Naming characters is hard. I have been known to spend half a day trying to find the PERFECT character name. Readers will build up a mental image of your character based on the first mention of their name.
So would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?
The Dorian Grey Effect
The science suggests it would not.
A name has a social effect on our lives – negative or positive. Psychology can tell us about how a name affects us. People around us ‘judge’ us or attribute characteristics based on our name, which in turn influences our choices and development of our identity.
What does a name suggest to people around us?
We have strong, enduring stereotypes about the personality behind the name. This article discusses an experiment, where 500 college students were asked to rate how warm and competent certain names were. Names such as ‘Hannah’ and ‘Mia’ were rated as warm but less competent.
Science also suggests that we judge what the appearance of a person is, based on their name. Names suggest ethnicity and gender, but also the appearance of the face. We Look Like Our Names (2017) found that people could identify the correct name for a face from a list. It goes on to suggest that we may come to look like our name (or ‘live up to’ our name) over time, based on self-fulfilling prophesy. This is the Dorian Grey Effect.
The upshot of all of this is that a character name is vital to our understanding end enjoyment of a book. Think of iconic characters with en pointe names – Harry Potter, Anne Shirley, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Hannibal Lecter. So let’s get on with learning to find the perfect character name.
How do we find the perfect character name?
- Consider Setting
What names were popular in the country and era of your story? Websites such as Behind The Name have lists of names by country. Check out births and deaths for the specific region and period to find real names.
Also think about what jobs and characteristics would have been valued, for example the responsibility a son has to his father (filial responsibility) was much more valued in the past, so perhaps a name suggesting at this, or the lack of it. (Check out more resources for writing historical fiction).
- Consider Personality
Do they have any enduring traits? Are they curious, loyal or bubbly?
Check out baby naming websites to find out what the meaning behind the name is: Nameberry or Babyname.com.
- Find Unique Names
Readers can get confused if names are too similar to another character in the book, for example Ally / Annie.
- The Shorter the Better
You may want to name your character Adelonalia, but that can quickly get tiring to read, let alone type. Short names are more memorable. Remember, names such as Jack and Ann have been popular since the 1880’s.
- Keep Names Consistent
If a character is called William, call him William throughout, not Bill or Will. Each of these names has different connotations. That said, some characters can call them by a nickname to convey something about plot or their relationship.
- Fantasy / Sci fi Names
In a fantasy, alternate or future world, you can get a bit more creative with the character names. But make sure they are pronounceable.
Perfect character names will fit and have symbolic meaning. Just like biblical names like Charity and Faith, names could reflect the values and attitudes of the society you have created.
I had fun with this fantasy villain name generator. There is also a sci fi name generator.
- Say it Out Loud
The very sounds of a name can have specific effects on us. For example, Biff sounds more aggressive than say, Charles or Luke, with their long vowels and r and l sounds.
- More character naming resources:
Some people might prefer a less measured, more random approach to character naming.
- Take two celebrities and call your character the first name of one and the second name of the other ie Taylor Portman.
- Flip through the phone book and stop at a random page.
- Try out this Random Character Name Generator
More writing resources for all stages of the writing process
Should I use a pen name?
Psychology in Fiction Series
I am aiming to put the social science into creative writing. I have a BSc in Psychology and Linguistics and I think the science background helps me create ‘real’ fictional characters.
Over to you: What is a sexy name? And a supremely unsexy name? What name suggests kind and loyal?