love2write
10-05-2006, 02:37 PM
Charles Dickens has to be the master of character names. His ingenious way of naming characters brought his novels to life, and they are the most unique names in historical literature. I’ve often wondered how he came up with his character names, names such as Mr. Snottynose, Oliver Twist, and Wackford Squeers. Some of his characters were based on people Dickens knew, such as William Dorrit his father and Mrs. Nickelby his mother. Dickens' friend and biographer, John Forster, said Dickens made ‘characters real existences, not by describing them but by letting them describe themselves’.
When Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale, he borrowed the name James Bond from an American Ornithologist of the same name who wrote a classic field identification book. In 1952 at his home in Jamaica, Fleming searched for a name for his spy hero. He saw Dr. Bond’s book sitting on a shelf in his library and thus borrowed his name. He wanted his secret agent to have a name that was brief, unromantic yet very masculine.
Many Christian authors will use Biblical names to describe the traits of their characters, even in contemporary fiction. You may have read some of these novels and seen names such as Ethan (solid, enduring), Hannah (grace, favor) Sarah (princess or lady), or Seth (placed, appointed).
Aside from character names you may need a name for an estate in your story? There is no doubt the UK is the place to look for names of grand manors, only make a new one up for your book. Again, Dickens was a master at this. Names such as Bleak House reflect the mood of the book and the characters. Tara in Gone with the Wind means earth, and Irish word reflecting the love Scarlett’s family had for their land.
Whether you write historical or contemporary fiction, the following links will help inspire a number of names for your novel.
The Name Character Generator by Catherine Tudor: Read through the page. They have other links to acquiring names. http://www.prairieden.com/articles/character_names.php
Article on Fictional Character Names: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_character
Behind The Name: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/eng.php
Character Baby Names: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/character
Baby Names Searchable Database: http://www.babynames.com/Names/Alpha/?let=A
Castles of Britain: http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castle39.htm
Pictures of England: http://www.picturesofengland.com/
If in your book you have a dog, cat, or horse, here are some links to help you find names. In one of my novels I named the hero’s dog Toby, because Toby was my favorite dog growing up. My hero’s horse I named Meteor. He is a swift, strong steed, fearless in the midst of danger, and got my character where he needed to be. In my latest book my hero’s horse is named Jupiter, because the hero is at war with the antagonist and the circumstances surrounding him.
Names for dogs: http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/names/
Names for cats: http://www.terrific-cats.com/names/index.asp?letter=A
Names for horses: http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/horsenames/a.shtml
There are many other resources, but the greatest one of all is your own imagination. Think about your characters’ personalities, the location of your book, the plot and theme of your story. Putting these together can generate worthy names and make your characters and locations unforgettable.
When Ian Fleming wrote Casino Royale, he borrowed the name James Bond from an American Ornithologist of the same name who wrote a classic field identification book. In 1952 at his home in Jamaica, Fleming searched for a name for his spy hero. He saw Dr. Bond’s book sitting on a shelf in his library and thus borrowed his name. He wanted his secret agent to have a name that was brief, unromantic yet very masculine.
Many Christian authors will use Biblical names to describe the traits of their characters, even in contemporary fiction. You may have read some of these novels and seen names such as Ethan (solid, enduring), Hannah (grace, favor) Sarah (princess or lady), or Seth (placed, appointed).
Aside from character names you may need a name for an estate in your story? There is no doubt the UK is the place to look for names of grand manors, only make a new one up for your book. Again, Dickens was a master at this. Names such as Bleak House reflect the mood of the book and the characters. Tara in Gone with the Wind means earth, and Irish word reflecting the love Scarlett’s family had for their land.
Whether you write historical or contemporary fiction, the following links will help inspire a number of names for your novel.
The Name Character Generator by Catherine Tudor: Read through the page. They have other links to acquiring names. http://www.prairieden.com/articles/character_names.php
Article on Fictional Character Names: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_character
Behind The Name: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/eng.php
Character Baby Names: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/character
Baby Names Searchable Database: http://www.babynames.com/Names/Alpha/?let=A
Castles of Britain: http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castle39.htm
Pictures of England: http://www.picturesofengland.com/
If in your book you have a dog, cat, or horse, here are some links to help you find names. In one of my novels I named the hero’s dog Toby, because Toby was my favorite dog growing up. My hero’s horse I named Meteor. He is a swift, strong steed, fearless in the midst of danger, and got my character where he needed to be. In my latest book my hero’s horse is named Jupiter, because the hero is at war with the antagonist and the circumstances surrounding him.
Names for dogs: http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/names/
Names for cats: http://www.terrific-cats.com/names/index.asp?letter=A
Names for horses: http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/horsenames/a.shtml
There are many other resources, but the greatest one of all is your own imagination. Think about your characters’ personalities, the location of your book, the plot and theme of your story. Putting these together can generate worthy names and make your characters and locations unforgettable.