Shakespeare said “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Would Ryder be as wickedly sexy if he had been named . . . Ralph?
Would Diana be as strong if she had been named . . . Dweezil?
One of the hardest things to do as a writer is to find the right name for a character. Something that matches their personality or creates an immediate impression in a reader’s mind.
How do you go about hitting on the right name? Research sometimes. There’s lots of great sites with the meanings of names. Here’s just a few of them:
20,000 Names — site with origins and meanings
American Names from the 18th and 19th Century
Hispanic Names from About.com
Sometimes you just hear a name and know it’s right. I oftentimes use names from mythology, like Diana. Many people have read Greek and Roman mythology and therefore have an immediate impression connecting one of those names with a certain type of character.
There is a Random Name Generator that some friends pointed me to for inspiration. You can click here for this in case you want to try it out.
And in case you’re working on a paranormal and are totally at a loss, here’s a fun way to maybe figure out some vampire names!
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Your Vampire Name Is… |
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