There is more to a name that appears in a novel. As you select one for your fictional character, there are a few considerations you need to make. Names are some of those elements in your book that are subtle and their impact may not be striking at first but when wrongly executed, they can confuse the reader and affect other parts of the novel.

Consider the genre

Imagine writing a children’s book with lengthy names like Constantine (unless you are writing a book about the Roman Emperor). The child reading the book may not even be able to pronounce the name in the first place before getting to know what the book is about. In a genre like young adult fiction, nicknames like Mike, Andy or Maggie may make the character more easily relatable than longer formal names. In science-fiction, ordinary characters’ names would need to be differentiated from alien forms’ names to create a distinction between the two worlds.

In every genre, different rules apply and for you to write a novel which readers will connect to, you need to evaluate each name against the genre in which your story belongs to.

Research the characters’ cultural background

A name will give the reader a hint of the main or supporting characters’ backgrounds before they get to the point in the novel where an explanation is provided of the characters’ history. Matching a name with the ethnic background of the character will enhance the flow in your novel since a link exists between the name and the setting or the character’s past.

In a multicultural setting, you can use names to differentiate between different character backgrounds. Relatives of a particular character should bear similar names to ensure that the story is easy to follow and that there is a consistent flow within the story.

Be distinct

Unusual names will make your character more memorable. The name does not have to be lengthy or too uncommon, just rare enough to give the character a distinctive edge over other characters in other books.

However, if you want your character to blend into their surroundings and the people around them, in case you do not want them to be too outstanding, you could go for more familiar names. A reader will also easily identify with a person whose name they have heard before or that is common in their setting than one whose name sounds strange.

Depending on what you want to achieve in your novel when naming characters, both distinct and familiar names have their merits and demerits.

Use easy to remember names

If you are writing a lengthy novel, shorter names that are easy to remember will be more suitable for your story than more complex ones. You can introduce your characters through their full names including their surname at the beginning, then drop the surname as you move along.

Sometimes surnames will suit your character better than their first names. Whether you choose to use the surname or the first name, your choice should naturally represent how other characters view them. You may also consider switching between the first and last names, depending on what is suitable and when.