How do you name your characters?

[Jay_Quessir]

I name mine in 1 or 2 ways. Mostly just 1.

I will look at all the books on my shelf, stand about 10 feet away, and point my finger at the center. I start swaying my arm around and around and then stop. Keep my eyes closed, and walk towards the bookshelf. The first ime my finger touches something, I open my eyes and that is the first letter of the name.
I repeat this until I get a letter that matches. (such as a vowel or a matching constanent(sp?).

THe other way is by thinking of whatever i did that day, in sequence and then taking the first or last letter of the verbs and scrambling them into a name.

Awaken , Eat, Run, School, Eat, School, Ride , Swim, Nap, Awaken, Online, Sleep

School, Eat, Run, Awaken, nap, Online = Serano
Ride, Eat, Swim, awaken, Sleep = Resas

Serano Resas. I then modify the words so that they look right.

Sirano Reesas

[Keita]

I just sit down and think them up! Sometimes I'll borrow names from other books I've read or I'll take an ordinary word and try to come up with rhymes to that word (sometimes I get lucky, sometimes not). I'll also mix up letters from words (or names) or add letters to words, then scramble them: Gould (a common second name)--->Gould'riss---->Guldhriss---->Sirghul and so on....

Mostly I just think them up! :)

[AnnMarie]

Depends on what type of story I'm working on. If it's a historical piece, I research the popular names from the era. If it's Sci FI or fantasy, I may combine names, or I'll change spellings of names. And I have to admit, I LOVE all the Baby Name books I collect.

[McClance]

For Human names:

I keep a "Names for Babies" book nearby and I look for a name that sounds appropriate. Coming up with last names, I may do several things: put two short words together (Example: thorn & berry = Mr. Thornberry), or I let something roll off my tongue (that's how I came up with "McClance")

For alien names:

I may let something roll off my tongue, but I also think up some rules for a particular race. For example, I have one race of which every male name ends with "-sk" and every female name ends with "-skan".

I also take at least two Human first names and jam them together, mixing up the letters in the process. Example: Franz & Joseph = Fraseph, Josanz, Frasenz, Jranseph.

I do that with my Dragon names except I add something else:

For male Dragons: I scramble two or three Human names, add "V" at the beginning, "es" at the end, and "th" somewhere in between. Ex: Varthikes, Vethes, Vranthes, Vosethes.

For my female Dragons: Scramble two or three Human names, add "S" at the beginning, "ing" at the end, and "ph" somewhere between. Ex: Shevaliphing, Slezaphing, Sranphing, Sojephing.

:)

[Anareth]

In some cases (Alan and Elaine, for example) they just come with the name, no effort needed. Some (Jozef, Theodora, Nadia) get names that I happen to be into at the time. And some characters (Juliet, Val, Nicodemus) require agonizing on my part and much scouring of baby-name books and phone directories.

And for RP...heh. Kasi, R'ven, and S'vrel were just kind of...who they always were, as are Kasi and R'ven's dragons, Anareth and Cadranth. S'vrel's dragon Eligath is named for a character in Tim Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology, with his name dragon-ized. Eliara, Alavid, and V'tine are Pern-ized versions of Elaine, Alan, and Val, and V'tine's dragon Nicodeth is Nicodemus with a species change. ;)

[Shalyn]

Like AnneMarie said - depends on the story.

I love the baby names book, or I have several websites I go to for meanings of words. I'm working on a story that takes place by the ocean, and water has a lot to do with it. Therefore, my protagonist has a name that can be associated with water. (well, according to one site. But I liked the name.) Her best friend's name is associated with the earth. I've already started thinking of a story starring her, when I haven't gotten the first one written.

I also like word scramblers. I have a world that color is a major part of, so the major cities are named by scrambling different hues of red, or blue, or yellow.

I also look at the list of employees in my company. I work at a very large firm, and there are about 30,000 employees. Names abound!!!!

[Greenrider Tresa]

I have several babyname sites that I investigate, usually checking for rare names. Sometimes I go for meanings, and maybe change the spelling a bit. I picked Z'rian because I wanted a 'z' name. Kenyichi is a combo of pars of real names.
When I just need a quick name for an NPC or a minor character in non-Rp stories, I use a name generator or type random characters and alter them so they're pronouncable.

For dragons, I either just pick whatever pops into my head, take a word in another language and smack 'th' on the end, or use a fantasy name generator. Ex: Yama means 'mountain' = Yamath. Aurora-Auroroth, who just happens to be gold...Chakulth: popped into my head. Nalaverth: name generator.


Very rarely, I just go and use actor's names on those occasions when a character (usually rider) is based on a real person in appearance. Ex: Raneyn/Erreath - Kerry Weaver/Laura Innes from ER.


Tresa

[Zei]

I go here (http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/Names.htm) and look up names. It is a great, GREAT resource.

[Bronze-Dragonrider]

I used to simpley look through a baby name book until I came across something I liked, but now I shall be using Zei's link. Thanks! :good:

[Maira]

omg Zei that site is wonderful! I just bookmarked it, thanks so much for sharing!

[Feena_bronze_rider]

Hmmm.... I never really give much thought about it. Well sort of. I think about what names I've used and what names I like! I'm stuck on using names with the letter K or S as the first letter right now!

