Naming Your Fictional Characters
Use a Character Sheet, Research, and Intuition to Name People
Shakespeare wrote "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (Romeo and Juliet), but it's hard to image calling it anything else. A person's name should fit, too.
Giving a fictional character a name that suits him or her can be nerve-wracking. It’s vital though, because a character with the wrong name won’t ring true, the same way a character in the wrong clothes or saying the wrong words won’t be as real as he or she could be.
Start With a Character Sheet
As any fiction writer knows, there are so many character names from which to choose that it can be overwhelming. One place to start is by using a character sheet (learn more by reading Creating a Character Sheet). Even if you haven’t given the character a name on that sheet, the other information you have provided – such as when and where the character was born, and family history – may point you to the right name.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing Character Names
- The character's age: each era has its popular names. In the 1960s, Lisa, Susan, and Kimberley were popular girls’ names, while John, Robert, and Mark were popular for boys, according to Babies On-Line. Research sites like this to find popular names for a particular time.
- Keep in mind that you might not want your character to have a popular name, if he or she is an outsider. Perhaps the name has played a role in putting him or her in that outside position.
- Ask yourself if a character should be named after someone – a father or mother? Maybe this tradition will tell your readers something about the character and about his or her family.
Sources of Character Names
- In addition to online sources, check name books, such as The Baby Name Bible: The Ultimate Guide By America’s Baby-Naming Experts, by Pamela Redmond Satran, Linda Rosenkrantz.
- Keep names you come across in everyday life, noting them in your working journal.
Final Tips
- Try different names, and see what happens. As you write you will know if the name is working or not.
- Give a character a complete name, first, middle, and last, even if you don’t intend to use all of them.
- Once you've decided upon a name, decide if the character prefers a short form – Nick not Nicholas, Liz rather than Elizabeth.
- Don't forget nicknames. Should you give your character a nickname? If so, what does it mean, and what does it say about the character?
Finally, never underestimate a character’s determination to name him or herself. You may have researched the popular names of an era, been careful to choose a suitable name, but your character may have other ideas. Go with the name he or she keeps pushing at you, and see what happens.
