Coming Up with Character Names and Why They Matter

When we dive into the world of crafting stories, the power behind naming our characters often gets overshadowed by plot twists and epic worldbuilding. But, for many characters, names act like a handshake and are the first way your readers are introduced to your fictional people.

A name isn't just a label; it's a sneak peek into a character's world and a hint at who they are. Imagine if Katniss Everdeen had been named Shirley Snodgrass. The right name makes all the difference.

In this article, we're going to dissect why the names you choose for your characters aren't just placeholders, look at some factors to consider when naming your book's cast, and explore different techniques to come up with your own names. 

By the time we're done, you'll see character names in a whole new light—beyond just picking something that sounds cool. (Don't worry, they can still sound cool. Just cool and meaningful.)

Hopefully, you'll also have a few ideas for those characters who've been nameless for way too long, which means you'll finally be able to fill in those empty spaces on your Dabble Character Profiles.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Oh, it's only the best novel writing tool out there. Dabble Writer features everything you need to plan, write, and revise an unforgettable story. That includes customizable Character Profiles for capturing all the qualities that make your fictional people unique, including their super cool names.

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No matter where or how you store your characters' details, these imaginary folks deserve great names. Let's find some.

Why Do Good Character Names Matter?

The name you give your character can feel inconsequential but, in reality, can be more important than other seemingly trivial traits like hair color or handedness. Sure, names can be random or pointless, but I want you to—at least by the end of this article—take a moment to consider their significance.

Most importantly, names can do four possible things (from a storycraft perspective):

1. Connect your character to an aspect of their backstory
2. Set expectations for your reader
3. Play a significant role in the plot
4. Reflect the story's theme

Let's take a quick look at each of these.

Names as a Connection to Backstory

Especially when it comes to surnames, family names, or the like, a character's name can create an instant connection to something larger in your world and thus provide information about their past without spending too much time on exposition.

This could be a knight with the name of an exiled royal or a college student whose last name carries a lot of weight at their school. A name might hint at the country your character comes from or the religion they were raised in.

If your character's name is connected to their backstory in an especially meaningful way, make sure you have taken the time to at least hint at why it's important or plan to do so throughout your story.

Names to Set Expectations

This one is a little more niche, but your character's name can set up expectations for your reader.

A name like Cynder Flamecaller was obviously born to be a fire mage in an epic fantasy. Poindexter Jones is clearly the smartest kid in class.

These are too on the nose for most stories, but you get the point. Just be careful to avoid clichés (like a bully named Biff) or stereotypes. Also keep your genre in mind. Axel might be the brooding romantic hero in one genre and the villain in another.

Names as a Plot Point

It can be interesting—even satisfying—to make a character's name a key point in the plot.

Like when the perp in your whodunit goes by an alias that's an anagram for their true identity. Or when two feuding superheroes both have… moms with the same name.

It makes me shake my head every time, but it's forever enshrined in cinema. It's okay to use names for a plot point, just don't name them Martha. Please.

Names as a Reflection of Theme

You can use a character's name to highlight the role that character plays in the story or the position they take regarding a key theme.

For example, in The Hate U Give, the protagonist is specifically named Starr because her father wanted her to become a light in the darkness. After wrestling with questions of identity and belonging, that's exactly what she chooses to be.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Character Names

Before you name your next character John Smith or Jane Doe and call it a day, let's pause and think. The era, setting, and genre of your story all play massive roles in naming your characters. 

Ethelred checks out as a medieval king's name and thus feels at home in a fantasy novel. Naming someone the same in a futuristic sci-fi novel might feel out of place. Unless your world uses old school European naming conventions, which could be a fun differentiating factor.

Your names also need to vibe with the tone of your novel and the personality of the character in question. Imagine a dark, brooding anti-hero named Sparkles. Doesn't quite fit, unless you're flipping expectations on their head for a laugh.

The names you choose might be used in marketing materials to convince readers to take a chance on your book, so keep that in mind when landing on a final name as well. And if you want your readers to spread the word about your compelling characters, make sure those characters have names your audience can pronounce.

Not every name needs to carry this much weight, but for your main characters, remember that it's not just about what makes sense in the book but the impact it will have outside the pages, too.

Techniques for Naming CharactersHow to Come Up With Character Name Ideas

Time for the good stuff. How do you even come up with original names in the first place? Tragically, there's no secret sauce—and know that I hate that term, but it's best for getting the point across—for coming up with the perfect name.

