Just found this — http://www.20000-names.com
Just found this — http://www.20000-names.com
The U.S. Census bureau routinely lists the 100/1000 most common names (first & last, male and female, for each decade, broken down by race. Unfortunately, they keep moving the page location, making it utterly unreliable. However, the are several minor 3rd-party sites that repost the info, so a quick Google search turns them up.
There are also various baby-naming sites which explain name origins and meanings, across the world, if you want to get creative with cute, descriptive names.
I tend to use variations of these frequently when constructing characters, especially any non-native foreign nationals.
There are also some decent random name generators out there.
http://random-name-generator.info/
This one will give you an number of names at one time and you can pick on or just use the list for inspiration.
http://www.behindthename.com/random
This one is good if you need a name for a specific ethnicity or to fit a specific context.
I always have trouble with names! I'm forever googling things like
"Popular Irish names" and the like.
I always avoid 'popular' names. I don't want a bunch of Sam Smiths. I want unique, but standard names, names which are both natural and expected, just not Mr. & Mrs. Chin variants.
That's why I rely on census data. Rather than taking the top name, I run down the list, picking maybe the #23rd first name and the twelfth last name, which form a pleasing combination on their own. Thus I'm not expecting something to GIVE me a name, instead I want to construct a semi-legitimate name, one which is still easy to differentiate.
That's why I rely on census data. Rather than taking the top name, I run down the list, picking maybe the #23rd first name and the twelfth last name
That's a very good idea, actually. If I try that, I'll go to the 1000'th name, just to avoid coming up a name you used!
I sometimes garb random books to look for names. I won't say which story, but I even used a name of a guy I used to work for. He was a creep!
LOL
I spelled his name different though, just in case.
I sometimes garb random books to look for names. I won't say which story, but I even used a name of a guy I used to work for. He was a creep!
That's actually not that unusual. I sometimes grab names out of our local paper, which has a very small circulation, when a name captures my imagination. It's less work, and the names are even more naturally sounding. Unfortunately, it's not as reliable, so I don't depend on it but keep a separate list of 'names to use' list.
I went through a couple of name lists and created an Excel spreadsheet containing over 2200 names, first and last - about 1000 female and 1200 male.
If anyone wants a copy, contact me at REP1000@outlook.com.
Just found this — http://www.20000-names.com
Also, look at a team roster at a diverse school.
Ex.:
Olivia Kowong
Lily Garcia
Elena Huerta Chen
MyKinzie Fung
Caroline McFerron
Charlie Perl
Sean Padillo
Nicholas Chen
Ethan Tran
Caroline McFerron
Charlie Perl
I wouldn't use Caroline and Charlie in the same story. They share way too much visual space. People read names like they recognize faces so try to diversify them to keep them apart. Elena and Ethan are also close (and the same number of letters.)
Not so bad, but if you've got 9 names, you have no excuse to start two names from the same letter. The worst I ever saw was a story called The Jilliad which had a Mark, Marcus, and Marcia and an Elsie and Elise. Elsie/Elise is easily the worst.
Not that I follow my own advice well, I had characters named Dean and Dashawn in Monkey Wrench.
You can also have names that share auditory space but not visual space: Sharon and Cheryl for instance. I'd try to avoid that too, but it comes up less often and is probably less bad.
Of course sometimes you want names to be similar or themed, twins for instance. I knew girls Alicia and Alanna growing up. I'd avoid having those names in my writing though, unless the character is "The twins" and not two characters.
Though I do want to make a pair of mad scientist twins named Ethyl and Ester.
Though I do want to make a pair of mad scientist twins named Ethyl and Ester.
Not Ethyl and Benzine...?
Or
Ethyl and Methyl...?
Not Polly and Ester - that would be too obviously manufactured ;)
Unless a Parrot appear in later chapters and the name is an Ester Egg....?
Not that I follow my own advice well, I had characters named Dean and Dashawn in Monkey Wrench.
"Dean" and "Dashawn" are visually different enough to not really be a problem, especially because Dean was usually "I"/"me" instead of "Dean".
The bigger problem was that there were just Too Many Girls. I think Zoe, Xiomara, Pat, Marin, and Wanda were the only ones I ever managed to keep straight.
The bigger problem was that there were just Too Many Girls. I think Zoe, Xiomara, Pat, Marin, and Wanda were the only ones I ever managed to keep straight.
Five out of fourteen is better than I had any right to expect. I was even frustrated in making sure I didn't just forget Andrea and Hannah existed.
That's why Blizzard has 3 female characters. And then I threw that lesson out the window for DPP and Price.
Ethyl and Methyl...?
If I was going to use the numbered prefixes I'd use them for the names of princes or princesses under a king. Methias, Ethan, Propero?, Butthead.
