Character Names Options

[Tim Tilley]

For all you creators out there that have trouble naming your characters. look no further than your email's spam folder.

Yup that's right, the spam folder. When some one sends junk mail, they never use a real name they give you a fake one. So why work so hard finding a name for your characters? Let the idiots that spam you do the work instead; in fact they already have.

[bat]

I use maps from foreign countries. I have traveled about as an English teacher and naturally picked up street maps. I was sitting around one day trying to find inspiration for names, sorted through a pile of reference material and found a street map for Medan in Indonesia. I sat down with a notebook and jotted down over 125 names, some altered, some reversed, some left alone. I am sure that street maps from various countries can be found online.

[Tim Tilley]

Very nice. I would have never thought of using maps. Thanks for the tip. =)

[comixnut]

Both are excellent tips! I myself come across an incredible amount of cool names from the kids i teach swimming to! *shrughs* I don't know why but i seem to come across so many that i have never heard AND some incredible ones for fantasy settings!

[John Wilson]

Baby Name books or websites are another obvious choice. That way you can see what the name "means" in various languages. It is always better if your strong warrior has a name that means strong warrior rather than soft and cuddly.

[joshm]

I generally use names of friends and family. That way I can match a face with the name. I don't use the look of the person to reference their look, but it helps to keep the focus of their personality kind of like the person I'm naming the character after.

[Tim Tilley]

For a while Ihad been using my friend's names,but mix the up. Well they never really liked the idea. Now I either use the spam box, or just make them up.

[johnson]

I was told of a site called behindthename.com. It had names from tons of languages and cultures and also gave the meanings of them.

[Tim Tilley]

When I was still working on Crimson Knights I gave many of the characters names based on an actual meaning. The series takes place in the year 2025 AD in Japan after a series of devistating Tsunami, and earthquakes. They re-built Tokyo as New Tokyo.


Well anyway, the main Villain's name is KuroShiro Nakatomi. Which means Black & White. An overlapping theme with in Crimson Knights is the Tao, or
Yin-Yang. One can not exist with out the other.

Kuroshiro's body guard is an immortal nammed, Tatsu Hinoshi, translated as Fire of Death, or fire spirit. Tatsu means dragon. So his name roghly means dragon fire of death, or dragon spirit of fire depending on how religious the person is. Shi means death, so religious, or supersitious person would use the word spirit instead.

Kuroshiro's daughter's name is Onishi Nakatomi. Oni meaning spirit, or deamon, and shi being death. Translated to Spirit, or demon of death.

So it's always a gopod idea when having a book that takes place in another location, or time to use it to your advantage.