What's in a Name?

with Karen M. Davis

Choosing names for your main characters is very important, so it's necessary to get it right. Of course choosing a name is a personal choice. I figure since I'm going to be typing my main character's name an awful lot during the writing process I may as well like it. I also think it helps to endear the character to the reader if they have a pleasant name. The same could be said for an unlikeable character – I like to give them an unpleasant name to suit their personality.

I like a strong, masculine name for a hero and nice feminine name for a heroine. Having a heroine named Gertrude would certainly put me off, as would a hero named Eugene. (No offence meant to the Gertrudes and Eugenes of the world...it's just a personal thing.) I don't like it when characters have similar-sounding names like Molly, Dolly and Holly. It can become confusing.


Another thing that can become confusing is having too many characters' names starting with the same initial, such as Bill, Ben, Bob, Bernie. Names also need to apply to the age and class of the character. Clearly the names Joan or Shirley would be more suited to a 60-year-old woman rather than a newborn baby. The same applies in reverse. A newborn may be called Summer or Indigo, but it would not fit well with an older lady.  Though of course some names are recycled and come back into fashion. Others are eternal and could fit any age, such as Elizabeth and William.

Be careful not to have a character's name too similar to a known personality or actor. Or a last name that will be associated with a TV show or movie e.g. Brady (The Brady Bunch) or Gilmour (The Gilmour Girls). I did this unintentionally when writing Sinister Intent. I used a little-known actress's name for one of my characters, although I didn't realise this until it was pointed out to me by my editor. I had never heard of the actress (or so I thought); the name just popped into my head. Although I have to wonder if I had heard her name before but my subconscious conceded that I'd come up with it myself?

In Jennifer Bacia's book, Creating Popular Fiction, she talks about choosing the right combination of names for characters. She suggests making sure last names match with the first name, and to keep in mind that first names capable of abbreviation should still sit well with the chosen surname (otherwise Gerald Perry will end up as Gerry Perry). She warns to employ unusual names with care. They can give a character distinctiveness but can also detract from the authenticity of the character if they are too outlandish, are hard to pronounce or have confusing spelling. Long names or tongue twisters can become tiresome and annoying and can give the appearance of being artificial and contrived. 

Author Tara Moss has a strong lead character in her Makedde Vanderwall series. Yes, the name is a mouthful, however she is referred to as Mak, which makes it much easier to read but also keeps the name distinctive, I think. I suppose the same could be said for a plain name like Jane or Anne, or extremely common names like Sarah and John. Do they suit a strong feisty character or would they be more suited to a minor character? Or do you give a minor character that might only appear once or twice a name at all? Can they just be referred to as "the secretary", or "the workman"?

I think discussing the topic of choosing characters' names could go on forever. However, at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice, the time frame being written about, and common sense. Though knowing a few basic tips on what might work better and what might not certainly can’t hurt.
 

What do you think?

I love to love this summer weather so I can lie by the pool and read to my heart's content...

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Karen is the author of Sinister Intent and Deadly Obsession.