Character Names

J Wright
J Wright
Sep 8, 2018 · 3 min read

To most people, the name of a character is unimportant. As long as it’s memorable and sticks in your head, the name fits. For example: Johnny Bravo, Samurai Jack, and even Cat-Dog. None of these names really hold special meaning, but have become so iconic now-a-days that almost anyone (at least anyone around my age in America) can tell you who they were. Their names don’t need to have a hidden meaning; they became special by themselves.

A lot of creators will tell you that names don’t matter for that very reason. As long as it “fits” the character, it doesn’t need to be deep or special. But for me, I feel like a name should have — at least — some sort of hidden idea or concept.

I believe, as a writer myself, that names need to be both special and memorable. It needs to be something readers can remember, but for the critics looking for some sort of hidden meaning behind the work itself, it should also hold some sort of idea.

Take, for example, the names of some of my main characters in my current works. In the novel that I am currently focusing on, the two protagonists’ names are: Jokull (pronounced Yo-Cool) Folkvar and Neva (Nee-Va) Folkvar. Jokull means “an ice glacier” while Neva is the name of a river in Russia. I wanted snow/ice related names for them that sounded identical. Their last name, Folkvar, means “guard of the people”. I’m sure you can figure out why I chose that name.

Another example would be in my newest novel (still working out the wrinkles before dedicating a lot of time on it). The main protagonists’ names are Li Orval and Othniel Eleazar. Li means “powerful” and Orval means “strength”. Othniel means “the hour of God” and Eleazar means “my God is help” (his nickname throughout the story is Neil to simplify the process of reading his name).

I chose the names of the first set of protagonists based on foreshadowing. Their names don’t hold much importance until much later in the novel. Comparatively, I chose the names of the second set of characters based on personalities. Specifically, to show the difference between these two very different people.

To me, their names aren’t just something that I pull out of nowhere and use. I am trying to make a universe. And in order to do so, I want every little detail fleshed out as much as possible. And to me, that’s exactly the reason to do it. Most creators hide their hidden truths behind analogies or morals. But for me, I like to “breath life into” (as it where) my stories by forging a kind of kinship with my characters.

That’s why I think it’s so important to put some thought into a character’s name. If you are spending hundreds — if not thousands — of hours with these characters, you might as well make them feel as alive as possible. After all, to the fiction writer (myself included), these people are more than just flat, 2-D characters; they are like children you spend hours with every day to help them mature.

Humans cannot create — after all, the definition of creating is making from nothing — but in the world of fiction, every single human on the planet has the ability to “create” their own universe; their own reality based in their image.

That’s why I love writing my stories so much. Being a Christian myself, the ability to “breath life” into a universe and watch it grow and develop is as close to being with God as I can get. After all, if humans can’t create anything in this universe, why not create something in another universe — a universe entirely created by you.

So don’t be afraid to spend some extra time working on the names of your characters — in whatever genre you’re in. These things are more than ideas on paper; they’re your children. Spend the time to make them as “real” as possible. To me, that’s the fun part in writing.