What's in a name?

Desert Author · Dec 17, 2009

Names. We all have a few of our own and as writers, we try to dream up the perfect names to fit our characters.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m not the most creative person when it comes to names. Fortunately, I have a writer friend who is very good at coming up with names that sound like they were made for my characters.

When I was writing historical novels, hanging a moniker on someone seemed easier because old names were simpler and there weren’t any of the flashy nicknames we have today.

I’d like to hear your opinions. How important is a name? Do some people go overboard in trying to create an unusual name?

heyjude · Dec 17, 2009

Desert Author said:
Do some people go overboard in trying to create an unusual name?

Heck yes! I won't name any names, though. (Get it? That was a joke.)

I, on the other hand, come up with the least-inspired names ever. John and Jane Doe. Like that. I even have a dog called Fido in one ms. Even the characters made fun of that one.

Chase · Dec 17, 2009

Desert Author said:
Do some people go overboard in trying to create an unusual name?

I'm sort of like you; my characters' names are historical: From tombstones in old cemetaries.

My current protagonist is named from this on boot hill overlooking Nevada City, Montana:

"Here lies the body of Leicester Moore.
Four shots from a .44--No Les no more."

As with the version of "Lester" above, as a lip-reader, I have trouble with spelling. For instance, "Jorja" instead of "Georgia" . . . "Cursten" for "Kristin."

Recently a girl fingerspelled her name for me which looked like "Jennifer." She spelled it Genaver. She almost cried when I told her she was almost back to the ancient spelling of the three same syllables: "Guinevere." How did I know she was trying to be ultra modern?

jeseymour · Dec 17, 2009

I like to keep names plain and simple. However, just to be clever, in my second novel I gave two characters the last name "Remora." I think it's an eel, but it's a fish anyway, that hangs out with sharks. The guy was a small-time mobster, so he was just a fish hanging out with sharks. Get it? It was kind of dumb, now that I think of it. But once in a while I like to be clever.

Chase · Dec 17, 2009

jeseymour said:
"Remora."

"Ticket" or "type" names--giving a character a name to ensure the personality type will be recognized--was popular drama back in the Middle Ages and hasn't lost any of its appeal with me.

My nickname from Charles means to hunt, which suits me to a "T."

Clair Dickson · Dec 17, 2009

I prefer everyday names since I populate my story with everyday people.

The ones that are unusal are my MC and her best friend. Her name is Bo, which started (once upon a time!) with the idea of what kind of person would she be, saddled with a name like Bo. Which pretty well cemented her reticence and anti-social skills. The rest came later. Her best friend is the son of a heavy-metal cokehead and is named Axel.

Other than that, my characters-- esp. my villains-- could be the guy or girl next door.

HistorySleuth · Dec 17, 2009

When I was doing my milk carton murders for NaNo my son picked up the black pepper container off of the microwave and asked, "Hey, how about Pepper Black for a character?" I said, "Perfect, she can be my CSI."

Very complex. I know.

fullbookjacket · Dec 17, 2009

I spend a pretty good bit of time naming my characters. I want a name that seems right and maybe has a ring to it if it's a major character. But I really don't like gimmicky names, like Nero Wolfe (unless the writing itself is sort of tongue-in-cheek or satirical). Seriously, who names a kid "Nero?" I won't even open a book knowing the author is getting precious with character names.

Really good non-gimmicky names from fiction:

James Bond
Oliver Twist
Sherlock Holmes
Harry Potter
Norman Bates
Daisy Buchanan
Jay Gatsby

Gimmicky names that work (again, because of the nature of the fiction):
Billy Pilgrim...from Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five
Malachi Constant...Vonnegut's Sirens of Titan

fullbookjacket · Dec 17, 2009

And maybe the best gimmick name ever:

Major Major Major Major, from Joseph Heller's Catch-22.

heyjude · Dec 17, 2009

HistorySleuth said:
Very complex. I know.

At least it's not Fido.

Besides, I think it's a great name. (Pepper, not Fido. Although I grew to like Fido, too. I mean really, how many dogs do you actually meet these days named Fido?)

kaitie · Dec 18, 2009

fullbookjacket said:
I spend a pretty good bit of time naming my characters. I want a name that seems right and maybe has a ring to it if it's a major character. But I really don't like gimmicky names, like Nero Wolfe (unless the writing itself is sort of tongue-in-cheek or satirical). Seriously, who names a kid "Nero?" I won't even open a book knowing the author is getting precious with character names.

Okay, me being me, my first thought was, "But Nero Wolfe is a badass name! I'd totally name a kid that!" Okay, so I'd probably name a cat Nero (I've got a dictator theme), but Wolfe is awesome haha.

I like really bizarre names though, which I think comes from having such an insanely common one myself.

Anyway, sometimes they have weird names and sometimes they don't. I don't actually like the names of half of them lol. It just depends on the person, on their parents, etc. I do try to err on the side of normal unless I've got something that just strikes me as cool and fits.

