Character Names

[secretoceanmystery]

When choosing names for characters, I always pick something spiritual and meaningful rather than something ordinary. eg. my latest character is called eternity. Not sure what to do with her yet. I can see where she is etc. but not the plot.

Anyone else choose names with meanings? And if so what?

eg. chosen one
beautiful
mystery
etc...

 

[puttytat190]

I choose names because they pop in my head . I can see the person their name and personality. i just give them a story.

 

[Narmegil]

I just sound out weird syllables together until I like them, then I fit them to characters, like: Talamo Shevaliath Equirez, Jashiat, Zafrak Akran, Zaflam Arabinata, Sruka Lanoslay, and others

 

[Tariel]

I just sound out weird syllables together until I like them, then I fit them to characters, like: Talamo Shevaliath Equirez, Jashiat, Zafrak Akran, Zaflam Arabinata, Sruka Lanoslay, and others

I play scrabble to help me come up with character names

And I get other weird inspirations.

My fav names I use: Eliel, Kayhin, and Dragonflame.

ok so Dragonflame isn't completely random...but you get the idea

 

[Lessien]

I usually use normal names, but I sometimes search the Net for weirder names.

Normal (for me):
Miranda
Melinda
Crystal
Jonathan
Nathan
Jacob

Weird (for me):
Jaiden
Jareth
Jaysia
Meliara

 

[oncewaslost]

character names usually pop into my head when the character introduces him/her self. if not, that means my character isn't developed enough. it also depends on what i'm writing. right now i'm working on a greek myth saga type thing so i had to do some research on greek names and naming systems. sometimes the meaning of the name matches the character and sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Narmegil]

I usually use normal names, but I sometimes search the Net for weirder names.

Normal (for me):
Miranda
Melinda
Crystal
Jonathan
Nathan
Jacob

Weird (for me):
Jaiden
Jareth
Jaysia
Meliara

I used to do that, but then I decided to make up some names, and I got carried away

 

[Maul]

LOL!

I type a bunch of random letters, and then delete the ones I don't like, and voila! A name

Normal for moi:
Hodard
Tammo
Zakarlth
Quarren()
All the other names that I have in Rping
Cornan
Shane
Gradum
Visorin(hehe)
Hmradam
Zklearth
Xizor
Xerin
And a lot of other stuff

Not normal:
Default names(Matt, Max, Seth)
Vromdan

 

[NeoScribe]

Same with me. Names just pop in my head after I think up a character.

Examles :
Lehen
Auhsed (actualy, this one I got of a trash can. Anehiem Union High School District, AUHSD. I just added the e and I got a name.)
Sennal
Mililane
Aalnye

 

[Narmegil]

Auhsed (actualy, this one I got of a trash can. Anehiem Union High School District, AUHSD. I just added the e and I got a name.)

Thats awesome! Never done that before .

 

[Paladin Dave]

I usually take into account first, what country they are to be from, or the type of civilization most closely related to it from our world, if they are not of ours, and second, what kind of character they are. I like taking names from mythology, such as Quirinus, Siegfried, Romulus, Aectaeon, or Gunnar. Sometimes I will look up a name on a naming site, usually country-specific. For example, my girlfriend and I are writing a story together, and my main character is from a viking-like society of Nikdil, and are occupied by a somewhat Russian-esque empire named Krobolt(the names and the weather are the only things similar to Russia, really). The character's first name is Russian, I think: Vredik, and his last name is just a German-sounding one I came up with: Gunnauf. A few Kroboltkian names we used were Maavrik, or Alexei Griktolov.

Just blending syllables, although the more original and creative approach, makes for confusing names sometimes, I think. That, and I just stink at making good ones. I usually just look up something that fits the character's culture and personality, be it by the meaning or by someone who shared the name and their personality. Lazy lazy me...

 

[Narmegil]

Nice names I recently found out that one of my names is actually a spanish word, but it's the name of my character in my story, so I'm just gonna say I didn't see it and not change .

 

[Paladin Dave]

Sometimes blending words, in foreign language or your own works too. Especially in last names. Miller, Smith, Newman, Haven... I just recently made a dark elf character, named with mixtures of Elven words, and it actually turned out alright.

 

[Mr_Hursh]

I like Arabic sounding names, so I use them sometimes, but I always change it around a little so nobody will notice. But that is when I am just pulling them out of thin air. I created an entire language so I could merge words to make names that actually meant something. Granted it does not always help, but I can always take a word from that language and change that to make a new name.
Also, I try to make my names easy to pronounce. No apostrophes or complex consonant arrangements. Just something that the reader will automatically be able to understand.

 

[Tariel]

Also, I try to make my names easy to pronounce. No apostrophes or complex consonant arrangements. Just something that the reader will automatically be able to understand.

 

[bizzielizzie]

I pick names based on what I think my characters would like, personality and all, but yeah also by meaning too. I also cut out pics from magazines, ads, etc and put them with my characters name and profile. It helps to see what I think they'd look like. That way, they become more real to me.

Aloha,
Liz

 

[openup4christ]

I usally have random names
Lief
shady
Montnegro
Porky Joe
Jerry Ann
Stevo

 

[Maul]

Nice!

Lief

 

[MargoPego]

It's different for each character. Sometimes a name will strike me as really being something I could use, & then a character will pop into my head to go along with that. Other times the character will come first, & then I have to find a name to go along with her/him. Sometimes the name goes along with a face & I use them, or someone like, in a story.

To explain this last point, there was a lady who was one of three hosts on a science show from Ontario & I really thought she was a very nice person. I liked her name &, to me, the name always went along with someone who looked like her. So the character I named after her had her name & basic looks. Some things were a bit different, but if you saw the two you'd think they were the same person.

Other times the character comes with her/his name already in place & nothing I can do can change that. At other times I'ves searched through name books for good names, some culturally normal for where I live or some unusual. When writing fantasy stories (something I've only recently tried my hand at), some of the names are unusual but ones I've actually found before, & others are made up by me (as far as I can tell, anyway).

Sometimes I'll have dreams in which the characters already come with their names & I have to go with that as well. It's all rather interesting, if I do say so myself!

 

[NeoScribe]

Its kinda weird, but sometimes I feel that my characters will actually reject the name I give them until I get a good one. I'll think up a name that I think suits the character but I'll forget it 2 seconds latter. I keep doing this until I fall asleep, eventually a name just sticks to the mind and I feel thats the name that character would want. Lehen's name went through several variations before it became what it is now. And another character had 100 names before she suddenly became Cecilia, and thats strange because girls named Cecilia never strike me as the violent types, but this chick is an angry bowl of wrath and fury.