[Monkeysrule]

Before I began the DRoP books, I was planning a short story (The Wolf Monkey Adventures, actually...) and decided to use names that are random and not the names we know, but actually sound like they sould be real names. It wasn't until I read the DRoP books that I realized AMC does exactly the same thing. Some names are actually repeated, such as Gorby and Leef (what are the odds of that?), and it turns out many of the ways of life for the wolf monkeys (a fictional creation) were very similar to AMC's.

[Bamy]

I will either see something and think - That would make a cool name - such as recently when doing a geography assignment in drawing an isoline map of Kenya I thought the names - Lodwar, Garissa, Magadi, Makindu, Narok, Marsabit, Lamu and Nyeri are all good names - they are all towns in Kenya.


the other way I get names is taking a word and reversing it - More= Erom.

[Monkeysrule]

I also use real names and change them around a bit. Then I discovered AMC does similar (like probably how she came up with names like Timiny, Menolly, Sallah, etc. but that's just what I think) Sucks, donit?

[Feena_bronze_rider]

I also use a lot of Latin words, Tempra=Time for a mage or Flora=nature for an elf.

[NeouofPern]

I'll look at a word on my desk. Great. Kaiser. Another word, from somewhere else. Devil. Combine the two. Viola.

[glainfach]

Here is another great site for finding names:

Random Name Generator (http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm)

The more fantasy oriented the story is the higher you should set the obscurity factor, but be careful, anything over 90 will give you a list of extremely ethnic American names. Try it, you'll see what I mean.

[Monkeysrule]

The link doesn't work on my computer. It just keeps loading and loading and loading and loading...

[Falcon Muse]

I mostly use whatever comes to mind, though my first two characters(currently on 'vacation') were rather obvious; twins Fulcarea (Falcon) and Dracodia (Dragon). Their cousin is Elysium. Original, right? :roll: And then there were Kirin and Jacob, come to think of it... *shakes head*

I've twenty-five characters currently in use and my others are, I would like to think, a bit more unique.

[Levallia]

Falcon Muse, did you know that "kirin" is the Japanese word for unicorn? I do that a lot too; think of a name and then find out it's already been done, but as long as no one really owns it why not use it? I do try though, and have managed to come up with some originals (at least I hope :roll: ). I'm working on a trilogy right now, I've got the prologue done and need to get into the chapters. I think I'm going to write the second book first (it was going to be the first, but then I decided to write one about the main character's parents that would better explain who she is and how she got where she is, but that would ruin all the best surprises so I might just make that one a prequil after I write the others but then I have to come up with another one for the trilogy :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: ). I've been working the story out in my mind for years, it just doesn't look right in writing. Do ya'll confuse yourselves this badly when writing or is it just me? :roll:

[Falcon Muse]

Falcon Muse, did you know that "kirin" is the Japanese word for unicorn?

Actualy, that's precisely why I named her Kirin; she has the abbility to shape-shift into one, and I didn't have the creativity to give her a different name at the time :roll:

I'm roleplaying my characters so I can build up their society and histories before plunging into the writing. If any one's interested, take a peak at my website to see my characters, etc. The 'Worlds' page needds updating as it only has information on Caeddrhy, which I happen to be focusing on mostly.

[Monkeysrule]

I really like how JKRowling names her characters. Other than the "normal" names (Harry Potter, for instance), she thinks of clever latin "forshadowing" names. Lupin, for example, obviously means wolf-like, and it forshadows what he really is. Ditto for Sirius and others.

[rider_of_the_last_queen]

I name mine in 1 or 2 ways. Mostly just 1.

I will look at all the books on my shelf, stand about 10 feet away, and point my finger at the center. I start swaying my arm around and around and then stop. Keep my eyes closed, and walk towards the bookshelf. The first ime my finger touches something, I open my eyes and that is the first letter of the name.
I repeat this until I get a letter that matches. (such as a vowel or a matching constanent(sp?).

THe other way is by thinking of whatever i did that day, in sequence and then taking the first or last letter of the verbs and scrambling them into a name.

Awaken , Eat, Run, School, Eat, School, Ride , Swim, Nap, Awaken, Online, Sleep

School, Eat, Run, Awaken, nap, Online = Serano
Ride, Eat, Swim, awaken, Sleep = Resas

Serano Resas. I then modify the words so that they look right.

Sirano Reesas

I should actually try that once or twice. All I do is think of the names that I've seen in books and try to mix them up until I like the effect and the way the name sounds. Ya know?

[Bane]

I normally ust sit and think. Sometimes I get lucky.

When I don't get lucky, I take a friends name and modify it.

Holly <> Holesan <> Holet <> Jollam <> and son and so forth.

I have a lot of very patient and nice friends.

Now, if that desn't work:
I get online and look up baby names and take one those and modify it:

Bree <> Breeana <> B'ree <> Bretna?

Yeah, sometimes it doesn't always work. Other times I sit in front of the computer until something comes to mind. Then I use that. Then, I have to write it down somewhere so I don't forget it. That's normally what happens when I name creatures...

[AnnMarie]

I will admit, for the story I am working on now, I've used a few methods: the link Zei posted, the names that presented themselves with the main two characters, AND one Anne herself used: The online monikers of some of my friends.....

[Harper X]

I randomly put down a weird name and I go with tha usually takes 2 seconds