5 Ideas for Finding Character Names

Finding character names is one of the most fun, frustrating, and perhaps addicting things to do when it comes to story writing. If you want to find a name for a character of yours, here are some methods you can try using.

Read the Bible

Biblical names have meaning. They can relate to a historic event that happened before or during the child’s birth (e.g. Ichabod), represent the parents’ faith in God (e.g. Samuel), or be a name given by God himself (ex. Abraham and Sarah). Genealogies in the bible offer many names you can choose from. If you see a name in the bible you’re interested in, write it down and look up its meaning. If the name and its meaning don’t work for your character, it doesn’t hurt to save it for later usage. I like to have a little list in case I want to use the names for another story. You can also research biblical names on websites, like Abarim Publications. This is one of my favorite websites when it comes to understanding the meaning of biblical names.

Consider Your Character’s Personality and Background

Is your character shy and likes to keep to themselves, or are they confident and like to be around people more often? Are they humble or haughty? Good or evil? Who are their parents and where are they from? These questions and others about your character’s traits can help you decide what you want your character’s name to mean and sound like. For example, in The Incredibles, Violet is a little shy while Dash is energetic. Short, snappy names like Pepper may be attributed to extroverted characters, while longer names like Shecaniah or Bartholomew may be attributed to older, wise characters.

For another example, let’s say I want to make a villain character whose name is related to plants. She acts nice on the outside, but deep down she’ll stop at nothing to destroy the lives of others she deems inferior to her. She demeans others and takes pleasure in their failures. I’ll name her Atropa Belladonna, which is a plant with sweet berries that can be fatal when eaten (USDA Forest Service). It is also a plant that represents danger and betrayal in mythology (Woodland Trust). This name reveals her toxic personality.

You can even choose a name that seems to contradict that character’s personality to change things up. Maybe a shy character could be named Britta, which means “strength or exalted one” (Nameberry). Perhaps the name could reveal a trait the main character and other characters in the story are not yet aware of. Maybe a shy character named Britta has no confidence but as the story progresses, finds a hidden strength she never knew she had. Or maybe as other people in the story get to know her, they soon realize Britta’s meekness is actually a mask to cover her dark side. Consider different possibilities.

Choose Favorite Letters and Sounds

Choosing letters and sounds you like from the get-go may help whittle down your search for names. For example, maybe I want a character’s name to begin with I. I could name them Isaac or Ichabod depending on what I like better. Or maybe I want a name that begins with Z to add more edge. Also, I don’t often see characters with Z names. In that case, I could choose Zephaniah or Zacchaeus. For a girl character I could choose Zinnia or Zenobia. If I wanted an Or sound for a name, then I could choose Orion. Think about the sounds you like and start from there.

Replace, Remove, and Add Letters in a Name

Diminutive names are short forms of longer names (Campbell). For example, Zelda originates from Griselda, with Gri being removed and the S being replaced with Z. Some names replace S with Z and SK with X (Campbell). Diminutive names can also be made by adding letters or suffixes to the original or diminutive form of a name, like Debbie from Deborah for example (Campbell). You can do the same for other names if you wish. You can also try to create short forms of names you like or research to see if a name you find has a diminutive name originating from it.

 

Look Up Names on Naming Sites

You can try out the following websites to help you:

Abarim Publications

Nameberry

Behind the Name

 

Things to Consider

Make sure the name you created doesn’t have another meaning you don’t want or is associated with a brand name or famous person.

As an extra tip, try not to get sucked into the character-naming rabbit hole. I sometimes find myself spending too much time trying to find the perfect name for a character when I could have been writing ideas for the plot or getting much-needed sleep.

Keep writing and keep going.

 

Sources

Campbell, Mike. “Diminutive - Behind the Name.” Behind the Name, www.behindthename.com/glossary/view/diminutive#:%7E:text=The%20most%20common%20diminutives%20(at,and%20Mike%20is%20from%20Michael. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

Campbell, Mike. “Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Zelda (2).” Behind the Name, www.behindthename.com/name/zelda-2. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

Nameberry. “Britta - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity.” Nameberry, Nameberry, nameberry.com/babyname/britta. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

USDA Forest Service. “Solanaceae: Belladonna.” U.S. Forest Service, www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/belladonna.shtml. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.

Woodland Trust. “Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna).” Woodland Trust, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/deadly-nightshade. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.