How do YOU name characters?

[Gamblerjoe]

I have a long list of names which Im constantly adding to. I occasionally use one of them for an MMO or DnD game, depending on my race and class. they are just silly names I come up with for the fun of it. Some could be adapted to be more like superhero or supervillain names. To come up with those types of names, you have to do what shows like The Tick and Venture Brothers do.

Captain Claymore (Clayton Moore, Captain in the U.S. Army)
The Stare Master (a supervillain with some sort of gaze attack)
Reckless and Dangerment (havoc raising duo)


Here are some great ones from Venture Brothers:
Brick Frog
The See-an-Enemy
The Egoist
Truckules
Unicornelius
Joseph and his amazing techinicolor nightmare coat

edit: I like to write DnD modules. When I need regular names for NPCs I use a couple of different methods. One is that I have other name lists with names for each race. My second method is to look at baby names online (advice I got from reading a Rich Berlew article). I think about what ethnicity to use, and pick from that list. My third method is to look online for list of words in fantasy languages. So if I need to come up with a name for an elf, I would goodgle "elven language" and use what I find to piece names together.

 

[headphonegirl]

I use http://www.behindthename.com/

Its good for finding out the origin of the names and there's lots of names from all over the world, so I have lots of choice

 

[StellarViking]

I once wrote a short story based in Sweden and named every single character after an Ikea product.

My favorite thing to do is just sit back and think of a name or even just another word related to the character I'm thinking of. I'll get the word, and tweak this part and that part of it until I get a name I'm satisfied with.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Usually I'll either define the character and either write/draw them out and see if a name just pops out (you know, like how people say you look like a Fred, or something).

If that doesnt work, and if i dont have name I want to do specifically, I'll think about what they are like personality wise, then look up a name that means that frmo their descent (so if their kind and sweet, I'll find a name that means that).

And if worse coms to worse, i either people watch or do a random contact list and steal a name from there. XD

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

What most beginning authors do is take the names of friends and/or family, and mix and match. Or take the first name of a character/person you like and/or are inspired by, and the last name of a character/person you like and/or are inspired by.

Or just take cool sounding names. But don't be so unrealistic that its just silly (unless that's the point of the story).

Last suggestion, buy a phonebook and just go wild.

And to answer the other questions, I am not a professional writer, but I have a few RPs with two other friends. I've found over the years that I don't have the attention span to write a whole novel by my lonesome, but with two other people I trust and discuss plot and character with, I can go for ages. And I'm currently in college.

 

[gideonkain]

I own several "Name your baby" books but have no children

 

[Johnny Impact]

I run dice-and-paper games so I need a goodly number of names. Usually I scan lists of names on the Internet and just rattle a few around in my head until one sounds right.

I try to pick one that fits the character, for example one of my NPCs is an imposing, powerfully built man with an iron will and a very direct manner. He has the presence of a king so I named him Richard.

For surnames I use a phone book. I have an unhealthy attachment to alliteration so half my characters end up with the same letter for both initials.

 

[Kitteh]

I used to name pokemon after exits on the freeway. i was pleased when laurel canyon leveled up

 

[artanis_neravar]

So, I'm a writer and an illustrator. Summer just let out, and I'm trying to write and illustrate a comic over the summer. I have 4 months to achieve this goal. I think it's very do-able. There is a problem though... names.

I don't know how to name characters very well.

I've been reading some sites that give writing tips about naming characters, and have a couple tricks. Though, the standard advice seems to dance around the linguistic assembly of concentants vowels rhythm and syllables. They target the personality connection to the name, which I completely agree- but is not the avenue of advice I'm looking for.

If you're a writer, and feel your work is good- or at least your characters are well named, and you have a system to how you build a name for a character, I'd like to hear it.

Spoiler: Bonus stuff about what I'm doing.

None of this is pertinent to the topic, but I'll share.

I'm writing a fantasy comic. Very Tolkien, or Weis, I'll admit. I have no problem with this niche environment. I've long played games like D&D, and made successful names for characters. They serve the character sheet well, but won't translate into written-for-print media. I have one solid name I'm sure to going forward with 100%, but that particular character dies in the first act. The main character is entirely fleshed out, but is still running in the script with a place holder for a name. There's an elf maiden even that, well, in the script she shows up as [Elven Maiden] for a place holder.

I'm several characters and concept images through, but names are the one hurdle I can't seem to leap.

How do YOU name your characters? In your advice, tell me if you're a writer or not, professional or not, and/or college educated or not.

Generally
For first name
- Artanis (character from StarCraft)
- Some anagram of Artanis Eg. Nataris
- A name out of Norse Myth, usually Odin
- One of the Archangels/angels from Christian Mythos, My favorite being Azrael for a male, and Uriel for a female

For a Last Name
- Usually Neravar (Character from Morrowind mythos)
- Or I randomly string letters together, Eg. Northis, Minateck

 

[Forlorn Guardian]

For games I have a mismatch of names for different genres, settings, genders and personalities. I just switch around forenames and surnames. If the character has been given a name in some sort of tie-in (such as the MCs of Persona 3 and Suikoden 4) then I will use that name instead.

If I'm writing my own material then I try and make the name sound realistic for its setting. If the character is an supposed to be an ordinary person then I will give them a common, conventional name. If I want my character to stand out then I will give them a suitably outlandish and striking name.

 

[Romblen]

I have no creativity when it comes to names that people in the US actually have, so I usually just take the name of a fantasy/scifi character, then just start switching letters around at random, it takes a while but I get a few good names,

 

[kittii-chan 300]

latin makes everything sound epic IMO. in my previous attempts at writing all characters have been ariants of real-life freinds and they have picked their own names.

 

[InsanelyZanter]

I just look up uncommon, but believable names that fit the character's personality.

Also, look at characters with a similar personality as yours. seeing a few examples helps me pick something suiting.

 

[teqrevisited]

I usually try to relate the name to the area that they are from. There's no definite method but it boils down to not naming someone from an indigenous island tribe "Fred". Unless, of course, the resulting effect is intentional.