Help naming characters

[Voboy]

I always enjoy the naming process when doing historical stuff; some of my favorite writing experiences have involved poring through Domesday and picking Anglo-Saxon or Norman names. Wikipedia has lists of such things, but I like getting them from Domesday because I feel a sense of connection to the historical people who actually used those names: they have a location, a livelihood, and a sense of reality that inspire me.

Bearing in mind, of course, that everyone listed in Domesday was the 1% of both English and Norman society. But that's just one of the caveats that makes it fun.

So, primary sources are also good places to find contemporary names.

 

[Cali_Love]

I read the credits at the end of movies.

“Did you see that name?!”

Add it to the list.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I think this is one of many areas where writers way over think things in relation to how the readers respond.

If you are writing a story about a 21 year old woman it's likely going to make zero difference to a reader if you name her Emily, Emma, Olivia, Madison or Hannah. (Top 5 names from 2004) unless that's the name of his sister, ex-gf or some other coincidence beyond your control.

I'll either look at a list of baby names from the year my character would have been born or pick a random new story and use one of the names from that.
I rarely use last names, when I do I use common generic ones. Cooper, Jones, Williams... there are lot of them out there.

 

[iwatchus]

I use lists of common names when I am choosing a character from a national/ethnic background that I am not as involved in. I needed several greek characters for a story that has a major part on a greek island. Those were all common current greek names that I mixed until I found ones that I liked the sound of. Although I tend to choose name for hispanic males from baseball players.

 

[kellyt1994]

Not sure if it's completely on point with the topic but Roman/Latin names carry a huge BDSM connection in my mind. Lucius, Cassius, Gaius, even Marcus - mmmm.

Weird side point to that - I actually have a cat named Scipio. I guess he's dominant in his cat way but he hardly ever ties me up.

 

[Writer61]

Not sure if it's completely on point with the topic but Roman/Latin names carry a huge BDSM connection in my mind. Lucius, Cassius, Gaius, even Marcus - mmmm.

Lucius Knotus was less successful at bondage.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Not sure if it's completely on point with the topic but Roman/Latin names carry a huge BDSM connection in my mind. Lucius, Cassius, Gaius, even Marcus - mmmm.

Weird side point to that - I actually have a cat named Scipio. I guess he's dominant in his cat way but he hardly ever ties me up.

Do you find it risible when I say the name Biggus Dickus?

 

[Writer61]

Do you find it risible when I say the name Biggus Dickus?

I've had enough of this wowdy webel sniggewing behavior.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Buggerus Dickinson?

 

[BarryCaide]

I can wholeheartedly recommend https://www.behindthename.com/
Especially the randomizer is fantastic. https://www.behindthename.com/random/

 

[SkyBubble]

Pick names that sound cool to you or something that sounds right for the character. Don’t be afraid to draw from real life acquaintances if you want- I know you write celebrity fan fiction too.

You'd be amazed how many of the MFCs in my stories share a first name (which is all I usually use) with women I've known.

 

[dirk2024]

This is for the SciFi/Fantasy writers. I've noped my way out of stories when the character names are too difficult to pronounce.

 

[TheLobster]

This is for the SciFi/Fantasy writers. I've noped my way out of stories when the character names are too difficult to pronounce.

View attachment 2558115

None of the above; it's "Shy-ol", with a long 'o' ;P

More seriously, though, I don't see the issue. If you are reading a story, then why would you care what's the author conception of how a particular name is pronounced? You can say it in your head however you want, it's not gonna detract you from the story.

Back when I was reading the first Harry Potter books, I've been reading Hermione as Her-mee-ohn; it certainly didn't preclude me from enjoying them. Sure, it was funny to go see the first movie and hear it as Her-my-nee, but I'm not even sure if I corrected my mental pronunciation immediately after.

When it comes to unwieldly fantasy/sci-fi names, it's the unfamiliar sound patterns and length that cause more issues than non-obvious "correct" pronunciation. I'll take "Chaol" over "Harloprillalar" any day ;P

 

[Voboy]

If you are reading a story, then why would you care what's the author conception of how a particular name is pronounced? You can say it in your head however you want, it's not gonna detract you from the story.

I absolutely care about that.

When I'm reading, I like to hear the words in my head. It bothers the HELL out of me if the writer makes it too hard to figure out how the name would be pronounced. It very much distracts me from the story.

 

[TheLobster]

I absolutely care about that.

When I'm reading, I like to hear the words in my head. It bothers the HELL out of me if the writer makes it too hard to figure out how the name would be pronounced. It very much distracts me from the story.

It might be one of those things that are idiosyncratic and differ between people. I don't really do much inner vocalization while reading, but I know a few people who say they do. Perhaps it is different for them.

