# Names?



## Sami (Dec 28, 2011)

*looking for opinions*

Are the names of your characters important? Do they have to follow the same style?
I'm never sure what to call my characters.. to either make one up or use a standard name.
And can you mix and match? Have some normal, and some odd?
(This applies to place names as well)


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## Aidan of the tavern (Dec 28, 2011)

I think you should consider the ethnic diversity of your locations.  If you've got a town which is really diverse with people from all over the place then I think you could get away with anything for those characters.  However, if you have got a place with exclusively local people you should probably try to use a few which are similar but don't tie yourself down with similarities.  As for having some normal and some odd, I say go for it!  Some of the names in my book sound celtic while some sound italian, ha ha.


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## sashamerideth (Dec 28, 2011)

Names are quite important, having a Billy Jo in your early Samurai epic probably won't work.

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## Codey Amprim (Dec 28, 2011)

Depends on location. Different peoples from different lands will tend to have quite the difference in naming. I try to stay true to this, but what I think you're asking is whether it's OK to go ahead and mix names around. Sure!

I do follow the region/country/very-large-distance-separator as a rule of thumb in naming, but it doesn't mean that they all have to be off-the-wall. I have a Michael, and a William, for common names, and on the other end of the scale I have names like Amerath, Sydran, Reviem, etc..


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## Joanna (Dec 28, 2011)

I usually make up names if it's a fantasy setting. In the novel I'm writing most names are made up, but the main character and her sisters have names that actually have a meaning - but I used the words from a foreign language. It's actually quite fun to chuck a term into 30 different languages and see what interesting words come out...

Also, personally, unless there is a reason for the name being odd, I'd keep a similar style. If you have a world full of weird looking names, suddenly seeing a George, might feel a bit awkward.


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## Leif GS Notae (Dec 28, 2011)

I agree with the regions, though it is good to have some books handy to get a general idea of what you think the character embodies as well. I have The Character Naming Sourcebook that allows me to breakdown names from region, meaning, timeframe (if it is a period piece) and so forth. Well worth the money I invested.

The other one is to consult either an etymology book or a foreign language to your language dictionary. I made some fantastic names based off of changing a few letters in the meaning of the word Fire for an ice dragon _(Tyveld - Thief of Fire [Nordic]). _

I hope that helps.


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## Ulutar (Dec 29, 2011)

I create little naming conventions for each country/region that I try and stick to but don't mind blurring around borders and big cities. If characters are native to a country then their name will usually follow the conventions of that country and by that I mean stick to the set style and sound of names within the region. I like to make names from one area sound very fluid and soft and then some names from others a little sharper or edgier. I think it is important to show a little coherence when naming characters - I try to make names sound desirable, not necessarily to me, but to the people of the country that character comes from. 

It's important to stick to whatever you've decided, it'd seem silly to have a character called Jane in a world where every other character had a name you had made up yourself


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## Sami (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks for the all the advice  it's been very helpful. I think I'm going to stick with making up names, which means adjusting my country names aha. Thanks.


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## Androxine Vortex (Dec 30, 2011)

I find that making names is one of the hardest things to do. You can imagine your character in your mind and then be able to write out in beautiful detail how he/she looks but names are a bit more tricky. I like to give my characters depths so I usually try to base their names off of something. If that character belongs to a certain society that was influenced by an already existing one in today's culture then I might try and make their names sound like something you would see there. Also you can take root words and mix them up to make names.


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## Dekzper (Dec 30, 2011)

I like using made up names that fit with the character's persona. If it's someone really hardcore (for example) then I might give them a name like Brak or Chelg. I like to keep the names short and simple too so people will remember them more easily. But since "hardcore" is only a part of their persona then I definitely have to consider their other qualities before I make a final decision.


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## Erica (Dec 30, 2011)

Some writers invest in baby name books to come up with character names, but nowadays there are many name sites on the web which have lists of names based on ethnicity, meaning etc. I use them when I get stuck for a name and I am looking for something with a specific meaning or flavor. For instance, much of the novel I am writing now takes place in a part of the world which is a bit like northern UK in terms of the culture and so forth, so I'll look up British, Anglo Saxon and Celtic names. But there are people from other parts of the world there as well, so some of them have different types of names. A lot of them are names that may be a bit familiar or similar to names people have likely encountered in real life, but not all. Sometimes I just make one up because it seems to fit.

I tend to favor shorter names...usually one or two syllable names. Maybe it's because I tend to feel disengaged from characters whose names I can't remember or pronounce when I'm reading.

Also, beware of hitting your reader with too many unfamiliar names at once or too many names with a similar sound. For instance, having two supporting characters whose names start with the same letter and have the same number of syllables can be confusing to a reader, especially early in a story.


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## Larion (Jan 3, 2012)

I think the names of the character should be consistent with the culture the character is from. I also like to come up with new names by taking a common word and switching or adding 1 or 2 letters. Works good for me


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## Kaellpae (Jan 3, 2012)

Sami said:
			
		

> *looking for opinions*
> 
> Are the names of your characters important? Do they have to follow the same style?
> I'm never sure what to call my characters.. to either make one up or use a standard name.
> ...



I like to mix and match. My world has some people from our current/ near future times. So they have somewhat common names. But the story is in a different time period which lets me get a bit creative for other characters' names.


