Every story is its own world; whether it is set on another planet, a small town, a bustling city, or a future time. So choosing the right names for your characters can be a challenge. You want a name that will stand out in your reader’s mind, but you also want a name that sounds real, as though it could be someone you know. Next to titles, finding just the right character name can drive a writer up the wall.

Sources

There are lots of sources that can offer hundreds of possible names for your characters such as:

Baby name books or baby name websites. These sources not only provide hundreds of possible names to choose from, they also typically include the meanings and/origins of the names, which many authors like.

Phone books and directories. You may not want to use the full name of a real person, but I find directories especially good for coming up with surnames that are more realistic than Jones and Smith.

Online name generators. There are several online sites that offer name generators, and allow you to choose genre, gender, age and other filters so you can get more tailored results.

The Bible. Especially good if you are looking for names for characters that are from other worlds, earlier eras, or archaic and/or dystopian societies.

Your own life. You can even poke around in your own life for names that might fit into your story. Maybe an uncle with an unusual first name, a first grade teacher, or even combining the names of two people you know or knew some time in the past. For example, Andrew McEvoy and Tommy Fuller could be combined to become Drew Fuller.

Celebrities. Actors, actresses, prize fighters, blues musicians, even ice skaters can offer some interesting name choices, especially if you are looking for an unusual handle or nickname for your main character or his/her plucky sidekick.

Other tips

No matter what genre you write in or the type of character you are naming, you want the name to sound real for the world they inhabit. Unusual names will stand out, but if the name is too unusual it won’t stand out in a good way. Stay away from:

Names that are too cutsie like Babes McGee.

Pairing two unusual names together like Jubel Janorowski. If you like unusual names choose one and then pair it with an ordinary or common name like, Jubel Martin or David Janorowski.

Names that are hard to pronounce, spell, or understand like Siobhan, Xander, or Nikolaj. While you may know how to say them, do you really want your reader stumbling every time they see the name?

Whatever names you choose, just remember that your reader will be reading those names hundreds of times throughout your 350-page book. So give them character names that are unique but familiar, names of people that they could think of as friends and cronies, names they will remember with a trace of a smile on their lips.