I had a student, years ago, whose name was Priya. I loved that name, and the meaning associated with it. What does Priya mean? Quite simply, it means beautiful. I knew I’d have to use the name in one of my stories, not the character of my student, just her name. What better story to use the name Priya in than my recent fantasy, fairy tale adventure, Beauty in the Beast? A contemporary re-write of the classic, Beauty and the Beast, Priya is the main character, and she is beautiful in many ways. I did have trouble deciding on a name for the ‘beast.’ What name could I possibly give the part man/ part beast, strong, frightening, and strangely lovable character? Well, I must admit that did take some time, and did a considerable amount of research into names.

So, how do we choose our characters' names? Sometimes, as in the case of Priya, the name just comes to us; other times we need to investigate the names available, what they mean, their origins, and even their popularity in the era in which the story is set. Does it really matter what name we choose? Yes and no. Certainly, it makes a difference for the main characters, the protagonist, and the antagonist, but for the secondary and non-consequential characters, you can probably get away with the more common names like Sam and Sally, Tim and Trisha, and so on. Some writers spend a lot of time researching names hoping to find the perfect match. You don’t have to spend a lot of time looking into appropriate names, but there are some things you should consider as you start writing your story. After all, the perfect name helps set the stage for a believable plot.

Here are some tips to get you started on your character name search:

Search baby name sites. These sites are very thorough with names listed alphabetically and usually provide the meaning of the name and perhaps even its historical provenance. Make a list.

Look back on your family tree, or anyone else’s family tree for that matter, to discover some potential name choices.

Make a list of each character in your story and their defining qualities and personality.

Make a list of questions to ask yourself about these characters. Is it a strong or weak character? Does the character have diverse mood swings? What is the character’s role in the story?

Match the list with the names from the baby lists. Note: you may have more than one name matching each character. This will be narrowed down as you consider other aspects of the story.

Consider the time/era of the story. If you’re writing about Elizabethan England, you certainly wouldn’t be using a name like Frodo Baggins or Darth Vader. However, these names would certainly work in a fantasy or science fiction story, as they did in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” or the epic movie series, “Star Wars.”

As you eliminate names from your lists, consider the characters’ backgrounds as well as their personalities.

Avoid difficult-to-pronounce names. There’s nothing a reader hates more than to have to continually stumble over the pronunciation of a name.

Don’t be afraid to change a character’s name as the story progresses. You might find a name that works better. Just be sure to change the name consistently from the beginning. There’s nothing worse than a character’s name suddenly being changed partway through the story.

If you’re still unsure about a character’s name, just give them a label, like Char 1, Char 2, etc. (or something similar), until you have a clear picture of a suitable name for that character.

Alternately, let AI sites do the work for you. (Personally, this sounds like cheating to me, but it does work.) These name generators will use the keywords you provide to generate some name potentials – all within seconds (and sometimes for a fee).

Choosing names for your characters doesn’t have to be difficult. I find it both challenging and rewarding. You’ll certainly have a solid picture of the characters and their personalities once you’ve chosen the right name.