Fantasy is one of my favorite genres. Creative names coupled with vastly different worlds breathe life into every page. There are many keys to writing successful fantasy, however, this post will focus on generating and inspiring names for your next character.
Today's Rundown
- Hide and Seek Inspiration
- Strength, Pronunciation, and Meaning of Names
- Connection Between Personality and Name
- Popular Fantasy Names
Hide and Seek Inspiration
Much like writing a novel, finding a character's name takes inspiration. Firstly, what does your character look like, what is their race (elves, human, orc, etc.), what are their main attributes. Once you have a basic idea of your (main character) MC, then you can start to spit ball names. Keep in mind, fantasy names are extremely unique. There is no right or wrong way to spell/create a name.
I recommend searching both in person and online for inspiration:
- Pinterest, make a board for your characters and the world you want to create. This will help your mind churn up names that are compelling. Pinterest also has unique names listed that you can add to your board.
- Go to Twitter, if you already have some names in mind and want to run it by someone, use the #WritingCommunity and create a poll. Twitter's writing community is very welcoming and constructive, it is also a great resource for connecting with other writers.
- Try your hand at generators, below I have listed some of my favorite sites, some of them provide more than just fantasy names: https://www.name-generator.org.uk, https://blog.reedsy.com/character-name-generator/fantasy/, https://thestoryshack.com/tools/fantasy-name-generators/
- Pick a random word that reminds you of the character and tweak it in a uniquely pleasing way. Below is an example of how to apply this method.
Example 1
- Picture your character.
- Pick a letter ex. A
- Pick a word(s) that describes your character. ex. A war
- Pick a classic name that stands out to you. ex. Matilda, McKella
- Mash the letters together.
- Awntilda, Akelidaw, Awaralda
Example 2
- Pick a letter ex. M
- Pick a word(s) that describes your character. ex. Patience
- Choose a main base for your name, this will serve as a jumping off point. ex. Martyr
- Mash letters together.
- Matiney, Myrtins, Myerchence, Matiettie
Keep in mind my examples above are used for first names, but this method can has a dual use for surnames as well.
Strength, Pronunciation, and Meaning
Names can become tricky depending on the personality of the character and the audience you are trying to attract. Just think, if you are writing a MG (middle grade) piece you would want to choose an name that resonates with their generation and pairs well with their reading level. In other words, survey your genre well before solidifying a name. Whether you are going for a strong and daring lead character to a caring supportive one, make sure it continues to hook your reader. If you rattle off extremely long names, it will be hard to remember and hard to pronounce. To keep your reader engaged make sure you connect the name with the character and weave them seamlessly into the plot.
Sometimes, it’s easier said than done. If you settle on an exotic/unique name it may be smart to put the pronunciation before the book. Perhaps after the map. If you are going the traditional publishing route, the placement of your pronunciation won’t be up to you. However, if you choose to self publish, I encourage you to put a list of pronunciations. This will help your reader better visualize your character and not have to break away from the plot.
Meaning of the name is also important. If you choose a classic name mixed with your own flare it is important that or intent matches the meaning. Unless it’s the complete opposite, for example baking a character Blossom but her personality is gloomy, you may be able to get away with it. But if it’s not purposeful, then you can loose readers and it may not make sense for your character development.
Key to writing in general: be thoughtful and mindful of your character and plot progression
Connection Between Personality and Name
Your MC may not get to choose their name, but you do. As the writer it is your job to find a name that works with their personality. Fitting names can make or break a character, but your MC is most important. "The Witcher" series is a great example of this. Geralt of Rivia is an MC that has gone through h*ll and had been mutated into a killing machine. He has a small sense of humor and doesn't mind sleeping around, but his heart lies with Yennifer of Vengerberg. Yennifer is a fitting name for her because she is a powerful mage that tents to be ruthless but only for her heart's desire. Geralt is a rough name. Yennifer is unique but regal, relating to the "classic" name Jennifer. Lastly, there is Jaskier, in the books his name is Dandelion which fits his personality perfectly. He is funny, upbeat, sleeps around a lot, and speaks his mind. He compliments Geralt, as he serves as comic relief. These characters work together to push forward the plot as well as their individual evolutions.
Popular Fantasy Names
Below I have listed popular fantasy names that may give you inspiration.
Male Names
- Aldwin/Aldwyn (Willow)
- Bastian (The Never Ending Story)
- Eddard (Game of Thrones)
- Legolas (Lord of the Rings)
- Gendry (Game of Thrones)
- Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)
- Draco (Harry Potter)
- Jareth (The Labyrinth)
- Oberyn (Game of Thrones)
- Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
Female Names
- Arwen (Lord of the Rings) *side not also the name of my daughter*
- Daenerys (Game of Thrones)
- Elora (Willow)
- Jadis (Chronicles of Narnia)
- Hermoine (Harry Potter)
- Kinsey (Lock & Key)
- Melisandre (Game of Thrones)
- Aravis (Chronicles of Narnia)
- Cherlindrea (Willow)
- Ornela (Game of Thrones)
Below are sources where I found fantasy names for my lists. If you want to look at more names to get your mind turning, please take a look. Also, don't be afraid of baby name websites. I use them all the time in my writing. They are very helpful when it comes to inspiration.
Happy writing everyone!
Sources: Google Images and Reddit (for images), https://www.scarymommy.com/pregnancy/fantasy-names (male&female name list), https://www.mamaoffive.com/fantasy-boy-names/ (male name list)
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