Not Polly and Ester - that would be too obviously manufactured ;)
Brava, mademoiselle. Brava.
I have twin cousins that were named Elaine and Aileen. After high school they went by their middle names which were slightly less confusing, Joan and Joyce.
I have twin cousins that were named Elaine and Aileen. After high school they went by their middle names which were slightly less confusing, Joan and Joyce.
Yeah, That's not so bad from a reading perspective. The E and A names differentiate enough visually but they do take up each other's auditory space, which is worse in real life.
Although this thread is called "Naming characters," I didn't start it to talk about that. Just to provide the link. But since that's where it's gone…
I named a character in my YA novel "Madison Lane." How'd I come up with it? I was taking a walk and saw a street sign called Madison Lane.
I named a character in my YA novel "Madison Lane." How'd I come up with it? I was taking a walk and saw a street sign called Madison Lane.
What happens when Madison Lane encounters a robbery on ... Madison Lane. More importantly, what happens if the attacker is Madison, and the victim is Lane?
I had an uncle Orvile who married a Myrtyl...
I also knew a Polly in college. these days no name really surprises me all that much.
I also knew a Polly in college. these days no name really surprises me all that much.
Because life is much more weird than fiction, a local farm is run by three siblings. Pepper, Flower and Jack. And yes, their surname really is Potts.
(I hate to think how they fared at school)
There is a guy here that is named Justin Case. Parents can be so cruel in what they tag their kids with. I had a Commander in the navy with the name Richard Head, and yes, he did go by Dick.
There is a guy here that is named Justin Case.
Someone who worked for me named her son Dustin. They called him Dusty. Last name was Graves. So he was Dusty Graves.
The woman in the hospital bed next to my wife's in the maternity ward waiting to have their C-sections was Mrs. Moss. She knew she was having a girl and had the name picked out. Mary Chris. So her daughter was Mary Chris Moss.
When I worked at American Express we used to see cardmember names. I once saw Donald Duck.
My friend's last name was May. His parents wanted to name his sister April. Thankfully they didn't (April May)
a local farm is run by three siblings. Pepper, Flower and Jack. And yes, their surname really is Potts.
Does Pepper have a boyfriend named Tony?
Does Pepper have a boyfriend named Tony?
Actually I think it would more likely be Tonya...
And yes, that is I gather what inspired the choice of name. Parents can be weird, or is it cruel..?
And yes, that is I gather what inspired the choice of name. Parents can be weird, or is it cruel..?
Most prefer the term 'quixotic'.
Because life is much more weird than fiction, a local farm is run by three siblings. Pepper, Flower and Jack. And yes, their surname really is Potts.
(I hate to think how they fared at school)
If Pepper got a doctorate, he would be a soft drink.
If Pepper got a doctorate, he would be a soft drink.
He would also be a post op transexual...
I understand that it is at times necessary to invent names for non-humans and such. However, it annoys me to no end when I see that the visitor from planet X has a name that can only be pronounced by someone skilled in fellating cacti.
If I can't pronounce a name or look it up, it throws me off every time I see it.
the visitor from planet X has a name that can only be pronounced by someone skilled in fellating cacti.
Slugs are very adept at fellating cacti - my seriously spiky specimens somehow ended up with slime trails on them - but I doubt slugs could pronounce alien names that defeat the human tongue ;)
AJ
but I doubt slugs could pronounce alien names that defeat the human tongue ;)
Perhaps, but maybe they could find employment as loadmaster on an alien craft. If aliens pronounce X as S...
...then the slugs would be...
...S Cargo handlers... :)
I understand that it is at times necessary to invent names for non-humans and such. However, it annoys me to no end when I see that the visitor from planet X has a name that can only be pronounced by someone skilled in fellating cacti.
If I can't pronounce a name or look it up, it throws me off every time I see it.
Yeah, I can't remember the story off the top of my head, but what kind of crazy planet has names like Siobhan, Ceilidh, Meabh, Niamh, or Saoirse?
Yeah, I can't remember the story off the top of my head, but what kind of crazy planet has names like Siobhan, Ceilidh, Meabh, Niamh, or Saoirse?
At least you can look the up in the Planet Wales pronunciation guide. ;)
In my newest book, Building a Nest of Our Own (not yet published, so it won't appear on SOL for some time), I used a variety of odd-ball alien names. For the repeating character, the other characters would routinely shorten it to a simpler 3-letter name which was easier to manage. But for one species, their language had NO vowel sounds, producing an aggressive, hostile sound. Unfortunately, when I ran it thru a speech generator for editing purposes, I learned that most speech generators for the visually impaired spell out such words, and there's no way (at least in ePubs) to dictate or suggest how the name is actually pronounced.
