Writing a Novel: the Importance of Naming Characters

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”

I'm quite sure that when William Shakespeare wrote this line in Romeo and Juliet he was not referring to the sometimes torturous task of naming the characters in your novel.

There are some general rules to naming characters that I've learned while working on my current manuscript Wool and White Feathers.

How to Name Characters

1. Make the character's name memorable but not difficult There is a balance between making sure you character's name isn't so mundane that it's forgettable (ever had that experience when you're telling a friend about a book you're reading but can't remember the lead character's name?) and making it so outlandish that the reader struggles to pronounce it and it disrupts the flow of reading with every mention. TIP: Try searching Google for the most common female/male names in the time period your book is set. Steer clear of those.
   

2. Ensure character names 'fit' As a historical fiction writer I had to ensure that my names were relevant for the time periods that my novel is set in. I had to identify a series of character names that were realistic for the period of 1915-1918 in Brisbane, Australia and a second series of character names that would suit characters living in the same location in 1995. Period names can be tricky. Google can be helpful. I was also lucky enough to find a disc (yes, disc) with the phone book records of Brisbane in 1914. Of course, I had to purchase a disc reader for my Mac to be able to view it, but it was very helpful. For the 90's characters, Google and my own friendship group were my go-to. TIP: Search phone books, old school year books or even asks relatives who were the age of your character in that era the names of school friends. You can also try online tools such as this one. Personally, I've never used one of their suggestions, but they have spurred my own thoughts and brought me to character names I've landed on.
   

3. Make character names distinct from each other Ensure you don't have two character names that start with the same letter as, no matter how different the personalities of the characters are, readers will likely get their names mixed up. Also be careful that you don't inadvertently name two characters after beloved cartoon personalities like I did. Seriously, I had named two male characters that my lead character works with Tom and Jerry without realising it. One of the writers in my group pointed it out in feedback. TIP: Put all your character names in one list and make sure none are too similar.
   

4. Use character names to give meaning to your characters Every name that I've come across has an origin story, usually with an applied meaning. My name, Kim, for example has English origins and meanings linked to royalty - royal fortress or meadow. This can give your characters an extra dimension and increase symbolism depending on how you use it. In my manuscript I also chose a name for my lead character that could be shortened. I've used this as a mechanism to show the tiny group of people she trusts. TIP: name origins and meanings are easy to search through Google.

My Main Character Naming Journey

My biggest character naming battle was with the 1995 lead character. She's a feisty, independent woman of 32 years of age who holds her cards close to her chest.

I originally named her May. Why? It was purely to pay homage to my mother - it's her middle name. There was no other strategic reason for this name.

When I starting working with a group of writers in the Australian Writers Centre's course Edit Your Novel one of the first points of feedback I received was that they didn't like the name May. It conjured up thoughts of a woman much older than my character. It was the right 'fit'.

Next I moved on to the name Jessica. It fit the time, had some significance in terms of meaning 'vision' and I liked that I could play around with nick names to demonstrate my character's trust levels. However, this name too fell flat with my audience. After analysing why I think it was perhaps too common place. The others in my group all had memories of someone they knew by the name of Jessica from school etc so they already had connotations attached to it that were strong.

So I landed on Charlotte. Charlotte means 'free man' which I loved because my character is fiercely independent and the 'man' part of the meaning is a little tongue-in-cheek for me because female oppression and feminism are two strong themes in my novel. It fits the time period, isn't too common but also not too outlandish, is easy to read, not too similar to any other character names and I can shorten it to Charlie.

It was a hit with my writers' group.

I look forward to introducing you all to Charlotte soon. May you feel close enough to her that she would let you call her Charlie.