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| Naming Your Character |
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| If you haven�t already done so, you need to name your character. Sometimes you won�t have to think too hard to come up with one. Other times it might be a struggle. You�ve probably already heard that we ought to name our characters with the same care as we would our children�or pets. The name we give our character gives our reader an impression. Is there a backstory associated with the name? Does the name fit the character and the era? Be cautious about choosing names with symbolic overtones; unless the name fits the region and the era when the story occurs. Author Rebecca McClanahan (Word Painting) wrote, �The name we give to characters do more than merely suggest personality traits. They also establish characters in time and place and suggest ethnic religious backgrounds, social and financial status, even parental aspirations.�
Does your character have a family name? Is she named after her grandmother Amelia? Or maybe the mother admired Amelia Earhart. How does your character feel about inheriting this name, and does she feel the family has high expectations? Or is the naming a family tradition, nothing else? Or maybe your character pursues aviation (or whatever other occupation) because of the name. Does your character have a nickname? The character�s nickname could provide a backstory, especially if it�s something other than an abbreviated form of her given name. Usually friends and family invent the nicknames. That also gives background information on the character�s relationships. Or it could be a name assigned by the school bully. Nicknames can also give the reader an idea of your character�s physical traits, even if your diminutive character is named �Stretch.� In this case, it adds irony. Charles Dickens was famous for naming his characters with names that telegraph their basic character. Martin Chuzzlewit and Mr. Gradgrind are colorful names. However, this type of naming has fallen out of fashion. For instance, don�t name your three wild teenage sisters Smutts or a car salesman Tommy Swindle. Also avoid names that suggest stereotypes, like naming cowboys Tex or Cody or the unmarried teacher Miss Biddle. Not all Indians are named Patel, not all Frenchmen are named Pierre, and not all Jews are named Goldstein. If your story is a satire or parody, then these rules go out the window. Avoid using similar names within the story. For instance, Jay and Jack, Betty and Patty, Rob and Bobby. It�s too confusing. The rules of character naming also vary from genre to genre. Science fiction novels frequently use unusual sounding names. Sometimes they�re hard to pronounce. It seems to be the nature of the beast. Still, I suggest choosing names that are memorable and not so unusual that they�re distracting and hard to pronounce. If you�re writing a story set in the 1700�s, don�t name a female character Jade or something else that doesn�t fit the era. But there are always exceptions to every rule. Where do you find character names? I like to use a baby-naming book. The one I own has variations and definitions of each name. But your definitions don�t have to fit your character. Use phone books, especially for surnames. The types of surnames listed in Chicago will be different from those listed in a small Pennsylvania Dutch town in Central Pennsylvania. Phone books are also useful for variations in spellings of surnames. Genealogy websites offer countless surnames. Usually they�re listed alphabetically or by country of origin. Roots Web offers a comprehensive list of directories. I keep index cards of names I like or that sound unusual. Start collecting your own names and file them for future use. Next time you�re stuck, pull a name from your file and start filling in background information. What physical description does your name suggest? Occupation? Conflicts? Do a complete character sketch as time allows. Copyright 2002-2007 Rita Marie Keller |
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