Sometimes a character's name comes to me easily. The name just falls out of my head and poof! The character is born. Other times I have to search for the name that will fit the people in my head. They start as a person with all the quirks and habits a good character needs. They have everything but a name...so I have to send them to the fitting room and let them try on the names until I find the perfect fit.
These are a few fitting rooms that point me in the right direction:
1. This one will match the person's likes to the name-
2. Got a bad guy? Someone a little out there? Go to the Seventh Sanctum: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-name.php
My fav from the Seventh Sanctum is here: http://www.seventhsanctum.com/gens/heroicname.html
3. Do it by the alphabet: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/ or here: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chyams/Names/boys.html
4. I once knew a woman who named her children after state capitals. If that rings your bell go here: http://www.townsoftheusa.com/states.htm
5. And when you want to finish up with a last name, you can used the great big last name catolog (otherwise known as the phone book) or go here: http://www.last-names.net/letter.asp?s=K
That's where I get some ideas. How about you?
6 comments:
behindthename.com. I like to find names with a meaning close to what I had in mind, then I switch some of the letters or add in an extra syllable. I end up with pretty, but slightly odd names without being long or unpronounceable-- perfect for the fantasy genre.
Great site, thanks! I like when I can look them up by nationality. My problem is how to pronounce them!
Awesome post! I can't write a word until I have the name of each character. It's a writer habit that drives me nuts! Because I will try on this name or that one, and not "feel" like it's quite right, so I am always looking for name sources.
Some of my names just come to me. Some I comb sites--I actually usually pick baby name sites with ethnic origin searches, because very often my character's background dictates the name.
Erica,
I know what you mean! Sometimes I agonize on a name, trying to get it just right to fit the character in my head. It's like on the tip of my tongue and I just can't get it. lol These sites are a God-send.
Ohmigosh, what a great post! I'm always asking DH for names. I hate coming up with them. Yeah, they have to be the right one. Finding that right one is just SO annoying!
Spy,
Sometimes its the name that stops the flow! In this house they are used to be calling out, "Give me a name!" and everyone starts shouting out random names. lol
Life with a writer, right?
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