the writer's room discussion

How do you guys come up with names for your characters?

Tbh, I just throw together a bunch of letters until it makes something that sounds like a name. Some of my favorite results from this method are Tvora, Chrysos, Cyrene, and Ryia. *shrugs* If not using that method, I look up names that mean ____. The blank depends on the character.

usually it’s names that i really like - maybe some names from my baby name list I have for future kids

Sometimes I just choose a random name I like the sound of, but other times I like to research names to find ones with meanings that fit their character

I use a fantasy name generator most of the time, things like Alvaro, Rhiannon, Torin- Names like that. Then I just have characters with normal names like Hayden.

Andiroo wrote: "I use a fantasy name generator most of the time, things like Alvaro, Rhiannon, Torin- Names like that. Then I just have characters with normal names like Hayden."

Torin is a really cool name. It sounds normal enough to be used in a typical fiction setting, but would also work in another other fantasy, sci-fi, etc setting!

The way I come up with a name for a character is I either use a generator website pertaining a certain type of name I want and world it would come from, or I use the list of names I’ve acquired over the years that I find interesting (Most of them have to do with nature).

tbh i just google uncommon names and pick some out of there lol, but i do try to use some that i haven’t heard too often but are still pretty

i use names i like or i’ll look up names that mean something

You can go on reedsy.com and it'll give you a bunch of names depending on the country you pick.

Honestly coming up with names for my characters is hard, but I can't start writing until I know absolutely everything for my characters. I have a list on my phone in notes with names that I just come across randomly. When I scroll on tiktok or instagram and I see a name that I like I immediately write it down in case I want to use it one day. I also try looking at my surroundings and putting things together to see what I can get.

I just go to Pinterest or google then search for names and write all the names I like down and now i have a lot of boys, girls, gender neutral, middle and last names. Also if you need some names, you can just add me and text me asking for the list. I don't mind sending it to other people so yk.

i have an ongoing collection of cool name ideas in the notes on my phone! i steal words from street names or songs, or get inspo from other stories and change them to better match my own characters. it’s like a baby names list but for book characters instead lol

similar to naming characters, does anyone have advice for creating character nicknames without making them cheesy??? i have a grumpy x sunshine couple and i want the brooding, dark haired male love interest to have a nickname for the bubbly, hufflepuff female love interest that only he calls her. one of my favorite nicknames ever is from Caraval, where Julian refers to Scarlett as "Crimson." i think it's so cute and would love to implement something like that into my writing.

Sophia wrote: "similar to naming characters, does anyone have advice for creating character nicknames without making them cheesy??? i have a grumpy x sunshine couple and i want the brooding, dark haired male love..."

I'd say think about defining features for the characters. It could be physical like hair or eye color, or a personality trait. Another cute one is like in Caraval with Scarlett being called Crimson, where the character is called a synonym of their name (Lily -> Daisy/any other flower). Or you could just go the classic route and shorten their name :)

Sometimes the characters' names have something to do with the characters' traits, personalities, or fashion. They could also be associations, conscious or unconscious, with character tropes or similar existing characters. Two names that are very different can still present the same feeling. For example, names of the same ethnic origin, or names that both sound preppy like Charlotte and Eleanor.

I have two ways of naming characters
1. name characters in the moment. And then if I feel like I don’t like whatever name I chose I can just go and change it.
2. Go through extensive research finding a specific name based on the meaning I want the name to have, so like if I want my characters name to be brave I might search up ‘names that mean brave’ and then I might name them Ethan or Bridget; except I don’t like those so I would actually choose something like Gabriel or Valentina.

Wait I have a third one, I also have a note with random names on it that I think of out of nowhere. Like sometime last month I was at the zoo and we were walking by the camels and I just thought ‘Antonette’ and I was like wait that sound French and fancy, MUST WRITE DOWN!!

I just look up names and their meanings and origins. A lot of times, I try to figure out a meaning that will work for the character while not being aggressively on the nose (like naming a depressed character Depressany Tearshadows or something lol). I look into the origin of the name to figure out where that character might have come from.

I tend not to go too odd with my names though, because then they can end up being kind of hard for readers to actually pronounce or sound out.

I use slightly unique names, by looking up "names with this meaning" and so on. Or just look at a LOT of baby name websites. Sometimes a name comes to me, but I usually look some up for inspiration. Some characters I have right now are:
~Quinn
~Kadance
~Carsalor
~Castor
~Venus
~Lia
~Selena
~Kal

For some reason I have an obsession with the love interest being a "k" and "c" starting name.

It depends on the type of story.

For my previous story, all the characters had a color associated with them, so I looked at the colors for different languages to create the names.

For example, "green" is "Zielony" in Polish, so I took that and turned it into Zelony.

Sometimes, I just took the color directly. Arancia, for example, is just the Italian word for "orange", but it sounds name-y enough to work.

For stuff with normal characters, I look at baby name lists and stuff or just try to think of a name that fits the feel of the character. This is usually pretty easy for female characters, but it's harder with male characters because there are less traditionally male names that I like.

Some of the names for the story I'm working on now are:

-Ida Temples

-Laura Bakewell

-Marshall Agrivera

-Jade Kilomere

-Briar Hillstone

-Wilson Woods

I should also note that for last names, Ida and Laura are very specific to this story. Since all the characters in the story are rats, I gave her the last name "Temples" as a nod to Templeton from Charlotte's Web. For Laura, since she is a detective, I picked the last name "Bakewell" as a nod to cozy mystery stories with recipes (such as Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen stories).

Also, for the main character, I personally try to avoid names that very famous main characters have, like Percy, Harry, etc.

:)

Most names for my main characters, I came up with myself tbh. Sometimes I look on Pinterest because I can’t think of anything, which is mostly with middle and last names. My mc’s names are;

Justice Randy Scarrow
Louis Reagan Reyes
Felix Lee Adler
Elinor (Eli) Flynn Green
Nathan Cole Stevens
Mika Caïro Frawley
Cameron Jewell

I look on YouTube for themed names. Like moon names or sun names. And for last names I just put random syllables together till I find a name that works.

With first letters in mind, I research names, along with their origin and meaning.

I like taking words and using them for names
example: Mystery, Legend, Lore, Meadow.
Or if I have a character who is a defender I'll look up names that mean defender, example: Olexie (man's defender)

I like looking up names that represent the characters actions or personality. Something symbolic or just look at baby names.