Beyond Fantasy Forum How do you choose your names?

What's a in a name?

My question to all of you out there is how do you create your fantasy character's names? Do you use a book --- or maybe one of them software programs that just scramble the words for you? Or how do YOU do it?

One of the ways that I pick names for any of my stories that I write is I scroll through the credits on movies. It's an interesting way to find name combos that go together that sound realistic for the most part. The movie that had a lot of interesting names was Underworld. But you can find them anywhere. I also use Baby name sites to find some interesting names. 

I've used movie credits as a way to brainstorm for names, too.  Better than most of those baby name books, which don't offer enough ethnic or historical variation.   A book like The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook is pretty useful, at least for starters.  Alas, it doesn't give adequate definitions of those names, but it does have a lot of variety:  Arabic, Celtic, Maori, Welsh, Old Norse...   I would NEVER use an online letter-scrambler thingie to create character names.

Sometimes I use a little Collins book on name meanings. Sometimes 'baby names' websites. Sometimes I use names from mythology. Sometimes I just make 'em up! :D Every now and then I just come up with a combination of letters and think: "That would make a great character name!" :D Also, sometimes unusual surnames can make good fantasy-type names. :) Hope this is helpful. :)

Since my novel takes place in an alternative world, a sort of medieval England if you will, I chose my names from a databank of traditional English names. For the fays of my novel, who are based on the Irish Tuatha Dé Danaan of the mythological histories, I use mythological Irish names, such as Cáel, Neasa, Morrighan, Rioghnach, and Cliodhna.

I have japanese names in my books becasue so my characters have meanings to them, I also do this to piss off my reads

I do search a lot before I name a character as I like my names to have the correct meaning but in the end I choose based on instict. What would fit best...

A friend suggested I consider using old celtic and old(e) English names - some fantastic medieval names out there.  My favourite became a key demonic figure in my writing - Filkyn - inspires all sorts of images just by reading it.

There are tons of different name generators out there, I sometimes use them as a starting point. 

Honestly?  I usually pull them out of old video games or out of thin air.

I pick my names by picking a letter and go through sounds until a name forms in my head, or if i'm working with a certain area i'll look up common and uncommon names from the area and chose one that seems to fit the charcter.

I usually use the baby names sites, especially the ones from Norway or Ireland, I also do research for old Celtic and such. When I did this name research I got horrified how unoriginal the writers like Tolkien were when it came to picking the names for the characters. Sometimes I combine two names to make them sound more original.

Try these sites, I like to mix things up using these: