July 31, 2023
How to Name a Character in Fiction
What’s in a name, huh? Choosing how to name a character shouldn’t be too big a problem, right?
Well, not so fast.
Just as coming up with the perfect title for your novel is harder work than might initially appear, choosing a name for a character in fiction or even a video game contains significant complexity. The reason?
Names are symbolically powerful. Moreover, because – for better or worse – names form an integral part of our identity, naming a character assigns a huge weight on their shoulders. Allow me to use a short excerpt from Illiterary Fiction to make the point:
With a sigh, [Paul] turns around and begins to walk in the direction of the bar – amused by the fact that he still doesn’t know the bartender’s name, and probably never will. Names can be misleading, he thinks, because each name carries with it an entire ideology. What if the man’s name were Giuseppe or, heck, Hassan? What if it were Sabrina, what would then Paul think?
And so, in this post, I’ll offer you a few tips on how to name a character in your work. The right name can work wonders in terms of conceptual integrity, as well as relatability. Overall, naming your characters is a crucial part of the overall affective impact of your narrative and, as such, an author shouldn’t ignore the potential.
Why It’s a Bad Idea to Use a Name Generator
In other words, why it’s a bad idea to pick a character name randomly.
Name generators seem to be popular, judging by how often I see people asking for them online. The idea, I assume, is to quickly take care of a procedural – as it’s erroneously considered – matter and then get on with the writing part.
I even confess I’ve made a character name generator too; you can use it for free.
The thing is, you shouldn’t!
Just as I’ve made a title generator with the caveat you should pick your own titles, this program is a programming exercise; it’s not meant to replace the author.
The reason is that, by giving someone a name, you claim them.
To Name a Character Is To Own Them
Have you ever thought why christening involves identification and naming? In other words, why is the idea of naming an infant directly associated with enrolling them (against their will) in a religious group?
Because to name is to own. Allow me again to draw on my novels and this time quote from The Other Side of Dreams: “She called him Ahmed, but that wasn’t his name – in actual fact, he didn’t possess his name either, as it had already been chosen by his father when the man was born”.
In the context of writing fiction, when you name a character you inextricably “own” them, in the sense you subconsciously create a set of expectations for them. The reader expects this – even subconsciously – so it’s important to claim ownership of your characters.
Things to Consider Picking a Name for a Character
Generally speaking, when you pick a character name you need to consider two separate aspects, the practical and the symbolic one.
The former refers to the practicalities of your narrative and it’s fairly easy to understand. To offer a couple of obvious examples, if your character is a native Greek man living in modern-day Athens, calling him “Ryan” is an odd choice. Perhaps his father/mother is American, perhaps he was named after a certain character, perhaps, perhaps… In any case, you will need to provide some explanation that would be entirely unnecessary if the character’s name were, for example, “Nikos”. Similarly, if your character is a cis Italian woman, “Maria” would require no explanation, but “Mario” certainly would.
But besides such self-evident choices, the real power of naming fictional characters comes from their symbolic power.
How Symbolism Works with Naming Characters
In some cases, this is self-evident. To be a bit absolute, you simply can’t name a character “Adolph”. Yes, it’s a common name, yes, there’s nothing wrong with someone’s name being “Adolph”, but unless you’re writing a parody of Nazi Germany or something, your readers won’t be able to think of anything else.
Similar problems exist with naming someone “John” or “Mary”, only here we have the reverse scenario: It’s simply not memorable, it connotes being average. Of course, if that’s actually part of the narrative, then all the power to you. In Illiterary Fiction, which I referred to above, I named the protagonist “Paul” for the very same reason – though opting for a click below “John” in terms of commonality and being average.
A Name Communicates (both Ways) with the Symbolic Undertones
Perhaps my most uncommonly named character is the protagonist of The Perfect Gray, Hecate. Let’s allow her to explain it herself:
My name is Hecate, which sounded radical enough for my eagerly liberal parents and agreeable enough for my reliably conservative grandparents – that is, until they were later told Hecate was the ancient Greek goddess of sorcery, ghosts, and necromancy.