There are, however, multiple approaches you can take to finding it.

Brainstorm the Heck Out of Your Character

In most situations, your character's name already exists somewhere in the world you've built or the story you want to write; you just need to find it. Take some time to think about themes or words that are meaningful to that character's:

• Background
• Family
• Culture
• Religion
• Language
• Geographic origin
• Time period

Maybe your character is named Emerson after Ralph Waldo Emerson because he was born to followers of the Transcendentalist movement in the 19th century. Or you might have a character named Patience because it took her parents years to conceive.

Your character might be named after a specific god in the religion they follow, or maybe, in their world, surnames are determined by the geological features you live closest to. Maybe your protagonist is Frank Thirdhilltotheleft.

On that note...

Get Literal but in a Sneaky Way

If you want to pack your character's name with meaning but you also want to be subtle about it, etymology is your friend. Rather than using the exact modern-day English words, you can use root words from other languages to inspire names.

"Mederi" is a Latin word meaning "to heal." Incidentally, it would also make a pretty cool name for a healer. This etymology dictionary can help you come up with your own coded names. You can also search existing names by their meaning using a tool like this one.

If that doesn't do it, don't shy away from diving into baby naming websites, borrowing from history, or even exploring foreign dictionaries. Mix and match pieces of the real world with parts of your fictional one to find combinations that are unique yet understandable.

Use a Character Name Generator

I'm not above including this potential cop-out of an answer. Especially with the advent of more accessible (and coherent) artificial intelligence, using technology to generate random names is better than ever. Or at least more feasible.

Realistically, most of what these tools output is okay. At worst, it's a mishmash of overdone or confusing words.

But you can use random name generators as a starting point. Let them act as a source of inspiration and shape them into something more suitable for your genre.

A quick note that's applicable everywhere but extra important with name generators: Unique doesn't mean unpronounceable. If readers stumble every time they see your character's name, you might lose them before the first chapter ends. And random name generators can love their complicated names, especially in genres like fantasy.

Explore Naming Conventions

Take a look at how real-world cultures have created their own naming conventions. Languages have their own rhythms and patterns that can inspire your creations. Different cultures even have their own approach to assigning names. A name might indicate birth order or honor an ancestor or even be something a child must discover for themselves.

As always, you want to be careful about borrowing from other societies. Don't take a culture and apply it where it shouldn't be. Be aware of clichés and stereotypes. Common sense should really reign supreme here.

Introduce Nicknames (But Do It Wisely)

As long as you're naming a character, you might as well think about the nicknames they might have.

Nicknames reveal a lot about people and the nature of their relationships. Maybe your character is Cynthia in the boardroom but Cyn when she's out with friends. Maybe Kreekor the Horrible's little brother is the only one who can get away with calling him Kreeky.

You give your characters dimension and add a dash of reality when you give them nicknames, but in all things writing, you never want to sacrifice clarity. So don't overdo the nicknames, and make sure it's clear to your readers that Hector and Shmoopy are the same person.

Little hint: It's typically best to stick with one version of the name in narration and only use nicknames when your character is addressed in dialogue.

Revise!

Once you've settled on a name, take it for a test drive through your story. Does it fit? Does it clash? Is it the name of a character who's going to leave a mark, or is it going to be skimmed over? Pay attention to how names sound when they're next to or near other names—take it from someone who has a series with Adriel and Arriel. Sure, they might sound different, but I now have to make sure they have distance between them whenever possible.

Revision isn't just for plot holes and pacing issues; it's also for making sure your character's names are the best they can be.

And hey, if all else fails, remember that naming your character is a journey of its own. Sometimes, the perfect name comes to you in the middle of the night or through an overheard conversation in a coffee shop. 

Be open to inspiration, and when it strikes, grab it with both hands.

The One Name You Should Know: Dabble

When you're crafting these unforgettable names and the characters they belong to, make sure you're using tools that support your creativity, not hinder it. 

Dabble comes with a host of tools to make writing a book less of a monumental task. Especially when it comes to creating memorable characters (with names!), Dabble has your back.

Dabble is an incredibly versatile tool equipped with a dedicated space for your characters. Make your Character Profiles as detailed as you want, keep all their backstory and relationship details in one place, and even organize them into Casts—all while staying only one click away from your manuscript as you're writing.

The best part is that you can craft all the characters you want with Dabble (and try all our premium features) for free for fourteen days by clicking here! You don't even need to punch in your credit card deets.

There's a name for a trial like that: Awesome!