How to Name Characters in a Fantasy Novel
If you’re wondering how to name characters in a fantasy novel, this post is for you! Fantasy characters are more difficult to name than contemporary ones: how does a writer name their protagonists when Kevin and Rachel are off the table? For tips on giving your fantasy novel’s character the perfect name, read on.
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Fantasy novel character names
I see you, writer; you’re stalling because figuring out how to name characters in a fantasy novel is hard. It also seems like a high-stakes decision. In addition to being an important part of fantasy worldbuilding, character names will stick with readers long after other features have faded from memory. I get it. You look at your brand-new character, your hero, your knight in shining armor, and all you can think is “I dub thee… Steven.” Now, there are ways to make “Steven” more fantastical. You can spell it Stievan or Stiven or Stevein. You can skew the pronunciation with Stef-an or Stee-vaun, whichever suits your fancy. But your hero named Steven doesn’t feel like he can measure up to the great heroes of yore. He feels like he belongs on a high school football team, not slashing orcs on an open field. His name doesn’t yield itself to glory in his novel, or immediate recognition in real life. So, how do you make your characters’ names more … iconic?
What’s in a Name?
Iconic names can be found everywhere. Names like Harry Potter and Jon Snow were surely on birth certificates before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and A Game of Thrones were published. It’s arguable that these names are so commonplace to highlight the ordinariness of their bearers. Harry Potter is just a normal boy, far from likely to be any sort of “chosen one.” Jon Snow is just a bastard son of a lord: there’s no way his destiny can ever end in glory. The simple names are meant to humanize the protagonists to be more relatable to the reader.
Now, I raise you “Daenerys Targaryen.” Before A Game of Thrones, no one would think of naming their child Daenerys, and now Microsoft Word is correcting it to its actual spelling because I accidentally spelled it wrong from memory (and I swear, I hadn’t added it to my Word dictionary). The name “Daenerys” is a name of George R. R. Martin’s own creation. According to BabyNameWizard, Daenerys can be broken up into “Daen,” which means “god is my judge” in its Hebrew origin, and “Erys” comes from “Eris,” the Greek goddess of chaos. “Daenerys,” the site says, “would therefore mean ‘god is judge of my destruction.’” It’s far more glorious than names that are a “diminutive of Henry or Harold” or “shortened form of Jonathan,” wouldn’t you say?
How to name characters in a fantasy novel both difficult and, in my opinion, a lot of fun. I collect names almost every day: from people I meet, people I read about, street signs, storefronts, you name it. I don’t always look at name meanings, unless the name is something completely out of character. Mainly, I focus on the way a name feels with the character’s personality. I think about how easy it is to derive nicknames from it, or whether the character would’ve been teased for it growing up. Once I decide on a character’s name, it’s really hard for me to change it.
How to Name characters in a fantasy novel—follow That Beautiful Sound
How do we find a name that sticks, both for the writer and the reader? My rule of thumb is that, above all else, the name should sound like it could actually exist. The name “Daenerys” sounds like it could exist, and it now does. It sounds foreign, it’s interesting, and while I had trouble pronouncing it at first, it’s feasible.
Sometimes I think writers go a little overboard with apostrophes and vowel-less consonant streams. That’s not to say that names like T’Challa, Muad’Dib, and T’Pring aren’t fine! I think writers should use stylistic name choices sparingly, to preserve their impact. As a reader, I get thrown out when I can’t read the names. When they turn to Charlie-Brown-garble in my head, it’s time to move along.
The Search for Meaning
A name’s meaning doesn’t always have to fit the character’s personality. The reason I, personally, steer away how to name characters in a fantasy novel based on the meaning alone—because I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s say I’ve got a cast of characters traveling together. Their names are Max, Rose, and Kedron. Tell me which is my villain, which is my protagonist, and which is my love interest. Chances are, you got them right, and I’ll tell you why.
Max is literally Latin for “the Greatest.” A perfect name for our hero.
Rose is a flower symbolizing true love. A great name for our ingenue love interest. Beautiful and soft, she keeps our hero grounded and in love.
Kedron means “shady and dark” in Hebrew. If anyone’s going to do the backstabbing on this trip, it’s going to be him. Face it, Kedron just sounds evil compared to Max and Rose.
If you have characters with names like these, it’s easy. With symbolism, you know where your characters stand. Max is unshakably good because he’s the Greatest: he has to be good. And name symbolism is great for character aesthetics. But if you have this big twist at the end where your main character’s a secret prince, and his name is Amir… Or if the king’s name is Eric and your main character’s name is Ericson… Your reader is going to catch on pretty quickly, and your twist won’t punch as hard.
How to Name Characters in a Fantasy Novel
A great way to come up with names is by taking a page out of George R.R. Martin’s book… figuratively, of course. Try a name mashup. Daenerys is derived from Hebrew and Greek names. Yes, they have specific meanings for the character, but they mesh together in a name conglomerate that works.
Another way to find the perfect name is to scour FantasyNameGenerators.com. It’s a fantastic resource, and I’ve found so many names to add to my ever-growing list. They have pop culture-inspired names, as well as real names, that you can fuss around with and mash up as you see fit. If you’re going for something that’s vaguely Eastern European, pick a generator and tweak some letters around until you’ve got a name you’re happy with.
In short: fantasy names are hard. It’s even harder to come up with original names. But it’s worth it. The goal is to make your character stand out, and a great name is a great start.
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