All writers know that naming characters can be the cause of much pain. It can be so hard to know how to come up with names for characters. We’ve all spent hours searching through lists of baby names trying to find the perfect one.
But I’ve found a better way to find memorable names for characters. So here’s my step-by-step guide to naming characters.
How to Name a Character
There are a few steps to learn how to come up with names for book characters. These steps will help you narrow down your options, making it easier and faster to name your characters.
1. Determine the Tone/Vibe of Your Book
Before you go searching through lists, you need to figure out the tone and vibe of your book, including the genre. Books with different tones and genres require different kinds of names.
For example, a whimsical book might have names like Marigold the Clever or Harold Masterbrooke. A sci-fi book might have characters named Zaxary Link or Maev Cycle. Fantasy books have names like Kruneth and Ogrus. Historical or contemporary fiction books should have character names that fit the time period and place.
No matter what kind of book you’re writing, chances are some names fit its tone and genre and some names don’t. Determining the tone will help you narrow down what kind of names you’re looking for.
Pro tip: Once I determine the kind of names I need for a particular project, I’ll keep a list of or links to names that work in my notes for easy access the next time I need to name a character.
2. Determine the Character’s Personality/Vibe
Along with fitting the vibe of your book, character names need to fit the vibe of the character—especially for the main characters.
If you haven’t already, figure out the character’s personality. If they are one of the main characters, take the time to flesh out who they are in detail. If they’re only going to be mentioned once or twice, don’t worry too much about their personality.
Once you know what kind of person they are, determine what kind of names work with this personality. Someone who’s more strict might have a name with lots of consonants, whereas someone who’s a free spirit might have a name that feels airy.
You can also determine whether or not you want the character’s name to mean something that connects to their personality or background. And you’ll also want to think about the character’s parents. What kind of name would they give their child?
3. Search for Names that Fit the Vibe of Both Your Book and Character
Now that you know your book’s and your character’s vibes, you should have a good idea of the kind of name you need to find.
Perhaps it’s a Greek name that means wealthy, or a futuristic name with more than 5 letters. Below you’ll find a list of places you can search for names. Your search will be much easier when you know exactly the kind of name you’re looking for.
4. Check that the Names Aren’t Used for Something Else
When you find a name, you’ll want to do a Google search to check that no famous person or popular character already has that name. You want it to stand out.
How to Find Character Name Ideas
Here’s a list of my 5 favorite places to find names for characters.
I use Pinterest for so much when it comes to writing—and naming characters is no exception. I have a whole board dedicated to character name ideas.
Pinterest is great for this because pins often group names by meaning or genre. You can find pins like “Names that start with R” or “Spring names”.
Name Generators
Character name generators are also great for coming up with names. Don’t just use a generic one though; find one that matches the vibes of your book and character.
My favorite generator is Fantasy Name Generators. They have so many categories—and they keep adding more! You can save names that you like, and they have generators for lots of things beyond character names.
Graveyards
It might seem a bit unconventional, but graveyards can be a great place to find interesting names—especially old graveyards.
This will work particularly well for those writing historical fiction. If you can find a graveyard in the right area with people from the right period, you’ll see what kinds of names were popular or realistic.
If you need inspiration and you’re down for a field trip, head to a cemetery near you and peruse the names. You’ll likely find some unique ones.
Mashing Up Words
If you really want unique character names, this is the way to do it. Take a phrase or brief sentence—perhaps one that describes the character—and mash it together to create a name.
Here’s an example.
Let’s say I describe my character like this: sunny personality but dark aesthetic.
That becomes: sunnypersonalitybutdarkaesthetic.
Eliminate some letters: sunyrsonitydakaeset.
And some more: sunyrondaset.
And their name becomes Sunyron Daset.
If that name fits the book and character, then I’m done. Easy as that. If not, I can try again.
You can also use this as inspiration. Say the name Sunyron doesn’t work in my book. I can instead choose a name like it that fits better. Something like Sullivan or Soren.
Baby Name Lists
If all else fails, you can always go for the classic baby names list. But again, find one specific to your needs so you don’t spend hours pouring over lists of names that were never going to work for your book or character.
So that’s how to come up with names for characters in a story. Let me know in the comments what your favorite places to look for names are.
Happy writing!
