Post by severus on Jun 7, 2011 12:21:10 GMT -5
...A lot, my friends. A lot is in a name. Just how much? It's the difference between calling a brown-haired girl a blondie or a bubbly Hufflepuff an ill-fated ice queen. It's the very fabric of your character, it's their aura, it's the culmination of their personality in a simple, or complex, set of syllables. How important is a name, you ask? You tell me. Except... just kidding on that last part. Because, you see, there is in fact a reason why I'm setting up this thread: I'm going to provide assistance to those whoever need help selecting that perfect name for either an original character or a nameless canon! (: Many users have come to me for my naming services (haha) and I figure, why not just put it all down here, so everyone can see how I get my genius? (; Don't worry, it's quite simple. But it is one of the most important things you do when creating a character. So you want to do it well, right? So, just to ensure you do, if ever you need assistance, I have made a list of a few of my favorite naming websites for your perusal and also a few tips from the old noggin' on the do's and don't's of naming. Enjoy! <3
THE BASICS
So, you've got a new character in mind, eh? Congrats! Now all you need is a name and an application and you'll be all set! But what kind of character is yours, hmm? Is he or she nasty and cold, or sweet and thoughtful; is he or she bright eyed or blond haired or buxom or tall or short or fair or tan? Well, before you start plunging into physical description, you're going to need to assign your character a name that embodies these traits. Personality and physique all matter in the naming process. But where do you begin? Easy, my friends, easy. Check out a few of these sites:
- 20000-names.com (My personal favorite: it has so many names, you could literally spend days on here sifting through all of them––they're all organized very helpfully, either by theme, letter, or nationality)
- babynames.com (A nice, clean site with lots of names that are available to search in many different ways)
- thinkbabynames.com (This site is good for specific searches and for more common, or at least more normal sounding names used perhaps for Muggleborns or those raised by Muggles)
- nymbler.com (I personally love this one for the constantly changing list of 'inspiring names' that really spark ideas for characters)
IN GENERAL...
These are some pet-peevy things which I like to mention before I counsel anyone in choosing a name. You've gotta be careful, sometimes, or else you might end up naming a spirited little Gryffindor Desdemona or Mallory, both meaning 'ill-fated'! Not good, people, not good.
- Always, always, always check the meaning of the name you select. That's like, the bottom line. Sometimes, even if you like the certain sound or feel of a name, it really shouldn't be used––if it's purposeful that you want to contradict the character's nature with a name then that's fine, but beware of silly mistakes to the contrary!
- Make sure you check up on the nationality or cultural origin of the name, and explain it in your character's background. If you have a blond-haired blue-eyed Caucasian face-claim with a British suburban background then you're probably not going to want to go with an Asian name or a North African name unless your character seriously has family from those regions.
- It's important to check the connotation of historical significance of the name you select as well: if you're naming, say, one of your girl characters Cleopatra, it might serve you to look back on all the past Cleopatras of Egypt (yes, there was more than one) and see if you want to relate any of them to your character's personality and/or physical traits.
- Always check to make sure the name you'd like to give to your character isn't already in use on the site: originality is always fun in a roleplay, and having five Sarahs and ten Heathers isn't exactly original. One or two with the same name is realistic, five or ten is just careless planning!
MORE SPECIFICALLY...
- When choosing a middle name, be careful not to select two variants on the same name. For instance, if you're naming a girl character Helen Elaine, while that sounds lovely, do realize that both 'Helen' and 'Elaine' are the exact same name in different languages, both meaning 'torch.'
- If you desire to alliterate your character's first and last names, as did JKR with many side characters throughout the series, be sure to pick a reasonable letter. Xavier, for instance, does not really have a very wide range of other names for you to match with. S's, P's, A's, and various others are particularly good.
- If you are choosing a last name for your character and are not playing a nameless canon with an already-chosen surname, it is important to follow all the other tips I mentioned above as well. Meaning and historical background are especially important when choosing a surname, as they determine the family history of your character, not just their personality or appearance.
- Another thing that is perhaps one of the most crucial elements to selecting a character's name is to make sure that, in regard to syllables, the first, middle, and last names correlate in a pattern. For example, if your character's first name, Alicia, we'll say, is four syllables, that's quite a bit, right? Would it not sound better to give her a shorter-sounding middle name? Alicia Lynn, versus Alicia Anastasia, sounds much better. Be aware of your syllables!
- Something else to keep in mind is the ending letter-sounds of each name. If your name ends in a vowel, like, say, using the example of Alicia again, it doesn't sound really good to begin with another vowel. Rather, both her middle and last names should commence with a consonant: Alicia Lynn James, versus Alicia Ann Adams, flows more fluidly and is on the whole easier to say.
- If you're picking a name for a wealthy, powerful, or pureblooded individual, it is crucial that you go with something that sounds elegant or graceful or the like. I doubt a pureblood, for instance, would name their daughter Marie. It's out of character, you know? Something like... Clytemnestra sounds just a bit more elite. (; It's all about appearances, doodz.
IN CLOSING...
All right, well, I hope that helped! (: If you need anything else, or if that still wasn't enough, please don't hesitate to PM or MSN me! Also, don't forget to check back periodically, as I'll be adding more things here and there. ^^ Thanks for reading, and hopefully this has helped you a little!