Ideally, your character’s name should sound at some level fitting to who they are, so keep this list on hand to help you decide between potential names.
Look into not only the history, myths, and literature of your own culture but of others as well. Try to look into cultures that have some form of connection to the characters, places, or events of your story.
Try not to be overly obvious. If your inspiration is relatively familiar or well-known, avoid naming your character overtly after whatever historical, mythical, or literary element you’ve chosen. So, for example, don’t name a character modeled after Gandolf “Dolf” or “Randolf” or something equally derivative. Take inspiration from more subtle associations, or create a name that’s more inventively tied to its inspiration. For example, you might name your character after a little-known monster from Norse mythology. Or you might use a word from another language that evokes an important quality in the character. But try to avoid commonly recognizable foreign-language words, like “Belle” or “Loco. ”
For example, if the character is a lower-class laborer who’s always lived in the same place, choose a name that seems relatively common and unremarkable. Giving the character an extravagant name or a name that would seem “exotic” by comparison will seem incongruous and risk pulling your reader out of the story.
For example, if your story is set in Arthurian-era Wales, your characters should have recognizably old Welsh names, unless they’re specifically from a different place or background. Particularly if you’re using names typical of or popular among a particular group, don’t randomly mix and match culturally specific names unless you have a good explanation for your logic.
For example, if your story is set in antebellum America, choose a name that would fit in with the time. Avoid obviously incongruous names like “Brooklyn” or “Kimberley. ”[1] X Research source Similarly, be sure the name is age-appropriate. If the character is elderly, look into names that were popular at the time they would have been born, not at the time in which they’re currently living. [2] X Research source
If a character’s name may be somewhat common, double-check that it’s not attached to something or someone you didn’t expect.
If there’s anything tricky or unexpected about how the character’s name should be pronounced, include a subtle reference in the text to how it should be pronounced.
Before you commit to a name, make sure it doesn’t sound like anything you don’t want it to and that it doesn’t sound grating or comical.
For example, don’t name a good character something like “Angel Goodman,” and don’t name a bad character “Damon Blacksoul. ”[4] X Research source
Unless you’re taking inspiration from a specific culture that uses apostrophes in given or surnames in a specific way, don’t drop them in just to make a character seem “different” or “exotic. ”[5] X Research source [6] X Research source
For example, don’t name all of your main characters using the same initial, like Mary, Mike, Mark, and Molly. Also watch out for names that rhyme or sound quite similar, like Jake, Drake, and Blake or Mary Loo and Anna Marie. One thing about fantasy is that every cliche, every trope has been done. So when you take that on into your writing, you have to make a twist and make it unique. You need not avoid cliches. Instead, repurpose them.
