On naming the main character/point of view characters

[ElijahRyne]

I really have a dislike of reading stories where the MC has my name, so I try to avoid popular names when coming up with a mc’s name. So instead I try to string together random syllables until it sounds like a name, I used to translate two words into two different languages and try to mash them together, I.E Gullnain = gold river, but that has always been hit and miss for me.

What about you? Does reading a story where the MC shares your name bother you? How do you come up with your character names, or names in general. Are you like me where you hold off naming characters for as long as possible?

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Does reading a story where the MC shares your name bother you?

Nope.

How do you come up with your character names, or names in general?

Random thinking. The one that sticks is the one I get. I do away with character names that has meaning related to the work.

Are you like me where you hold off naming characters as long as possible?

Depends on my situation. If I intend to keep the character a mystery for long, I do so.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

For fantasy names just mash your keyboard and add a masculine or feminine sounding suffix to the end.

Baltia Baltor Balithil Balithar

Derivia Derivor Derithil Derithar

Something like that

 

[Jemini]

Funny story. The protagonists in my first 2 stories were named using my own created language. The protagonist in my most recent story I'm getting close to release-ready status with was named something that nobody in their right mind would ever name a child, and that's actually a significant point in the story. (Also a bit of a jab at people who name their kids odd things or cringe names based on words in other languages).

Her name is nothing inappropriate. Her legal name is "Nanoko," which literally translates to "little girl" in Japanese. Exactly the sort of thing an English speaker might think sounds loving or kind, but if heard by a Japanese person it would be so beyond cringe that they'd feel the parents ought to be charged with some kind of crime that would definitely include child abuse for giving their daughter a name like that.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I really have a dislike of reading stories where the MC has my name

So have you read the Book of kings (Bible) where your name came from? I have one of the top 15 names in the world, so I've gotten used to reading about legendary people with my name.

 

[Deleted member 148356]

I don't have problem with my name on them.
Except if the story is set in Chinese but all character has English name rubs me off.
Can be any region but if the names is outside local... ye its hard for me to read.

Names with no meaning is usually my thing.
Borrow tones of Chinese then think of weird sounds.
Sometimes meaning is included but I cut it off, mix or mush it.

The names can be recalled of certain thing similar to Chinese.
This creature is small and round so lets call it Xiaojiaozi(Small Dumpling).
In the real world thats a bad name, but in fiction can be anything.

Good and bad quality, object, animal... DaySloth, AdmiringMental, HeavenSwan.

'Nicknames are given' thread, go check it out~

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The first few times I ran into versions of my name in a story, it seemed a little awkward - but not as awkward as opening the newspaper to the comic strip section and seeing my full name in Peanuts, so I got over it fast.

As for naming characters... if they're in the real world, they get mostly realistic names - David or Jack or Kelly or James or Donna or Linda. Things like that. Usually something with a K, a J or a D in it somewhere; not sure why just always have done that.
For fantasy stuff, I just go with what "feels" right. Most of the time it seems to work - even more with naming characters in the Star Wars universe (seriously back when I was regularly involved with a group that did adventures for the old Star Wars Role Playing Game, I had a few scenario authors literally come up to me and say "I need a name for a Human Outlaw/Alien Student of the Force/Dark Jedi and usually had something in a few seconds; guess my mind still works like a seven year old boy, since that is allegedly where George Lucas got a lot of his names - from his then seven-year-old son).

 

[Deleted member 76176]

Well, I suppose it can be awkward, but nothing to an extreme degree to be worth making a note. I'd be unashamed to admit there are bunch of characters there with my name or similar enough to my name whom I really liked and thus have had influenced me regarding how I should behave. Something about names carrying expectations and influencing your behavior.

I need names to work with the conception of the characters—not something I can delay, unfortunately. However, being creative enough to be capable of generating them efficiently is a different matter entirely.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

The last person who has shared my name I met roughly two thousand years ago so no

 

[theInmara]

Our current name is echoed only in Basque and ancient Scots Gaelic, so we're not likely to see it in any English fiction not written by ourselves.

But, we have always loved it when we've seen one of our names used by any character, whether it's a given name, nickname, legal name, chosen name, or headmate's name. In real life, our old given name was shared by so many classmates, we felt like we were part of a team. And when we encountered a character with that name, we just saw them as part of the same team. It always felt cool.

So, really, when we can use a common name for our MC, we feel like we're doing some other reader out there a service and giving them a namesake they can be proud of.

 

[Astrolust]

I always just name a character that im gonna write out a million times something easy to write. Id lose my mind if it was something long winded or hard to spell.

 

[cabbag3]

What about you? Does reading a story where the MC shares your name bother you? How do you come up with your character names, or names in general. Are you like me where you hold off naming characters for as long as possible?

My names are so generic that authors would never use them. LOL And no, my name's not Muhammad.
So I guess I haven't really read a novel where the MC has my names since it's popular.

Characters having the same birthday as me on the other hand makes me happy idkw.

 

[Jocelyn_Uasal]

I don't really mind seeing my name written, though it depends on what I'm reading. Finished a steamy gay romance recently that had another Jocelyn, and it really made it hard to ignore

All the names in all of my stories are just regular joe shmoe folks though, stuff like Elizabeth, John, Meredith. Old white people names, mostly

 

[LilRora]

Depending on the character (primarily whether it's a human or not), I usually either look for real names that aren't obscure nor particularly popular that fit my character, or mull random strings of letters in my head until I get one I like.

 

[QuercusMalus]

I really have a dislike of reading stories where the MC has my name, so I try to avoid popular names when coming up with a mc’s name.

What about you? Does reading a story where the MC shares your name bother you? How do you come up with your character names, or names in general. Are you like me where you hold off naming characters for as long as possible?

No. I have a very, very uncommon name (I won't share because it is so uncommon you could actually find me with very little difficulty), but it is close to the spelling of a much more common name.
I joke that if I ever found one of those souvenir items with my name on it, I would have to buy it, no matter what it was.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Whatever method you use to come up with names, do a quick Google search to make sure they don't have any unintended double meanings.

(glares at Toke from Juryokine)

 

[2wordsperminute]

Couldn't escape from hearing about people with my name in history class, doesn't really bother me but I also don't see it that often. When naming characters, I really just think of random names or even syllables until something sounds right. If it's a made up name, I put it into Google translate on detect language just to see if it's a real word. Hasn't happened yet, but if it does I'll change it. And if a character doesn't appear for more than one chapter? No point in giving them a name 90% of the time.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Whatever method you use to come up with names, do a quick Google search to make sure they don't have any unintended double meanings.

(glares at Toke from Juryokine)

Or to run with it if they do and you can make use of it... :D (Never thought of checking on Google for some of mine... but then a few were created in the hopes of selling the story to Pocket FM, just to see how badly the AI readers mangle them... :D)

 

[QuercusMalus]

I know I have posted this before but I use this site alot for naming characters: https://www.behindthename.com/