In a story about empowerment, choices, “using the dead to anticipate the future”, letting go of “ghosts”, and an almost Luciferian expression of feminine revolt, “Hecate” was the only name the protagonist could have. What is important here to understand is that a character’s name coexists with the general symbolic “ecosystem” of the novel, and this communication is a two-way one.
What I mean by that?
Not only does a character’s name help the reader interpret the plot in certain ways (in the example above, the reader is offered associations that will escort them until the end of the novel), but it even imposes decisions on the character herself.
A character’s name almost literally – via subconscious processes of writing – creates the very plot the character is a part of. To give the “right” name to your character means to help yourself, as an author, to more clearly see the creative possibilities ahead of you.
How to Name a Character; or Two
Castor and Pollux. Hypnos and Thanatos. Thelma and Louise. It’s very often the case that, besides naming a character, you must also consider how it symbolically modifies other characters around them.
This can extend in many different conceptual directions, from alliteration and, more generally, how names simply sound together, to intricate aspects of symbolism that can be hard to detect.
To name one example for this latter element, in The Other Side of Dreams, the main characters’ names are “Ahmed” and “Anna”. In a story where alcoholism as well as “anonymity” – that is, becoming socially invisible and ignored – play a central part, the name pair carries an eerie echo with it.
What’s in a Name? A Lot
A narrative can have many types of characters. Though some of these characters might not be very important, certain key characters – the protagonist and the antagonist, obviously enough – certainly are. To leave their names to a random name generator is unthinkable.
To name a character is to claim (conceptual) ownership of them. That is, assigning names effectively means you clearly communicate the concepts and meanings involved to your audience – at the very least, your intended audience.
But there is more.
A (fittingly) named character is a powerful character – not in terms of personality, but in terms of narrative existence. Characters with symbolically apt names that fit the narrative concepts involved, quite literally write themselves.
So, what’s in a name? Potentially an entire narrative.
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A LOT of thought goes into the naming of my characters, including little details such as initials, nicknames, and whether they can fit into the complex background of the (over 60 already) named characters in Pride’s Children. And no duplicates – confusing the reader is not something I want to do, and the thing is already long enough for me not to want to have to explain anything; easier to just make the names unique.
My own preferences – culturally backed – come in. That’s part of what a reader gets from an author.
Before I let the last set of important names harden into print, I need to consider whether my twin cousins will find it amusing or irritating that I named the twins after them (it also worked out that they were good Irish names, important for the plot – though my cousins’ background is Italian). But the fact that their birth parents have different names for them IS part of the plot – the right to name children may be brought before the law.
Maybe it is limiting to use MY experience, including looking up suitable Indian and Czech names when I needed them, but the thought of using a random generator – and the results being suitable in any way – never occurred to me, because it is MY right to name my children (and for my fictional ones there is no father to complicate matters). Why would I give up that right?
The “no duplicates” part reminded me of something hilarious I once heard. As was (and still is) the custom in many parts of the world, in 18th-century Finland a child was often given the first name of the (paternal?) grandfather, taking as a last name the father’s first name + the suffix for “son of” (icelandic style).
For instance, a man called Paavo Heikinpoika (Paavo, the son of Heikki), would name his own son as Heikki Paavonpoika. But a certain family took that custom a bit too literally, so when that kid grew up and had a child, his name was Paavo Heikinpoika. And so on, Heikki Paavonpoika and Paavo Heikinpoika for a hundred years, or so the story goes 😀
Fascinating take on names. I found myself nodding at some of your points, so I guess I must have thought about them at some subliminal level, but I rarely think about names in those ways. To me, a name has to /sound/ right. Meaning and context do matter, but the ultimate arbiter of my choices is sound.
Oddly enough, I’ve never had any trouble naming my characters. Once I have a feel for who and what they are, and may become, they almost name themselves.
The subconscious part is very powerful, that is, it often tells us whether something is right or not. You’re on solid ground listening to your instincts, I’d say!