Character Names

[Revolushion]

I love making up names sometimes. It's hella fun. xD
I usually do that for demon or other non-human characters of mine. And I've done the same thing with nick-names. xD

I've seen that a lot too. Though it doesn't seem to be quite as common in western culture. I personally think it's cool, but Thirteen doesn't seem to find it neat at all. xD

Celery? D; Oh dear... that poor kid!

[Juneberry]

Hehe, I would love that character. Because...Thirteen is my lucky number. But at the same time, I can definitely see why the fellow with the name wouldn't like to. Normal people think that number is a bad omen. Which also adds to the character, I bet.

Yeah, I mostly make up names randomly for non-human characters...But i have quite a few that aren't human, so that makes it easy to do that. I try to make them somewhat similar if they're from the same planet or species, but it doesn't always work. I have a catlike character whose last name has 'nyan' in it just to be a pun...Because I couldn't decide on a name for her for a while.

Sometimes, I still call my characters by their nicknames more than their real names and feel bad that they got names and I don't actually refer to them that way half the time. I put so much though into their names, and I think of them by nickname instead anyway. Is that sad?

[Revolushion]

... Ok, you're starting to freak me out. xD MY lucky number has always been thirteen. Every friday the 13th I've encountered has had something amazing happen, etc. You're too awesome. xD

And yes, it does. Thirteen is known as a trouble maker, and even though he does start trouble it mostly just finds him. xD And people don't really like having him around... save for his girlfriend, of course.

I find at least half of my characters aren't human. xD I really love my fantasy genre... xD
I love that. "Nyan". xD

And that's not sad at all! Nicknames are addictive. Trust me. Most of my characters don't even know some other character's names because they only use the nickname. xD

[Juneberry]

We must be twins or something. Because that sounds just like me, the Friday the 13th thing.

And same, fantasy is fun. It gives a lot of leeway, and is just generally easy to work with. But it's also good if you have a mind that goes absolutely wild.

Oh boy, that's actually a common issue for one of my characters. His name is Sayaku, but people who know him well always call him Saya. So, people start automatically thinking that's his name, and when someone asks for Sayaku once in a blue moon, everyone else has no idea he's the one being asked for.

Ironically, the person who would likely do that had a similar issue. Eheh ^^; It really impacted their relationship and those around them.

[Revolushion]

I am totally ok with being twins. We should make a club. Get jackets. <3

It is fun! And my mind is constantly running wild, inventing things and figuring out fake science... so it's a rather perfect genre. xD

Pfft, I love characters like that. It's so much fun. Especially when everyone's staring blankly and asking, "Who?" xD

I bet it did. It usually does...

[Juneberry]

Fake science makes for interesting things. And fake names make for interesting looks when you talk about your characters to other people. "So Pupokio did this, and then..." "What are you even talking about?"

Names are really awesome. I love names and how they affect stories. And now, the topic comes round circle somehow~

[Revolushion]

Fake Science is a blast to try and explain. And I love doing that too... people just stare at you like you're insane, and it's awesome. xD

It usually does. Circles are good shapes. Especially for conversations.

And poo, I need to leave in about a half hour... I don't wanna go to work! Dx Kidnap me so I don't have to! ...please?

[Juneberry]

Somehow, when I think of the word circle...I think of Sayaku again. If I say his name fast enough, it sounds similar to circle. I wonder if that's a sign?

I want a character named after a shape though. Maybe I should name a character Cube. Or at least make it a nickname. It worked well in an anime I like...

[Revolushion]

haha, it does kind of start sounding like circle doesn't it! xD Signs are everywhere.

That sounds like it would be fun. Cube. xD
Which anime was that?

[Juneberry]

In Phi Brain, there's a character named Cubik. So a common nickname for him would be Cube~ Which makes sense, since I'm pretty sure he's named after a rubiks cube.

A lot of stories have a general method of naming. That show names everything after puzzle-based things. The first antagonist was Rook, and my favorite of the main characters was Ana Gram.

...For me, there's no set motif. Except for a four-panel comic I planned and never did much on. Most of the characters in that were named after food.

[Revolushion]

Oh, that sounds cool! I'm looking that anime up. xD It sounds really interesting. :3

The only thing that's ever had a motif for me is the novel I'm currently working on... everyone in it has a name starting with A except the main character.

[Juneberry]

Having a lot of character names starting with one letter can be confusing, right? Especially if they sound similar. Do you ever mix up your character's names? I do it sometimes and feel really silly.

[Revolushion]

It can be at times... I only have the one story I've done that in, though, and a lot of the characters don't actually use their names. So it's a little easier to follow.
And yes, I have mixed up names before. xD I feel really bad when that happens...

[Saygen40]

I tend to not take character names too seriously because I get too engrossed in a plot to spend time searching name meanings. My villains are named after people in real life that I didn't like, so they tend to be more modern names. My main characters, however, mostly have older named from the 20's -Josephine, Nellie, Cassandra, Elenor, etc.

Often times I'm make someone with an average name, but alliterative with the last named like Wade Watts (please someone get that reference!). Gives the average theme, but also the super hero potential like Clark Kent, Zatanna Zatara, and John Jones.

Sometimes, when I'm feeling whimsical, I'll make a character with a ridiculously long name to introduce with, but then present them as a short nickname from there on out.

For specific historical contexts, I'll look up names common of that era.

[Kimi_Delaetus]

Names...grah.
Names are the bane of my existence.
Because for me, once I start calling a character by a name, that's it. That's their name. So I'm understandably very careful when naming, because if I hate the name or find a better name? I will be the unhappiest camper.

I usually use behindthename and the sister site involving surnames.
I also, depending on my knowledge of naming traditions and where/what culture the character comes from, occasionally make up my own.

Sometimes I'll mix two names together and like how they sound.
Like "Anna" and "Lynn". Annalyn.
Or "Sara" and "Lynn". Saralyn. (They characters involved are twins, by the way. I'm a horrible, evil person.)

It also depends if I'm writing fanfiction or original fiction. Fanfiction means I consider the universe/dominant culture and try to make a name that fits in. Original means I'm a tad more likely to make up my own.

...I also do the same thing Saygen does. If I don't like you, chances are your name will end up being used for a villain. Some kid I didn't like in second grade is the source of the name of my uber!villain who I still use on occasion XD