Character Names

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Ok, I have some rare writing time for myself right now (to start YA Frenzy) and I'm writing a post instead. Do you feel the love?

I was thinking today about character names and how writers come up with them. It seems like most writers like to sneak a peek into how other writers do things, so I thought I'd share how I do it.

Actually, I don't have much of a process, so I hope I'm not getting your hopes up too high. My big trick is to flip through a baby names book. I usually know what letter the name should start with. Sometimes I go by meaning of the name, but I mostly just keep scrolling until I find something that I positively know fits my characters.

Last names can be tough. A great place to search out surnames is a cemetary. Where I usually go though is here for my surnames. Like first names, I have an idea of what letter I want it to start with and just search until I find something I like.

Naming my characters is one of my favorite parts of beginning a new story. What's your character naming process?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I like to look through name generators. Here's why, everything is just a click away. There is none of that pesky turning the page stuff. Behindthename.com is awesome for names.
April 1, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Lisa Miles said…
Thanks for the name site! My husband thought I was crazy to buy a new baby names book recently, but to me there's something about flipping through the pages. I'm old fashioned that way:)
April 1, 2010 at 4:19 PM
Jeff King said…
I could spend hours lying in the dark thinking freely... letting my mind wonder. Eventually the name pops into my head--a name the char likes not me. Sounds weird but that’s how I do it, if the name doesn’t come with the discovery of the char that is.
April 1, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Shannon O'Donnell said…
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your system and for the link! :-)
April 1, 2010 at 7:09 PM
Shelley Sly said…
It's funny, I pick out names the same way, for the most part. I have this old baby names book that was my aunt's in the 80s (I really need a new one) and I usually have an idea for the letter first. I skim through there, and if I don't find the right name, I search a baby names site. I also use a similar site for surnames, which are more difficult than given names for me. Thanks for sharing!
April 1, 2010 at 9:57 PM
Stephanie said…
I like to search internet sites that list the top baby names by year. Usually something will jump at me and it just sounds like the personality of the character! Last names are tough...usually I end up with last names that are also first names: Marshall, Morgan, Spencer, Daniels, etc...
April 1, 2010 at 10:03 PM
Katie said…
I've always thought names are super important, so I usually agonize over them. I'm not a baby book fan. Typically, I check online and also go to names I like from classic literature. I actually named a character Bennett (Ben for short) after Elizabeth Bennett. :)
April 2, 2010 at 1:29 AM
Jaydee Morgan said…
Naming characters is never easy for me. I pick something to start with but as I'm writing, I usually end up changing it to something that fits my character as they develop.

For some reason, I find last names much easier.
April 2, 2010 at 2:17 AM
Sarah Ahiers said…
normally i just pull something off the top of my head. But if i'm really having troubles i'll use my new age baby name book
April 2, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Unknown said…
I like the ssn baby names webpage. You can search any year and find out what the most popular names were. That makes it easier to come up with names for characters at different ages that all sound authentic.
April 2, 2010 at 12:02 PM
Unknown said…
I'm a baby name book addict myself. I've bookmarked half a dozen name sites. I read movie credits religiously. I even flip through the phone book, name hunting, on occasion. And I know I drive family and friends nuts with my demands of "help me think of a name" - esp. since I hardly ever accept their suggestions!
April 2, 2010 at 12:26 PM
Melanie Hooyenga said…
Usually names just come to me. On the rare occasion I've needed inspiration I've used online baby sites (esp when I had 20+ Hispanic characters) and I just founda baby name book my mom bought me back when I wrote in high school
April 4, 2010 at 10:42 PM
Raine Chasing said…
Usually names come to me just as I'm falling asleep at night. I write these names down and then think about the type of person that would have that name. And as we all know, names define who we are - (yeah right!) but you know what I mean. Names in my stories usually change a few times as the story progresses (usually within the first 10 - 20 pages). I also use name generators online or names I hear on t.v.

I haven't tried the baby name book yet. I may give it a whirl.
April 5, 2010 at 8:16 AM
prashant said…
There is none of that pesky turning the page stuff. Behindthename.com is awesome for names.
home based data entry
April 12, 2010 at 4:02 AM
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