How to create STRONG character names | Writers Start Here

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Sketch - 00:00
Bad Names - 02:01
Totally Flat Names - 04:25
MC Main Character’s Hit Track - 04:45
Regularly Scheduled Programming - 05:30
On the Nose - 06:08
Bad Spelling - 07:50
Good Names - 08:42
Names from Translation - 12:29
Use Nicknames - 15:09
Fantasy and Scifi - 17:51

[dillonlong]

I'm convinced you're just using this channel to soft launch your rap career.

[kjlucky]

I typically throw 5-7 metal pipes down a set of stairs and name my characters off the sound that makes

[anok]

I love it when authors be like:
"Q'äe'vïn'n, it's pronounced Kevin"
😂

[shhinysilver]

Whatever you do, don’t name a disabled person “Abel walker”

[KarenSDR]

My workplace once hired a motivational speaker whose name was, I kid you not, "Ben Dover." I thought "This has to be a joke, " but no one ever made any reference to it or even cracked a smile.

[isa-belva]

i stay and watch the credits of almost every movie/tv show i watch to steal real people's names

[SOBEKCrocodileGod]

Two things I just wanna say:

1. “Kat” is one of the most overused names ever. Especially for characters who are meant to be somewhat rebellious

2. You can name a character “Alice” WITHOUT TRYING TO SHOEHORN IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND REFERENCES AND PARALLELS AND METAPHORS. Y’all know it was a name before that book, right?

[kasagure.]

i'm sorry, but nothing will ever top the perfection of Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way

[mayagonzalez]

Personally my favorite fictional character name is Tony Hawk

[nightcatssketchbook]

The way I’ve named all my characters is giving them the first one that comes to mind and calling it a “placeholder” that “I’ll definitely change later” (it hasn’t changed in 6 years)

[joshuajarret]

No writer will ever beat the incredible naming that gave us Karl Carl from Phineas and Ferb

[Maerahn]

Often its not just what a character's name is, but what version of that name the character prefers to go with that speaks volumes about their character. It's very common for characters who prefer to use the version of their name with a 'y' or 'ie' sound at the end to do so because they want to be perceived as younger and more 'fun, ' (Danny/Danni, Billy, Robbie, ) for those who prefer the shortest version to be seen as mature and no-nonsense (Dan, Bill, Rob) and those who prefer the full, formal version to want people to see them as more serious and intellectual (Daniel/Danielle, William, Robert.)

[coralhayward]

Ok but Peeta is a variant of Peter which means Rock. Pita is a kind of bread.

[BlipInTheCode]

It'd be funny to give the side characters the most hardcore and amazing names possible and then the main character's name is just Guy

[Fabulist]

The names in The Hunger Games of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Wotshisface (I forget what it is) was a reaction to every making dumb portmanteau names of couples. “Bennifer” and all that. When you do that with those names, you get either Katpee or Penis. It’s kind of a brilliant meta-commentary on society in a book that’s a commentary on society.

[Cotfi]

I've been cheating my language learning. I run a D&D game where my NPCs are named for relevant vocabulary I'm trying to learn. So, the lich in the library is named Toshokan the Learned. It felt silly at first, but then I watched Frieren and felt totally justified.

[ericdutton]

Robert Jordan used a telephone book when writing The Wheel of Time. He would randomly open the book and slap his finger down and then slightly mutate the name. Rand al'Thor was Randall Thorsen.

[Behold-my-brainworms]

21:29 fun note here- atreides isn’t just a fun fantasy name, it’s a reference to Greek mythology! The atreides were the sons of Atreus, Menelaus and Agamemnon, and their family is famously incredibly cursed. I mean, they managed to get their entire bloodline cursed multiple times. I’m not just pointing this out to “uhm actually ☝️🤓”, but because I think historical and mythological references are another amazing tool- especially in fantasy and sci fi, where you can get away with stranger and more archaic names and it provides a bit more depth and context (plus a fun reference for nerds like me lol)

[Grenchify]

The kiki/bouba effect is another good naming practice. Basically auditory character design. People were shown 2 shapes, one a bunch of spikes and the other a rounded blob, and asked which one was kiki and which one was bouba. Vast majority named the spiky shape kiki and the round shape bouba. It’s a great example of how we associate sounds with visuals and traits. We can do the same experiment with characters instead of shapes. Character 1 is lean and thin, clever, and quick. Character 2 is hulking, fat, quiet, and gentle. Kiki feels better for 1, bouba feels better for 2. They can be switched for subversion too.
Personally, I like this method for stories that use modern American naming more than using names with meanings that align with the personality. It’s less on the nose. Also for stories where I haven’t decided on cultural naming practices.

[intellectually_lazy]

sometimes for antagonists, i borrow parts of names of people i don't like