Still, even if you really need to hear the name in your head, you will hear it regardless, simply by settling -- perhaps even unconsciously -- on whatever pronunciation seems right for you.

 

[crookedletter]

Chaol wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't feel much confidence I was pronouncing it the same way as the writer, but I don't necessarily care.

What does bother me is when fantasy names and places look and sound like syllable soup, like the writer has a set of dice with different word fragments and they just roll randomly for all their proper nouns.

"Yennefer of Vengerberg" has become a shorthand inside joke for that in my house. I haven't read the Witcher books, but watching the show I found the overall political context completely incomprehensible, because all of the names are interchangeable fantasy gibberish.

 

[Writer61]

When I'm reading, I like to hear the words in my head. It bothers the HELL out of me if the writer makes it too hard to figure out how the name would be pronounced. It very much distracts me from the story.

I remember reading Feersum Endjinn by Iain M Banks, which uses a lot of phonetic pronunciation; it drove me mad until I got the hang of it.

 

[dirk2024]

More seriously, though, I don't see the issue. If you are reading a story, then why would you care what's the author conception of how a particular name is pronounced? You can say it in your head however you want, it's not gonna detract you from the story.

Perhaps it's how I read the words. I like it when my eyes flow across the page. When I get to a oddly spelled word, my eyes trip over the word. Depending on how difficult it is, I spend a moment or two trying to come up with something to accomodate that. It takes me out of the story.

I absolutely care about that.

When I'm reading, I like to hear the words in my head. It bothers the HELL out of me if the writer makes it too hard to figure out how the name would be pronounced. It very much distracts me from the story.

exactly!

Chaol wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't feel much confidence I was pronouncing it the same way as the writer, but I don't necessarily care.

What does bother me is when fantasy names and places look and sound like syllable soup, like the writer has a set of dice with different word fragments and they just roll randomly for all their proper nouns.

Agreed, In in this example I would go with Chol. But as you also point out, some authors choose an alphabet soup type of spelling, for either character names and/or place names. Trying too hard to be 'fantastical'.

 

[davion2308]

I do one of two things. If the location is Earth, present or past day, I look up most popular names and surnames and find pairings that work. I make sure main characters don't have names that start with the same letter and have different syllables for first names.

If the location is either fantasy fiction or sci-fi, I'll go through the Ikea furniture booklet and find fun names there. Those work for both scenarios.

 

[Britva415]

Not for writing, but for roleplaying games, I have picked character names from Wikpedia lists.

Wikipedia has lists of everything: Athletes, artists, people from Timbuktu, anything you can imagine. So I could pick a list based on something about the character, and find a corresponding list of people on the wiki, and pick either a first or a last name from one of the people or characters on that list.

Then I could pick the other name (last or first, depending which you took from the first list) from let's say a list of people born on some particular date. "Today" is a good place to start. There will be hundreds of names of people with this birthday, from all walks of life and places around the world.

To me, this is somehow easier than trying to just think up a name out of nowhere, it will be unique, and it may or may not provide a lightweight real-world connection to the character I have in mind.

If I were writing a lot more than I do, then I might employ this again if I needed character names.

Here, let's say I have a protagonist who's a race car driver, and I start writing the story today.
Pick a last name from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_14#Births
Pick a first name from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_racing_drivers

 

[Bazzle]

I often use the names in credits of TV shows. The surname off the Gaffer or Runner and the first name of boom operator or tea girl. It's rich pickings!

 

[TheLobster]

Trying too hard to be 'fantastical'.

True, but The Witcher is probably the worst example of that @crookedletter could’ve picked.

Most names in that universe are pretty clear chosen not to sound fantastical but harken to real-world cultures and languages (Germanic, Scandinavian and Slavic, mostly). In many cases the choice of source for the name is meaningful, too.

 

[Britva415]

I often use the names in credits of TV shows. The surname off the Gaffer or Runner and the first name of boom operator or tea girl. It's rich pickings!

You could use the job titles too. Kellie Keygrip, Billy Bestboy and Cater McGafferson is a threesome waiting to happen!

 

[Voboy]

Still, even if you really need to hear the name in your head, you will hear it regardless, simply by settling -- perhaps even unconsciously -- on whatever pronunciation seems right for you.

Okay. I'm just telling you: it very much distracts me from the story, and if it was as simple a fix as you're describing, I'd apply it.

Just gently saying not everyone is like you.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Okay. I'm just telling you: it very much distracts me from the story, and if it was as simple a fix as you're describing, I'd apply it.

Just gently saying not everyone is like you.

Had the misfortune of listening to an otherwise good audio book where the VA pronounced the names completely differently than how I did.
Then they changed VAs mid series and the new guy pronounced several names in an all new way.

Very frustrating.