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## SeverinR (Jan 3, 2012)

Names are important,
but if looking for realism, true names(as opposed to nick names, or aliases) were given at birth, so there would be little connection to the adult occupation.

But there should be different styles of names for each different society.  Dwarves should be different then elves, humans different then gnomes.

My belief is the main name should not be longer then three syllables, and limited in the number of connecting devices or words ie
bad: Ela-stal'sti de fargo-solin'des.

acceptable; Ela-sta  or Ela'sti  or Ela De Fargo

The bad would be acceptable as an official full name, just not the name they call her regularly, most people would look at the name and call her Ela.  (Some Spanish names are endless but they are called something alot shorter.)


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## Aidan of the tavern (Jan 3, 2012)

As an afterthought make sure the name sounds believable.  Don't do a star wars and give your background characters names that sound randomly generated.


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## Voldermort (Jan 4, 2012)

Sami said:


> *looking for opinions*
> 
> Are the names of your characters important? Do they have to follow the same style?
> I'm never sure what to call my characters.. to either make one up or use a standard name.
> ...



Most good names reference the archetype. You're sending subconscious messages.  

Gordon Gekko references some slimy, sticky creature.

Forrest Gump references a dimwit.

See what I mean.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 4, 2012)

Voldermort said:
			
		

> Most good names reference the archetype. You're sending subconscious messages.
> 
> Gordon Gekko references some slimy, sticky creature.
> 
> ...



Actually, I don't. I know it's rough, but pidgeon holeing lile that will get you a clichÃ¨d and stilted story.


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## Voldermort (Jan 5, 2012)

sashamerideth said:


> Actually, I don't. I know it's rough, but pidgeon holeing lile that will get you a clichÃ¨d and stilted story.



Disagree. LOTR, Harry Potter, Lion Witch Wardrobe all follow the same template and none of those are cliched and stilted.


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## Giant (Jan 14, 2012)

Here is a link that I stumbled upon for name generation. It is pretty easy to use, and has a character, spell, beast, and land generator. Check it out if you would like.

TheForge : fantasy name generator


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## eternaldream24 (Jan 15, 2012)

I think names are quite important. The names of your characters should match their personalities. For example, you wouldn't name the strong, courageous, hero of your story to be named Hank. Yet if your hero is more of a normal everyday guy then maybe Hank would be a good choice. Most of my characters names are made up. I do have one character who is a clumsy and goofy fellow and thus I named him Bernard. 

Also, check out what names were popular in the era that your story takes place.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Jan 16, 2012)

I find names exceedingly important. The name is part of the character's identity and often, I can't get a good grasp of my character until I give him or her a name.

Fantasy names, I can usually make up on the spot or generate randomly with an online tool. I generaly try to make names from the same culture have a similar sound.

Giving characters real-life names is way, way harder because I'm usually extremely picky about it. For example, I like my heroes to have unusual and heroic-sounding names, but without making them sound too cartoonish. 

Oh, and this reminds me: One of my stories took place in a made-up country that used a Romantic language based on Latin, so when naming the locals I could look at Romantic names, go back to the original latin name, and then create a new "branch" from that root. That was kinda fun.


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## Dakkle (Jan 16, 2012)

I've been looking at name generators for some of my characters, others are more usual reflecting on where they were born and grew up.

The seventh Sanctum name generator isn't bad.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Jan 17, 2012)

If it comes to generating names, I use the RinkWorks fantasy name generator - it actually randomizes letters into names. You have to go through a ton of them before you find ones that are actually useful, but at least they won't seem generic.

But, yeah, mostly I just make them up by myself. I find it helps to think of names as sounds, not as combinations of letters.


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## ahgar (May 27, 2014)

not really


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## ink. (May 27, 2014)

One of the most important thing with names, for me, is being able to read and easily pronounce the damned thing. You don't want to end up like poor old John Travolta here... JOHN TRAVOLTA SAYS IDINA MENZEL @ THE OSCARS 2014! - YouTube

Granted, Idina Menzel isn't terribly difficult to say. John Travolta _is_ an idiot. But, try to consider the reader, give them something they at least imagine they can pronounce.


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## Jabrosky (May 27, 2014)

I use donjon's Fantasy Name Generator nowadays. It's handy in that it invents fictional names using sounds from real cultures around the world and throughout time.


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## Bansidhe (May 31, 2014)

I usually go with names from the real-world cultures I base my world building on, and where my characters are from within that world. Sometimes I'll to reverse lookup to find names based on a meaning I'm looking to convey, to keep the character steeped in the meaning or quality I'm looking for. I try to avoid anything unpronounceable, or too many characters with similar-sounding names, so my readers don't lose track or get confused.


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## Hainted (Jun 1, 2014)

People's Names by Holly Ingraham is what I use. It covers over 100 cultures from all over the world, and all points in time from Mesopotamia to Modern Iceland. On top of that she goes into the culture's naming conventions so you build an authentic sounding name and understand why Rosario Garcia in modern times would more likely be Rosario Maria Garcia de la Rosa a few decades back, and why that distinction is important.On top of that she includes a section in the back on building Shadow Languages(Conlangs) for naming purposes, and making them consistent for the culture you're creating. Definitely worth the price.


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## technopony13 (Jun 6, 2014)

The names of my characters usually always go with the character so say for example; Kou means Night rain so I would probably use that name for a character who was born in the night, or to describe how naive she is.


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