#naming characters

Oh, man, naming characters takes me FOREVER, and I'm constantly changing character names as I write. Sometimes I do research, especially if the character has a specific background that implies a specific set of names. Sometimes I just... I don't know... riff? For example, I knew I wanted Seamus Harper to have an unusual first name, since I knew I wanted him to go by Harper. I tried a few different ones like Caradoc and Bertram until I landed on Seamus.

Back in the day, I had a couple of great baby name books I'd use, including one that was organized by origin (Arabic, English, Chinese, etc). Nowadays I just use the internet.

Some names are references. Harper's middle name is "Zelazny" after Roger Zelazny, on of my favorite authors. Beka Valentine's name is actually a shout out to Ballentine Books, the publisher of a lot of great science fiction and fantasy books when I was a kid. Grilka from DS9 was named after a friend's Runequest character.

When it coms to aliens, all bets are off and I usually just riff cool sounds or play around with words that remind me of the character or are thematic. Elim, Garak's first name, was inspired by "eliminate." Garak wants to erase the Elim part of himself. Tain is tainted by his evil deeds but I have no recollection where Enabran came from. Winn was supposed to have a winning personality in my original conception of her. Bariel was a dead man walking... so from burial.

TL:DR Honestly I have no consistent pattern or practice when it comes to naming characters.

Just adding that Trance Gemini, which the OP said was a favorite, came about like this... I wanted a character who would be a sort of anime rave girl alien. So a Dancer. Then I came up with the idea that she was more than she seemed. The avatar of a star. So a star dreaming she was a person. Dance + Dream = Trance. And she kind of has a double identity and she's a star so... Gemini. Trance Gemini. Tada!

OH the naming struggle. i know it well. i’ve stared at empty name generators like they were ouija boards. here’s my system (chaotic but functional) for pulling names out of the void that actually fit your characters:

🌑 vibe before name. before even looking at name lists, figure out what kind of energy each character gives off. are they sharp and modern? soft and earthy? theatrical? quiet but intense? → write down 3 words for each character: a personality word, an aesthetic word, and a weird one (like “moth,” “nickel,” or “liminal”). THEN try to name them.

🌘 sound matters. say the names out loud. whisper them. yell them like you're the love interest in a storm. you’ll notice rhythm, sharpness, or whether it weirdly sounds like someone you went to middle school with (instant no). → pro tip: don’t name all three characters with the same starting letter or syllable count unless it’s intentional. “Kara, Kael, and Kori” gets old fast.

🌒 steal like a writer. scroll historical records. dig into mythology. nameberry. baby name sites. gravestones. street names. menus. foreign languages. botanical indexes. war generals. thieves from history. → if you want something really unique, mash up two names or words you like. ex: Elowen + Mira = Elira. Talia + Roan = Taran.

🌕 meaning is bonus, not mandatory. yes, it’s cool if the name secretly means “sorrowful sword prince,” but vibe > literal meaning. name them something that feels like them. your anxious cryptid character doesn’t need a name that means “shadow.” they just need a name that sounds like it could’ve been whispered behind a curtain.

🌗 placeholder names are valid. if you're stuck, give them temp names like “Knife Boy,” “Moth Girl,” or “CEO of Emotional Damage.” write the draft. once their voice sharpens, the real name will often show up and knock.

June = Summer

Jane = God is Gracious

Alix = Noble

Autumn = season of fall

Anika = sweet-faced

Andie = courageous

Paedyn = brave & strong

Ivory = pure

Rory = red king (unisexual name)

Felicity = happiness

Renese = talent

Lee = the forest (unisexual name)

Mavis = songbird

Dae = goddess

Celine = heavenly

Olive = olive tree

Octavia = eight

Ambre = amber

Manon = wished for child

Danyi = sweet

Reine = queen

Izara = star

Lucinda = light

Ivy = faithfulness

Tori = bird

Willow = willow tree

Eris = strife

Violet = flowers

Stella = celestial star

Danika = star (again yeah :3)

Arabella = answered prayer

Brynn = hill

Maire =

Kerith = winter stream

Danaëlle = she who judges

Kit = hope

Juniper = young

Lydia = noble , beautiful child

Wylie = clever

Hi anon! I had soo much fun selecting names for Cantata, you have no idea, lol. Especially after the drought that is Viatica. 😆😭

I chose first and last names for how they looked on the page, how they rolled off the tongue, and for meaning, in that order. I tried to keep to names with Latin, Greek, Italian, and Turkish origins. I got a little loose with the meanings, and really only changed them if the meaning was in direct contrast to the character.

For example: I originally thought of the name Vicente Andreano, but when looking up Andreano, it didn’t fit them. It means “manly”, “brave”, and “masculine”. But it did fit the regis; I thought it especially poetic given Vicente’s feelings toward being the heir. Looking through Italian last names, I found Aloi, which means “famous warrior”, “chosen”, or “to ally”, all of which worked much better for him.

It was a happy coincidence that a lot of the names just worked well with their meanings. Calliope is such a pretty name and fits her personality so well, and it happens to be a steam powered musical instrument?? Perfect! And as we’ve seen from this ask here, Bayram’s name was also ironically perfect, lol.

First MC: Thoughtfully researched, meaningful, and symbolic