What's in a name

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

Does anyone have a problem with picking names for your characters? Are there names you would never use for any certain reason? For instance, and I may just be silly for this, I love my children's names (of course) but I can't bring myself to use those names in a story. To me using the names of my kids for my characters who are "doing the nasty" just seems sick. So how do you pick the names and are there any you wouldn't use?
Wicked

 

[kristydoll]

Picking character names usually ends up being a long process for me. And I, like you, do not use my children's names in any of my stories.

If I am doing a short piece, or a practice run at a certain style, the names are just picked out of the air - and changed later if I wish.

For more serious works, I have three 'baby name' books here by my desk. I continually look through them for inspiration and name meanings to find a fit.

One other thing I try to do - and this is if the story is longer or involves many characters - is to make sure none of the names of my characters resembles another. Names that start, or end, the same is a no-no for me.

Good topic!

kristy

 

[BigTexan]

In my "other" writing I have a hard time picking names, but for erotica I usually go with names that have some very strong sexual connotation for me.

Trisha was a girl in my highschool. A sweet beautiful girl, chaste and pure (in my eyes only) My senior year I discovered how wrong I'd been about her and although we never would have made a couple I still have dreams about her. Sooo, that name is often in my stories when I need a sweet beautiful hellcat.

I do the same thing for other types of female characters. I use names that I have feelings about. I know my reader will not associate the names as I do, but then there is no way I could pick a name that would affect every reader the same way. And picking names that I associate that way, helps me be consistant in my writing.

Anyways, you asked

BigTexan

 

[KillerMuffin]

For characters that don't come to me already named, I tend to use babynames.com (I think) and use the search function. You can search by meaning. I put in an adjective of some sort or noun that applies and pick one from the list. Simplifies things and doesn't give any unpleasant ironies.

For instance, if I were writing a story where the main guy was an atheist and I didn't want to bring religion into the story, I wouldn't name him Daniel (blessed by God).

 

[Justin_Thyme]

Naming characters

kristydoll *grins* George Forman didn't seem to have your reservations re. reusing names that are similar when naming his kids. George worked just fine for him - for all his boys. Presumably his wife was in on it too.

Seriously, I try to pick names I like although I DO try to avoid names we saddled our kids with. That said, one of them is so common, it is difficult to avoid it altogether. I have, on occasion, finished a story and decided to rename one or more of the characters and that's where the wp search and change words feature comes in handy, if I don't then do some rewriting and inadvertently use a name I started with .
Sometimes I wonder why readers bother to finish reading some of my stories!
Incidentally, I wonder how applying the Forman technique would work out if used in a story. Might work but I fear a 500 word work might end up being a 10,000 word mistake.
JT

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

With a couple of my stories being from somewhat true life experiences I have used names that sound like the names of the real people. Also I have searched the meaning of a name for one particular story that I have yet to finish. But mostly I have a hard time picking a name that fits the character.
Thanks for your responses everyone. Hope others chime in too.
Wicked

 

[Madame Manga]

One thing to avoid...

Don't give a main character a name that ends in an "s" sound. ;-) Reason being, you will have to use possessives all through, and the constant hiss of "Alexis's" or "Dallas's" or "Agnes's" will grate on your reader's mental ear.

And yes, baby name books and websites are a good resource, especially ones that sort names by meaning or connotation.

MM

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

Good point Madame, never thought about the "s" thing. I'll remember that.

 

[Quasimodem]

How many people have written a whole story with one name, and then used "Search & Replace" to change the name entirely?

It's happened to me oftener than I care to remember.

 

[sachiaiko]

Names... I got names...

This is the site i use alot for my names - 525,000 Baby Names

One of the things i love most about this site is that it also tells things like what the people are generally like, what traits a person with such and such name normaly shows. And you know... the people i've tested this on have really shown to be rather true. I'll give you an example of what you'll find on this site -

My exampe is for the Aztec name Atzi which is female-

Your name of Atzi gives you the ability to be creative along practical lines of endeavour. Your ideas can be very original and inventive. You enjoy being with people in a social environment. Your personal appearance is important to you, for you desire to make a good impression on others. Your pleasant manner attracts people to you with their problems and you are capable of offering practical advice, though you would probably not follow such advice yourself. This name causes you to be somewhat too concerned with the personalities, problems, and activities of other people. You seem positive and decisive and can be outspoken in the expression of your opinions, but you lack the self-confidence needed to follow through with your ideas and plans. Procrastination is your downfall. You frequently choose the path of least resistance to avoid your responsibilities. It is not easy for you to overcome obstacles or face issues. This name does you an injustice in that it restricts your success in business and personal pursuits through a lack of ambition. There is a weakness in the fluid functions and in the region of the head resulting in sinus problems, headaches, eye, ear, or throat conditions and related ailments. Hair loss could also be a problem.

Anyhow, this is my favorite baby name site. has a TON of names

Nik

 

[ronde]

How many people have written a whole story with one name, and then used "Search & Replace" to change the name entirely?

It's happened to me oftener than I care to remember.

This happens to me a lot. I start with one name, and as the character becomes more defined, the personality and the name don't jive.

