Do you like your name?

How many times have you wished you had a different name than the one your parents saddled you with? Maybe your name was too easy to rhyme with and the other kids made fun, or perhaps the ethnicity of it made it difficult to blend in? Or like the song “A Boy Named Sue” people expected a different gender to walk into the room after you were announced? I’m sure there were a lot of different reasons to want to be called something else.


You may feel a bit like your parents did choosing just the correct name for your characters, but unlike your folks, you know the personality, attitudes and history of your heroine and hero before you label them with a name. You can make sure that the name fits and you can even decide to change it partway through the story if you feel something else is better suited.


Many writers leaf through baby name books for great monikers to use; baby books traditionally are a source of information about the origins, meanings and variations of names. There is one huge mistake though to this method – if you are writing a contemporary story where your main characters are around the age of thirty but choosing a baby name that is popular today, it won’t fit. Research popular names from the year of your character’s birth. Do the same for historical novels or other time sensitive pieces.


A few more things to keep in mind when naming your characters: Ethnicity- consider using names that are common for the ethnic background of your character, Anthony sounds more Italian than Liam would. Consider also the location of your story, that same character raised in Italy might be called Antonio, but if he was raised in America, chances are he’d go by the name of Anthony. Give some thought to the variations of his name and the different relationships that might use each one, Anthony could be Ant or Tony; a sibling might call him Ant and co-workers might use Tony.


The character’s history may also make a difference to his or her name. The character born in the 1960’s to hippie parents might have been branded with a name like Meadow, Autumn, River, or some other name referencing nature. If mom and dad were Elvis fans, don’t be surprised if they named their son Elvis; the same thing can be said for fans of other popular icons of the period. Be careful when naming your character with an icon’s name, it could have a different effect than what you expect and could even make an otherwise dramatic character sound comedic or vice-versa.


Play around with your characters’ names, see how well they fit their personalities. Say them out loud and see how well they roll off of your tongue. What does each name mean to you? What image pops into your head when you say it? Say all of your characters’ names, are there any that sound too similar? Even check the initials and make sure they aren’t the same initials as infamous, inflammatory or nonsense characters.


There are always exceptions to these rules. If you are writing a satire, your character names might be exaggerated or colorful like “Hotlips” of M.A.S.H. fame or "Nurse Ratched" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. A name might also give you insight into your character’s personality such as the rebel who was named for an outlaw relative because his parents wanted to rub the black-sheep of the family into a stuffy grandfather’s nose.


Have fun naming your characters and maybe you’ll create the next, great Rhett Butler, Atticus Finch or Blanche Dubois that will be long remembered.




Writing exercise: Finish each of these sentences and turn each into a short paragraph: (1) The last time I was in a line-up, I _____. (2) The car careened around the curve and finally_____. (3) I woke from sleep with a _____. (4) We have to wait until Haz-Mat _____. (5) This was my first time doing _____. (6) She was the only one to _____. (7) I opened the oven door and _____. (8) I really wanted to be the first to _____. (9) I was really stupid for thinking _____. (10) Don’t turn your back on me, you _____.


Writing prompt: Quickly and without giving it much thought, list the first five songs you can think of that you like to sing along with. Briefly, what emotion does each song evoke in you?