The complex art of naming your characters:

Edited from information provided by Tia Kalla, all rights and credit goes to this writer. We are using an abbreviated form to preserve this.

So you’re working on developing your characters, but you’re not really sure where to start?

Names are often one of the first things I nail down about a new character: “Hey, you” gets confusing after a while, and partly because the mere act of assigning a name can help decide certain things for your character.

Like what, you ask? Well…

1. Gender

   Sure, there are traditionally female names and male names.

   But there are also gender-ambiguous names and names that skew one way or another. Readers and characters alike form impressions based on those names, and it can be fun to defy those impressions by giving a character an unexpected name.

2. Age

   Ever heard of someone named Ethel or Mary and expected them to be old? How about expecting a Madison or Alexis to be younger? Certain names

   were so popular at various points of history that you can date a character by their name alone sometimes.

One source to search is: US census data can tell you what the most popular names are in any given year.

3. Cultural background

   One of the easiest ways to get variety in a story is to just think outside the box. Why not go for a Yumi, or a Semiha, or a Taye? If you’re just starting with a character, giving them a culturally unique name can be a great jumping off point for development—after all, a Svetlana is not likely to have the same life experiences as a Sally!

4. Genre

   There must be something about fantasy names that we can identify them by their feel alone (and I don’t think it’s just the apostrophes!) Otherwise, why would we have so many name generators dedicated to them?

   Likewise, sci-fi and alien names have a feel to them, trending toward short and punchy while fantasy tends to skew more lyrical. And of course, if you’re writing historical fiction, your names will represent your niche in history.

5. Their Destiny!

   But no, really. A lot of authors like to give their characters names that contain meaning, which may be significant to the story or just to the reader.

   For example, Usagi Tsukino from Sailor Moon means “rabbit of the moon”, a reference to the Japanese myth of a rabbit on the moon and the fact that she’s the moon’s princess.

So, does this give you some food for thought on what work your character’s name can do for you?

…I’ll show myself out now.