What’s in a name? How do you choose them? Where do you find them? Are there any you avoid? These are the questions for this month’s Round Robin.
Names are really important. Whether they’re for your own child or for a character in one of your books, picking the right name can make all the difference.
As an author, I do agonize over what to name my characters. Even if they aren’t real people, the name I eventually (or quickly) settle upon influences who they are and represents them just as it does for a real person. Even minor characters’ names require attention. Sometimes, I’ll research a name. Other times, the names just come to me.
For my main characters, I’m always looking for “positive” names. Of course, they have to suit the characters, but I don’t want to name them something that has any negative connotations or bad energy connected to it unless they’re the villain. Internet searches are good for this, especially when you’re looking for the meaning of names and/or names from different cultures.
The last couple of books, I’ve had to research. My current WIP, which I hope to work on and finish this weekend, is a fun shifter novelette geared for an anthology. Originally, the main character’s name was Zenobia, a powerful Palmyrene queen from Syria. She ruled in the 3rd century. Such a name commands respect and says a great deal about whoever carries it. However, my character is of Norse descent. Though Zenobia is a very appealing name, I like its strength, the sound and history of it, but it didn’t seem right. Instead, I settled on Asta, which means beautiful/beloved, and depending where you look, “star” and “goddess”. As she’s the lead singer of a band, having a name that meant beautiful goddess and a star was nearly as good as Zenobia. (Nearly.) The hero’s name is Luke, meaning bearer of light. I like my men to have noble names, a meaning to aspire to. I also researched my heroine’s supporting characters’ names, as well as the hero’s pals.
The perfect name can take a while to find, though. This was the case for my novel Snow Spirits. Set in China in 1962, I spent quite a bit of time researching names for this book. (Yes, it is a new cover.) The main character is a snow leopard shifter and Chinese. Her name needed to be appropriate and suit not only her human nature, but her animal one. When I discovered that Xuě was not only a common name, but meant snow, it was a perfect match. Her husband’s name is Bao, which means treasure, precious, rare, at least in names. Several months later, when I was almost done writing the book, I discovered bao also means leopard. I’d accidentally (or subconsciously) named the two main characters snow and leopard. Considering both are snow leopard shifters, it was rather serendipitous.
Sometimes, I’ll have a place name until the “one” reveals itself. Often, though, I’ll search (fall down the rabbit hole) until I find the right one. It may stop me from writing, but I can’t seem to move forward without that name.
What about you? Have you ever read a book where the name just didn’t seem to fit the character? Or the character had the perfect name? If you’re an author, how important are your characters’ names and how much time do you spend researching that name?
Serendipitous indeed for the names in Snow Spirts! Funny how things like that can just happen. I don’t know if readers ever consider how hard the author works to come up with easy-to-read and appropriate names. Good post!
I don’t know either. I’m sure most readers don’t even think about it. Why would they? And, hopefully, they’re so involved in the story, how I chose my characters’ names is the last thing on their mind. 🙂
Your serendipitous moment turned out to be a confirming one that the names you had landed on were the right ones for these two shifter characters. Good job.
I agree. It’s funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?
I love the names for your shape shifter characters. I don’t believe in coincidence so the fact that you discovered later on in your work that Bao also means leopard was meant to be.
When I originally was searching to find out how to say snow leopard in Mandarin, all I could find was that they called them Ghosts of the Mountains. Several months later, I happened across the Mandarin words for snow leopard xuě bao. I agree, I think those names were meant to be. 🙂
Interesting post. Picking sci-fi and shifter names sounds like a different challenge.
I think picking sci-fi and fantasy names might be more challenging to some degree. You want them to be easy to pronounce, but foreign enough that they’re believable as names from another planet or in another world entirely. One of my other books, The Whispering House, is kind of a sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal/horror love story. The people from the alternate universe needed names we could pronounce, but came across as foreign. (And no Middle Earth names! LOL) It’s always fun and challenging (and exciting) naming characters.
Thank you for an interesting post, Marci. Like Victoria, I don’t think there is such a thing as coincidence. It’s synchronicity: your larger self knew all along. 🙂
I tend to agree. This was one of those moments when the universe works in mysterious ways. 🙂
I really enjoyed your post, Marci. Like you, I agonise over the characters names, too. That’s an interesting question about whether I’ve ever thought a fictional character didn’t fit their name. My husband is called Nigel, but all the fictional Nigels I’ve ever read about have been the opposite of romantic heroes!
How interesting! My husband’s name is Charlie. That’s not usually a hero’s name either. It’s the best friend of the hero. The nice guy, usually. I’m good with my nice guy. 🙂
Hi Marci, Great post and so interesting as I’ve never tried fantasy or sci fi. I’m a great, and often grateful, believer in the work of the subconscious when problems need solving. Anne
Hi Anne,
I believe in the subconscious, too. Some people refer to it as the other than conscious self, meaning it’s the more “connected” portion of our brain/mind/soul. My fantasy/sci-fi is very light. A full on fantasy/sci-fi would be a little beyond me, or, should I say, more than I want to do. 🙂
I don’t agonize over character names, and like you, I’ve used a “place-holder” name until I could get a “feel” for the character–or until he/she “told” me their name. I like to match the name to the ancestry of the characters. And I like names that aren’t over-done. But I do try to avoid what I call “soap-opera” names, that are over-used on soap operas because they sound unique.
I spend quite a bit of time on them to make sure they’re right for the characters. Yeah, soap opera names aren’t popular in my stories. However, sometimes, a character needs one. LOL