I think probably the hardest names I've come up with recently was for a set of twins. I knew they had really unusual names in the sense that their parents gave them French names pronounced in English. I had a few ideas, but it took a long time to find the right ones. I finally settled on Jacques and Henri, pronounced obviously as Jack and Henry. They use the French pronunciations as their stage names. I still haven't decided 100% how that's going to end up being written. Probably going to stick to the American ones unless they're being spoken to by someone in the media.

ToddWBush · Dec 21, 2009

For the protags in my book, since I write crime/suspense/thriller stories and books, I use the tried and true method of making the "MC" have a short, cool last name. Does it get any better than Marlowe, Spade, Pike, Bosch, Kenzie?

Oh, and if the main female in the story/novel is good looking, in my world, she better have a good looking name. You CANNOT have a good looking chick in a book named Ethel. Ain't gonna happen. Name me one Ethel that ever looked hot. You can't do it, I defy you to do it. I like Taylor, Brooke, Leighton, etc. Those just SOUND like hot girls.

BigWords · Dec 21, 2009

ToddWBush said:
Name me one Ethel that ever looked hot. You can't do it, I defy you to do it.

Ethel Merman circa 1938.

heyjude · Dec 22, 2009

I almost forgot--one way I get names (that aren't "Jane Doe", haha) is to hang out at the playground with my kids. When a mom screams at her kid, I write the name in my notebook. I get some good names that way, trendy. (Although the name "Asher" will forever befuddle me.)

jeseymour · Dec 22, 2009

In my work in progress, I have my main character puzzling over why people seem to be naming their kids after geography. Sierra, Tundra, Dakota, River, etc, etc.

Clair Dickson · Dec 22, 2009

One way I get names is from the phonebook. This is particularly good for surnames. That and Obituaries.

And the Social Security Administration's database, which also has the top names by year, decade, etc.

As for this:

Oh, and if the main female in the story/novel is good looking, in my world, she better have a good looking name. You CANNOT have a good looking chick in a book named Ethel. Ain't gonna happen. Name me one Ethel that ever looked hot. You can't do it, I defy you to do it. I like Taylor, Brooke, Leighton, etc. Those just SOUND like hot girls.

This is so subjective and time-dependent. People will have their own associations with certain names-- while it's important to be aware of cultural trends, I think it's the character's actions more than the name. I'm going to guess you know/ know of some hot women with the names you give-- I don't and my associations with those names are so far from hot young woman. But if they were written as hot women, I would accept it for the story.

Come on, Todd, are you going to tell me that Bo is a hot name for a girl? Or is it more about what she does that makes you like the sexy female character I write?

ToddWBush · Dec 22, 2009

Clair, Bo is hot because of what she does, yes. But if a girl has a guy's name, she better be hot. Of course, that's in my opinion.

HappySqueeze · Dec 29, 2009

I simply use some of my friends names.. heh

heyjude · Dec 30, 2009

Does that get you into trouble, Happy? I have a friend who so wants me to use her name in a book but then she's really unhappy with what I do to her... ha, ha!

ToddWBush · Dec 30, 2009

I ask permission before using my friends' names. For instance, one of the books I have on the back burner, Sloan, I named after a buddy of mine in the Air Force. I asked him first, and he agreed. Said, and I quote, "Just make me bad ass." When I told him the character's backstory, he was damn near trying to hug me through the email exchange. He got his bad ass.

HappySqueeze · Dec 30, 2009

heyjude said:
Does that get you into trouble, Happy? I have a friend who so wants me to use her name in a book but then she's really unhappy with what I do to her... ha, ha!

Nope, not at all actually. It's most likely due to me being completely different than most my friends. They simply just tune out when I start talking about me writing.

Kitty Pryde · Dec 30, 2009

heyjude said:
I almost forgot--one way I get names (that aren't "Jane Doe", haha) is to hang out at the playground with my kids. When a mom screams at her kid, I write the name in my notebook. I get some good names that way, trendy. (Although the name "Asher" will forever befuddle me.)

Allow me make you befuddled no more. Asher is a Hebrew name, a biblical name in fact. Asher was one of Jacob's sons, and a founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. It also means 'happiness'.

heyjude · Dec 30, 2009

I do love a good Biblical name (Jude). For some reason I just don't see Asher in this day and age (ahem, feel free to make fun of Jude, haha)... But it meaning happiness is *so* cool!

Claudia Gray · Dec 30, 2009

I think there's a lot to be said for the slightly unusual name. Not Bill, not Raevyn, but maybe Jerome or Cecily. I tend toward names that everyone will recognize and know how to pronounce, but are unlikely to consider common.

kaitie · Dec 30, 2009

heyjude said:
I do love a good Biblical name (Jude). For some reason I just don't see Asher in this day and age (ahem, feel free to make fun of Jude, haha)... But it meaning happiness is *so* cool!

To be honest, I just thought someone had just been reading too much Laurell K. Hamilton.

What's in a name?

Writing junkie

Making my own sunshine

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

A dark core to every cloud

Researching History's Mysteries

Making my own sunshine

With great power comes

Geekzilla

Making my own sunshine

A dark core to every cloud

Squeeze what makes you happy!

Making my own sunshine

Squeeze what makes you happy!

i luv you giant bear statue

Making my own sunshine

With great power comes