As a result, I went back and added a single vowel to those names, usually near the beginning, which was sufficient to force speach-readers to actually read the names, but it gave the species an odd fetish for the letter 'i'. :)
but it gave the species an odd fetish for the letter 'i'. :)
Are they from planet Apple? :)
I ran it thru a speech generator for editing purposes, I learned that most speech generators for the visually impaired spell out such words, and there's no way (at least in ePubs) to dictate or suggest how the name is actually pronounced.
Alright, speech generator for editing purposes? I have to do that. Also, I ought to start thinking about all of my stories that way. I don't think I've ever used alien names. I considered it for a high fantasy setting, but the strangest I came up with was Tibara and Imogan and I think people could figure a workable pronunciation out.
Alright, speech generator for editing purposes? I have to do that. Also, I ought to start thinking about all of my stories that way. I don't think I've ever used alien names. I considered it for a high fantasy setting, but the strangest I came up with was Tibara and Imogan and I think people could figure a workable pronunciation out.
It's a common editing technique, as you catch a lot of typos which would otherwise go unnoticed. Others have recommended it, but I held off for a long time, but it's just one among many steps. But it also gives you a better feel for how the narrative and dialogue sounds, so I found myself cutting a lot of extra text which didn't flow as smoothly as I'd like.
As far as the spelling go, I'm in a fairly unique situation. The previous book in the series features an intergalactic culture with species from thousands of worlds, who communicate via telepathy. When they venture into unexplored space, it takes a bit before the telepathy becomes effective, the strange but easily pronounceable nameshelp convey the limits of communicating with a new, hostile species.
And then you get reality, where it's common for two (or more) people with the same first name (or functionally the same) to encounter and interact with each other on a regular basis. Oyster handles that with names like Dan 2.0. In my experience, those people sometimes get nicknames or are permanently addressed by their first name/last name. Dan Hawthorn meet Dan Lasky etc.
I generally use phone books for last names. (I'd recommend NOT using the first and last n ame of the same person. There have been libel suits based on this.)
I've used the SS Admin list of popular first names by sex and year of birth. (Or decade of birth) It doesn't list race, and that sometimes worried me.
I've used the SS Admin list of popular first names by sex and year of birth. (Or decade of birth) It doesn't list race, and that sometimes worried me.
That's a separate SS (Nazis, Secret Service?) table for that, as I use it frequently. Is just like the ones you're using, but there are links on the side with various racial breakdowns.
(I'd recommend NOT using the first and last n ame of the same person. There have been libel suits based on this.)
Change the name in some fashion, for sure, but if the character can be recognized, through appearance, action, name, etc., there is still a libel risk, or so I read.
The customary disclaimer ("This is fiction, blah blah blah") does not provide absolute protection, apparently.
~ JBB
Change the name in some fashion
I don't think I ever came up with a character name that, when I googled it, didn't find someone with that name.
I don't think I ever came up with a character name that, when I googled it, didn't find someone with that name.
I've come up with a few. Perhaps more problematical is when you find exactly one person with that name, especially if the character is female and participates in adult activities ;)
AJ
Perhaps more problematical is when you find exactly one person with that name, especially if the character is female and participates in adult activities ;)
Don't most adult females engage in adult activities? It's the only fun part of Adulting!
Adulting
Is that like "adultery"?
Sorry, I should have provided some context. "Adulting" is a trending topic among the younger set whenever they complain of how difficult dealing with 'being an adult' is. Thus they post things like: "Missed posting my latest Cable bill, adulting is tough!"
Sorry, I should have provided some context. "Adulting" is a trending topic among the younger set whenever they complain of how difficult dealing with 'being an adult' is. Thus they post things like: "Missed posting my latest Cable bill, adulting is tough!"
Autopay? I can't remember the last time I paid a bill through the postal service or even thought about when bills were due. There's this thing called budgeting...but I digress.
I used 'adulting' to refer to sex in stuff I wrote for AWLL years ago and get a chuckle when it's used int he context you mention!
I used 'adulting' to refer to sex in stuff I wrote for AWLL years ago and get a chuckle when it's used int he context you mention!
Sorry, but how the hell do you use "adulting" in a sexual context, unless it's a pedophile suddenly fooling around with someone who's nearly 18?
Adult film, adult entertainment, adult content... Yes, how could making a verb of an adjective used as an euphemism for sexual be sexual in context? Quite the puzzler.
Sorry, but how the hell do you use "adulting" in a sexual context, unless it's a pedophile suddenly fooling around with someone who's nearly 18?
It was used by an eighteen-year-old who had been told from the time she was little, that only adults were allowed to have sex (despite the age of consent being less than eighteen). It was used as a 'cutesy' term.