I'm a firm believer that first names have an influence on one's personality, and I try to name my characters accordingly. Last names don't carry the same weight, but in many cases they define ethnic origin. I try not to stereotype people in real life, but ethnic origin can go a long way towards filling out a story character.

 

[TheEarl]

First names are usually whatever comes out of the ether. Second names are usually picked from the England rugby team. For those of you paying attention, you may have noticed a Bracken, a Wilkinson and I think a Healey in my stories.

The Earl

 

[SlickTony]

How many people have written a whole story with one name, and then used "Search & Replace" to change the name entirely?

It hasn't happened very often to me, but it has happened. And I hadn't thought about the ending-with-s consideration, but there's definitely a point to it.

 

[wildsweetone]

for some odd reason my characters seem to just turn up and their names appear on paper or on the screen in front of me.

i do fight against them when the name also happens to be a Lit friend... having problems and expectations with names in my own family i tend to avoid using names of people i know.

i did choose a specific name for one of my stories, and thanks to my editor he spotted a name change half way through. i guess my character decided to put her foot down on my keyboard and eventually i had to take notice.

names and character traits simply arrive in a package for me. there is no effort in having to 'plan' their existence.

 

[Guest]

Interesting question..........

Here's what I do, which seems to work for me.

Long before I even begin writing the story, I sketch out the number of characters I'm intending on using (even though I may introduce additional characters later on..in which case I then sketch them out too!)

I decide what they look like (obviously) before hand, and additionally decide what kind or type of personality I want that character to have. Included in this is any ethnic background, which helps towards determining a name I will eventually chose to give this particular individual.

Once all this is done, I more or less sit back and pick a name that best describes the character I've created. Now again for me, I've found some names have a certain strength to them, so if my character is a particulary strong or forceful individual then I try and select a name that will best suit that particular character.

I have on occasion also used "friends" or associates names...but only if the character again fits that individual who's name I have chosen. I also have some very good "Lit" friends...and I have often used nicknames or names they sometimes go by (through discussions) that might not be their real names. The "secret" enjoyment out of that is...they're mentioned in a story, or featured as a character, which they appreciate and get a kick out of...as do I as it's something fun that I can privately share with them outside of the story itself.

I tend to stay away from using names of family members as well...not because I have a problem associating "sex" with a family member so much, as in maintaining a "personal" level of privacy for myself more than anything else.

Just a few thoughts on what I do in selecting a name. A process which I honestly believe is no easy task for anyone.

To sleep.........perchance to dream - William Shakespear

I remain,

 

[Sabledrake]

I keep a few baby name books on hand as well. But most of the time, it's not so much a matter of "choosing" a name for a character as it is discovering the name that's been theirs all along.

I do try to be careful about using names that belong to actual persons I know. Even if the character isn't intended to represent those people, it's kind of touchy. And I would feel peculiar writing especially a naughty scene about someone with the same name as my mother, or mother-in-law, or grandfather, etc.

Making sure the first and last names go together is important too. I realized when reading a book of mine onto tape that, for example, "Travis Zane" is hard to say out loud.

Sabledrake

 

[karmadog]

Sachiako gave:

This is the site i use alot for my names - 525,000 Baby Names

One of the things i love most about this site is that it also tells things like what the people are generally like, what traits a person with such and such name normaly shows. And you know... the people i've tested this on have really shown to be rather true.

That is really a great site, but they badly missed the mark on my personality. On the other hand, they mentioned that I might suffer from ailments of the head. So I guess it's a wash.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

as you can tell, I'm fond of katherine

 

[TheEarl]

Sarah seems to come up a lot in my work. I don't know why that is.

The Earl

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I have vowed not to use Katherine for at least 10 more stories.

 

[sirhugs]

I have vowed not to use Katherine for at least 10 more stories.

how about "Kate" " Caitlin" " Cathleen"?

 

[deliciously_naughty]

how about "Kate" " Caitlin" " Cathleen"?

LOL, that would be cheating

maybe I should start naming my characters alphabetically...in the next story have a female character with an a name and a boy with a b, then a girl with a c and a guy with a d, etc. Could be an interesting personal challenge.

 

[Guest]

how does it feel?

I seek out names that feel right in my mouth... When I say them aloud they need to feel like the character.

I have four daughters, so I have eliminated eight female names. Wouldn't ever use my mom's name either, unless it was about her.... hmmmm...

I do try to stay away from cliche porn type names.

I have had troubles with switching the names of characters midway through the story. Thanks to pookiegrrl for keeping me straight!



Quasi- oftener? Is that what I use in the laundry?

 

[sirhugs]

LOL, that would be cheating

maybe I should start naming my characters alphabetically...in the next story have a female character with an a name and a boy with a b, then a girl with a c and a guy with a d, etc. Could be an interesting personal challenge.

or start at opposite ends

"Adam meets Zelda" or " Abigail's weekend with Zeke"

hey- might be an interesting foursome story there1

 

[Whispersecret]

Baby name books are essential to me. I have one that I particularly love called A World of Baby Names. It's divided into nationalities. There's one by the same author that'd divided into time periods, and I'm hoping to get that one for my birthday.

Occasionally when I need a name for an incidental character, I'll just look at the books on my desk or inside magazines.

I also like to find names that aren't all that common. Although one of my stories had a hero named Mike.