Have you ever struggled to find the perfect name for a character? Has nothing seemed to fit? Try these different methods to find the right name!
Method 1: This first strategy is one I like to use for fantasy characters. I’ll use an example from my own novel: Aubryn. Aubryn’s name is a combination of different names put together to seem more unique. Aubryn is a mix of Aubrey and Brynn. Combining two real names to create one unique name is a great method to find special names for fantasy characters. You can also combine more than two names—there’s no limit!
Method 2: This next method is one that a lot of authors use to find names to fit their genre. Quite simply, use random name generators online. But don’t stop there: change the names to make them your own! Say the generator comes up with the name Emma. How can you make that fit your character? Can you spell it in a weird way, like Emmah? Or maybe change (or add!) a few letters to a similar name, like Emmy/Emmie, Emerson, Emmalynn, etc. Use name generators or lists of names to get started, but stay creative!
Method 3: The third method requires the most work in my opinion. This method has to do with meaning. I love this method for my characters because it makes them feel deeper than surface-level. What you’ll need to do is figure out a meaning for your character, like a trait that defines them or a secret they keep hidden. It could have something to do with where they live. Let’s use water as an example. Maybe this character lives by the water. First, you can go with the obvious and name the character something like Ocean, Lake, or River. Diving deeper, you can Google “names that mean ‘water’” and see the results. By doing this, some of the names I found were Cordelia, Damla, Kailani, and Maya. Those are great options, but if I’m looking for a fantasy name and want to find something more unique, I usually go to Google Translate and find words in languages like Latin. “Water” in Latin is just the word “aqua”, and I don’t really like that for a name. So I start coming up with similar words like “sea”, “seaside”, “ocean”, and “river”. The word “sea” translates to “mare”, which sparks some ideas to me. I could use Mar, Maren, Maryn, or Marelina. That is a complicated way to come up with names but it is my personal favorite.
Method 4: If you need names right this second, this method may not be for you. However, I strongly recommend doing this in the long run. I highly recommend starting a “Name Collection”. I have a list of names on my phone that I have gathered over years. These are names that I find interesting or cool from books, movies, television shows, and real life. Now, whenever I’m looking for an idea of what to name my character, that is the first place I look. Even if I don’t use the exact names I’ve written down, usually one of them will give me some inspiration or a direction to go in.
I hope this has helped! Remember, not everything will work for you so try new things, and if they don’t work, try something else! Happy writing!