Hi everyone! This week I decided to do something a little
different. I know that a lot of the namers I talk to on formspring are also
writers and readers and one of my favorite parts of writing is naming
characters. To me, characters names can be almost as important as their
physical descriptions or attitudes. I can’t imagine any of my favorite literary
character, from Scout Finch to Draco Malfoy, being named anything else. When I
stumbled on a list of character naming suggestions on babynames.com I knew I HAD
to do this post. I asked some of my formspring buds what their “rules” were and
then took some I’d found online. These are some of the most common character
naming do’s and don’ts and what I think about them. Thank you to all who
answered my formspring question; you all had some super advice. Because some of
the advice was repeated, I credited advice to who said it first.
Do’s
n
Make it age appropriate (http://www.babynames.com/character-names.php)
o
This
might have been the most common piece of advice given. I absolutely agree. To
me, there’s nothing more jarring than an adult character named something like
Jayden or Neveah.
n Consider
the setting (Candy - http://www.formspring.me/gravityebbs)
o
Another common piece of advice. This one just plain makes
sense. Out there and guilty pleasure names work perfectly in a fantasy setting,
but less so in a realistic fiction. If a book took place in the 1800’s, modern
names just don’t fit.
n Consider
the characters past/parents (Stevie - http://www.formspring.me/lepetitviolet)
o
I’d never considered this before Stevie suggested it, but
it’s a VERY good piece of advice. A couple of lawyers will probably have
different tastes than a waitress. A couple of sixteen year olds will name
differently than a middle aged couple. Did the characters parents adore a
certain writer? Or meet in a specific city?
n consider
spellings (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/25-How2-CharacterNames.html)
o
As
a rule, I think that any spellings should be, if not the original spelling, a
commonly accepted variant. Difficult spellings do not change a name, or make it
more unique. They do however give the reader a stumbling block that takes away
from the story. That said, among accepted variants, spelling can reflect a
character. Catherine with a C is a lot softer than Katherine with a K.
n put
some effort into last names
o
This is my own advice. I don’t feel the same way I do about
surnames as I do about first names and as a result, my characters often suffer
from surnames-that-are-also-first-names syndrome. Although books filled with
Porters, Taylors and Carsons isn’t by any means a mistake, surnames can add
another level to character names. A French character with the surname Cormier
is much more believable than one with the surname Mason.
Don’t’s
n Choose
a name by meaning (Candy)
o
Although the babynames.com article says it’s a good idea,
it’s one that I (and Candeh) would discourage. To me, unless you’re writing the
next Harry Potter series (did Professor Sprout’s name bother anyone else?) and
it will be so flawless I won’t care, it comes off as incredibly cheesy. Do not,
under any circumstances, name a botanist Sage as suggested by babynames.com.
Just don’t.
n Use
loaded names – (babynames.com)
o
When a name is iconic/infamous, using it sets up some pretty
strong associations that could be impossible to overcome. A Jezebel is set up
to be a sexpot and a Romeo to be love struck. This will influence the reader’s
opinion. Especially because tropes and stereotypes are integral to books
(especially for portraying a lot of info about a minor character quickly)
loaded names will be more read into in books than in real life.
n Use
common names – (babynames.com)
o
This was another often suggested rule, but I have to say, one
I don’t agree with. When Harry Potter was released in the late 90’s, Harry was
in the top 20 boy names in the UK. When Twilight was released in 2005, Isabella
had been in the American top 20 for three years. Both those names were (and
continue to be) immensely popular, but are still strongly associated with their
novel and quite memorable. At the same time, a slightly off beat name is
certainly more interesting than a top 10/top 20.
n Use
something hard to pronounce – (Bea - http://www.formspring.me/ariajuliet)
o
It might just be me, but often, when I don’t know how to
pronounce a name in a book I just skip over it. When I don’t skip over it, I make
up my own pronunciation and then am unpleasantly surprised if I listen to a
movie or book on CD. Like odd spelling, unpronounceable names just add a road
block to the story without changing or aiding it.
n Don’t
use middle names (unless its 100% relevant)
o
This again, is something I struggle with. I love injecting
middle names into the story for no apparent reason. In real life, I could
probably count on one hand the number of non family members whose full names I know.
Unless a middle name reveals something very important about a character
(honoring a certain relative etc) chances are, it’s not relevant information.
Of course, these rules should be taken with a grain of salt. The
most important thing is that you come up with a name you think fits your
characters and story. These are just some things that usually bother me and
those I polled. Hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to leave a comment
with your favorite or least favorite literary names!
- Hayl
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