begin!
1. You If it's your name, you don't have to change it. Alas if you'd like to, keep scrolling!
2. Their House In some cases finding out your OCs house before naming them can help shape them into what you want them to be. For example Ben Truman from the Lucy Snape series got his surname because he is, well, pretty much a truthful and decent bloke.
3. An Aspect Similar to choosing a name based on their house you could choose a characters surname based on an aspect of them. For example, back in the day the surname Smith was created if the head of the household worked in smithing and is the Old English term to 'Smite.'. Matthew Jarvin from the Lucy Snape series gets his name because he enjoys throwing the javelin, so the two sound very similar.
4. Magic I've seen a few fics in my time where the character is named after something considered magical like the name 'Phoenix.' You could even begin to look up Latin words associated with the Potter series and see if any names have derived from them or you could make one up yourself based on a spell.
5. Regionally appropriate If your OC was born and raised in the U.K. with English heritage and are off to Hogwarts they will most likely have a British name. However, if your witch or wizard was raised in America and has emigrated to come to Hogwarts they may have a name associated with that country. You do not necessarily have to do this, it is entirely up to you. This is only one of the many suggestions I'm making in this book.
Still stuck? Here's some more ways to find a name
1. The Web A quick search on the web for a list of baby names is the easiest place to go to look for a name for your character. I've used these sites plenty of times while hoping to find an apt name for an OC, ah if only people could see the search history of a writer.
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2. Family Tree Perhaps if you ask some older relatives they'd be able to tell you some names that have been in your family? Or even signing up to a site where you can discover your ancestry, you may just find your answer there.
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3. A Friend Maybe you've got a friend with a name you really like? Why not use that? Sometimes our inspiration can come from aspects closest to us and it allows you to add your own personal touch.
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If you still don't know what to name your OC, worry not! Just get to planning other aspects of your story and soon enough inspiration will strike.
