The Power of a Name
How to Choose Names Your Readers Will Never Forget
What’s in a name?
Everything!
I’m sharing something different today. First, my thoughts and experience on uncovering evocative names for the characters in a novel. And second, a writing prompt to help you choose memorable names for your characters.
Whether in real life or the stories we write, names stir all sorts of thoughts and memories, fairly or not. Take "Karen,” which has become shorthand for an entitled, demanding woman who's always complaining about being disadvantaged by others.
I know plenty of Karens who are anything but privileged or demanding. Or even white! But the connotation has endured. Then there's "Felicia," as in "Bye, Felicia" (from the movie Friday), which has become a popular way of dismissing someone deemed irrelevant.
The literary world has given us names with meanings so strongly attached that only the first name needs mentioning. Say "Gatsby," and we're transported to opulent wealth and lavish parties during the Roaring Twenties. Mention "Romeo," and we conjure images of passionate, romantic young men doomed by love. "Lolita," "Celie," "Frankenstein," "Dracula"—no explanations needed. And if you’re looking for first and last names etched into our memories there’s Harry Potter and Dorian Gray.
Can you imagine if the names chosen had been Rudy for Romeo or Dave for Dracula? I didn’t think so. The authors obviously gave a lot of consideration to the names based on personality and storyline. The weight these names carry tells us something profound about storytelling: a well-chosen name becomes inseparable from character.
I've spent hours—sometimes days—searching for the ideal names for characters in my novels. Wracking my brain, scouring the internet, thumbing through books and magazines. It's like choosing a name for your child.
You don’t have to give this much attention to every character name, only the lead and important minor characters. Here are a few examples of names I’ve used and a little about the characters.
Everett Bruce (Chloe)
He’s a handsome, powerful, brilliant billionaire whose presence fills a room. At times charming and witty, other times melancholy, distant, and mysterious. You’re never sure what he’s thinking as his eyes slowly take everything in. Since his first wife’s death, he's considered a real catch but has proved difficult for women to reach.
Charmaine (Sisters and Lovers)
At times, Charmaine feels permanently down on her luck. She’s stuck in a thankless job that doesn't pay enough, trying to raise a young, precocious son, and dealing with an irresponsible husband who is rarely around. Yet she lacks the courage to leave due to a fear of being alone. She’s the type of woman who believes her value depends on being attached to a man, almost any man.
Barbara Bentley (PG County)
Barbara Bentley was sweating profusely, and it wasn’t the shakes this time. She hadn’t had a drink in years. This time it was that philandering husband of hers, Bradford Bentley III, slipping out of bed at the crack of dawn to run to his mistress.
She listened to him moving around in the bathroom—the toilet flushing, water running—and fumed under the bedcovers. Only seconds ago, she’d been tucked contentedly between her Egyptian cotton sheets, dreaming of exquisite preparations for her daughter’s wedding—of beluga caviar and smoked salmon, of starched white tablecloths and lilacs and lilies. Then came the familiar bed tremor as her husband jolted her awake. Honestly, the man had no shame when it came to his uncontrollable sexual urges.
The right name will help bring your character’s personality to life. Here are some contemporary names that I find particularly striking.
Contemporary Character Names
Female Names
Evangeline
Megan
Genevieve
Grace
Anjelica
Selene
Naomi
Vivian
Simone
Zora
Male Names
Marvin
Andre
Clyde
Joe
Dorian
Silas
Jasper
Desmond
Roman
Thaddeus
Your Turn: A Writing Prompt
First, you should pick a name that intrigues you. It can be from my list above, a character you're currently developing, or something that simply pops into your head. Then try to describe this person in 300 words or less. You can write a vignette as I did for Everett Bruce and Charmaine above, as a scene in a story as I did for Barbara Bentley, or however you prefer.
Have fun while doing this! Think of it as flexing your creative muscles. The more you practice choosing meaningful names that fit your characters, the more intuitive the process becomes. And who knows? You might just create the next "Romeo" or "Celie"—a name that stands on its own.
Feel free to share your 300 words or less in the comments below.
I love hearing about how other people pick their characters' names! I probably spend WAY too much time on the process 😅 (a hazard of too much specialty knowledge about names), but I also definitely have different goals for different projects.
If I'm writing a real world period story, I try really hard to make sure the names are realistic for the time and place (Joss Whedon's Gen X characters named Xander and Willow drove me nuts 😅😅😅) If a character does have an unusual name, I consider it as part of their backstory -- why did their parents choose this name for them?
With characters in a future or alternate world setting, the process is different. I'm a conlanger too, so in alternate world settings I'll think about what the name rules are for the imaginary culture and then go from there. Coming up with future names is a fun exercise in considering what might be "normal" in another hundred years.
I spend a ton of time looking at name data already, so these kinds of elaboration are just an extension of that work 😊 but it's definitely a place you can go deep!