From the start, it
may seem that choosing a name for your character is really easy. You like a name and so that’s the one you’re
going to use. That’s settled. Now on to more important things like
procrastination! Well hold on for just a moment. Have you considered if that name you have
fallen in love with makes sense for your character? For the setting? Or how
about the meaning of the name? Before
you go willy-nilly in naming your characters, there are a few important points
to remember.
1. Is the Name Appropriate in the Setting?
Before I continue any further remember that setting
includes not only the physical place but the time period as well. Is the name you have decided on appropriate
for the country your story takes place in?
How about the time period? The
name could be more old fashion or too trendy for the setting you have decided
on.
If the character is
an American then you can go here Social
Security Name Popularity List
and search by years. And this site allows you to search through decades: http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/rankings/decade
If your character is
British then you can check out this site http://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/links-to-name-data.html, which lists names from 1880 to
present day.
**Remember that this
really only applies to stories that are based in the real world. If you have a science fiction or fantasy
novel and you are creating an entirely new world then these rules can be thrown
out the window.
2. Is the Name Appropriate for the Character?
Is the character an
adult? Does he have a name appropriate for the time period in which he was
born? If the character is an American
then you can go here Social Security Name
Popularity List
and search by years. Don’t make the
mistake of naming him/her something that is currently trendy, when your
character was born decades ago.
Is your character of
a different ethnicity? Is the name
ethnically appropriate? There are many
baby name sites that will allow you to search for names according to
ethnicities and genders.
For example:
3. A Name Can Determine Who a Person Is
Ever since I read
about the brothers Cain and Able in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, I
have been obsessed with the idea that a name can determine who a person is. Naming a character a certain name due to a
meaning can be a fun Easter egg for your readers to discover. But remember that your readers are smart so don't
make it obvious (e.g. Bella Swan).
Meanings for names can be literal or implied.
For literal meanings
of names there are sites like these:
http://www.behindthename.com/
For implied meanings
of names, think about East of Eden where two brothers' lives mirrored the
lives of two biblical brothers. Perhaps
the character’s story that you have thought of reminds you of a figure from
mythology:
Or from the Bible:
Or literature:
4. No Country for Interesting Names (well at least not for everybody)
Unless you have made
up a completely new world then you have to accept the fact that some people
will have boring names! This doesn’t mean that you have to name
background characters Jane Doe or John Smith.
But you can’t name every single person a unique, interesting name. Find a good balance. There are plenty of
common names that may have fallen out of vogue recently (and therefore feel
fresh).
5. A Place and Time for Nicknames
If
other characters are familiar with a particular character try to think of a
nickname derivative of the name or completely new one all together. For
example, did you know that the old fashioned nickname for Sarah is Sally? Or
think of how down south people like to give others two names as a term of endearment
(e.g. Sarah Elizabeth becomes Sarah-Beth).
Here’s
a site that list nicknames for common names:
Here’s
a place you can look up old-fashioned nicknames:
And remember that a nickname can have nothing to do
with the actual name itself (e.g. Slim or Little John). Maybe the nickname comes from an interesting
story in your character’s past.
6. Pronunciation. Think about it.
Pronunciation is extremely important for a reader. The
first time I read Harry Potter; I had no idea how to pronounce Hermione and
ended up pronouncing it Her-mine. If
someone doesn’t know how to properly pronounce the name then they will
pronounce it however they want or skip over the name all together.
Remember that the pronunciation must follow the
normal conventions of grammar. I had a friend once that wanted to name her
daughter Magdalene and have everyone pronounce it Madeleine, “the G will be
silent”…yeah that’s just not going to happen.
If you do have unexpected pronunciations then try to subtly work it into
the story, a short time after the character is introduced to assist the reader.
If you are set on the character having a difficult
name to pronounce then think about giving them a nickname (see #5).
7. The World is Unpredictable
Remember people in
the real world are weird and unpredictable. I once met a person with the last
name of Moneymaker (that was her legal and legitimate surname). If you have your heart set on a particular
name then go for it. My rule of thumb is
that if your story is set in the real world and the name you have decided on is
bizarre, then explain why. Make an
interesting story or mystery around it and this will help to give your
characters depth too. Which brings us to the most important point in naming
your character…
8. Know Your Characters!!!
Who is this person?
What is their back story? Perhaps they
received their name as a namesake. Then
what is the story behind that? If the personality and the name don't match up
then make it point of contention. Remember
that names make an impression and you want readers to remember that name.
No comments:
Post a Comment