Naming Your Children
So. You've created an amazing, colorful character. You've followed all of the long, boring guides on creating a lovable person. Now comes the hard part. You've already named the character and you need a better name, you don't have any ideas for a name, you have a few sketchy ideas for a name, or you're just some lunatic reading this article for cheap thrills. Either way, I'm here to help.
Seriously.
First things first. If you've gotten this far, congratulations.
First Names
Every character isn't technically a character until they have a name. You need to create a name that your readers will recognize, but not a name too far-out or too average. Consider the latest phenomenom, Harry Potter. Do you think he would've done as well if his name were...say, Antowain Brown?
I'm not being racist, or sexist, or any -ist. Some names just don't do as well as others. The public wants a name that they can identify with (the exceptions are when the character isn't human - we'll address this later). They also generally want a name that is normal, but not dull. Marian would probably do better than Mary because it's relatively normal, but it has...we'll call it spunk. You want your character to have a name with spunk. Most people would prefer a name like Marian over Mary simply because they've heard Mary too many times. An incredibly average name like that might induce feelings of boredom if a person is reading a summary about Mary and her adventures. But if you were to name your character Marian, it would probably invoke more interest. However, don't make your name too weird. If she were named Marianalyn, eyebrows would raise. Avoid names like Bette and Raven and steer towards names like Bethany and Raquel.
The length of the name also matters. If she were named Marianna Leigh, it might be slightly annoying. If you were to name a character simply Jim, it would be annoying also. Shoot for 2 or 3 syllables. Try not to allow 1 syllable or more than 4 syllables. Incredibly short names and incredibly long names are agitating. If a story is told in 3rd person, and most are, it's hard to read Marianna Leigh over and over again. The same if the character were simply Jim. "Jim did this, Jim did that..." and "Marianna Leigh did this, Marianna Leigh did that..." are not fun. This is also for your benefit. Do you want to constantly type or write a 5 syllable or more name over and over again?
Ethnicity counts, as sorry as I am to say it. It is sad that many would prefer a story about an American than someone Korean, but it is true. If you're publishing a Sci-Fi novel in America and your characters are named things like Sau Li (I don't know Korean or any Asian, so I hope these names aren't insults or anything) or Chow Yun Mau, your audience won't be too large. I'm not saying this is right. But you need to name for your readers. If you're publishing in Korea, than these names would probably be fine. Your audience should be able to relate to your names. Wherever it is you plan to publish, name accordingly.
So for first names, here are the rules:
1. Make sure your character's name isn't boring or dull, but certainly not too out-there.
2. Try to keep your names at 2 or 3 syllables.
3. Keep the public in mind. Make sure your audience can relate to your names.
Instead of Jim, try: Jeremy, Joshua, Johnny, or Jason.
Instead of Mary, try: Marian, Miranda, Michelle, or Monica.
Instead of Tom, try: Timothy, Thomas, Theodore, or Todd.
Instead of Cathy, try: Catherine, Kathleen, Christina, or Kassandra.
Last Names
The same rules that apply to first names also apply to last names.
Pronounciation is important when creating a last name. Your readers should be able to read and pronounce the name. But it shouldn't be a mediocre name like Smith, Williams, or Brown. Try something more like Burman, O'Geary, or Simms. But don't go too far - you don't want the last name to be something like Svetlichnaya or Slusarski. Avoid names that are generally only in one ethnic group. Come up with names that can apply to multiple nationalities, but don't let your last name, like your first name, become dull.
Exceptions to the Rules
There are some exceptions, obviously. If your character isn't human, than you needn't give it a human name. Be as creative as you like when creating a name for someone that isn't human, but do keep pronounciation and length in mind. You can also come up with new names for characters that live in the far future or long, long ago. For example, Tolkien named his hero Frodo - not a real name, but Frodo wasn't exactly a human. If you're creating a species, make sure all names share something in common, as human names do. If one non-human has only one name, then a non-human of the same species should also have only one.
Here's something fun for you, if you're having trouble thinking of a name. I've taken some last names and first names, and put them in this little name generator. Mind you, there aren't many, so don't expect to get something different every single time. These names are just here to inspire you if you don't want to use one of them (if you do, I wouldn't mention to a publisher or anyone else that you got the name from a generator online). Maybe the name Lauren Conway will inspire you to name a character Laurel O'Conner, or something like that. Have fun!
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