What every writer needs to know about naming characters
JK Rowling knew what she was doing when she named her characters. Harry, for example, is derived from Henry, “a name which was favoured by many an English king.” Dumbledore’s first name, Albus, means white, the colour of his beard. In iZombie, Liv Moore’s name is apt, considering that becoming a zombie allows her to live more. In the Hunger Games, Katniss, a skilled archer, takes her name from a native aquatic plant with arrow-shaped leaves, known as Sagittaria. This connects her to the centaur-archer constellation Sagittarius.
What you name your characters says a lot about who they are and the role they play in your story. Symbolic names can help establish character traits (Harry being a leader or Katniss an archer). They can also foreshadow connections with other characters. For example, characters named Julien and Romi in a romance are bound to hook up at some point. Their relationship is also likely fated to end in disaster.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when naming your characters:
Keep named characters to a minimum
The more character names, the more your reader must remember. This can be difficult if the characters are minor and without distinguishing traits. Reserve names, especially those of significance, for main players only.
Avoid duplicate or similar names
For example, Jonathan, Jon, John, Jack, and Johnny are all variations of the same name. So are Richard, Richie, Dick, and Ricky. Naming multiple characters with variations of the same name will be confusing for your readers.
Use only one or two names for each of your characters
Miranda might be called Miry for short, but she could also be Mira or Randy. Randy could be short for Miranda, but it could also refer to another male character. If your characters’ nicknames are not obvious, be sure to use each of them in a context that introduces the short form as a variant of the same character’s name.
Take the point of view (POV) into consideration
Avoid descriptions of the POV character in lieu of their name. For example, “Ruby found it funny, and the young girl laughed.” In this case, Ruby laughed because she found something funny. The author likely wanted to drop a hint about Ruby’s age, but it misses its mark. Instead, it sounds like Ruby found something funny and another, random young girl laughed. A quick fix would be “Ruby found it funny, and she laughed.” Work in the fact that Ruby is young at some other logical point in the narrative.
Key Takeaways
Giving your characters symbolic names is a great way to foreshadow their fate and reveal some of their character traits without telling the reader outright. There are myriad baby-naming books and websites out there, so be sure to do your research. Avoid using AI to suggest names as it tends to draw on those that have been used elsewhere in fictional media. For example, the name Elara has become a sort of cliché in AI-generated fantasy fiction.
Name your characters strongly. Use names rich with nuance and meaning. And be consistent when using those names as you write.
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