A. B. Schwartzkopf

If you’ve ever read a book, you’ve probably noticed that some character or location names were chosen for a specific reason. Maybe the name was painfully obvious, or maybe you had to do a little research. Regardless, it intrigues the question of why that name? What is the importance of choosing that name?

Names serve as one of the first impressions of people and places. Names can give context and detail to the person or place behind the name, which in turn can help others build an understanding of how to interact with the person or place. When we hear certain names, we attribute characteristics to it, whether consciously or unconsciously, based on our knowledge and past interactions with the world. Sometimes, we place importance on names when maybe there is none, or not take importance from a name when it should stand out. 

So when a writer sits down to write, how do they go about crafting or picking names? And should a writer try to convey a specific message in every name? 

The answer, as you might guess, isn’t simple. Don’t give up hope! There is a process most writers consider when picking or crafting names. Let’s break it into three basic questions.

1. Is the specific meaning of the name needed to understand the character or place?

The easiest way to understand this question is to think of blatantly obvious names. Take “the Dead Marshes” found in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth; the name accurately describes the place. It’s certainly a marsh, and there is most certainly death. Tolkien didn’t need to create a wild name for the place because it didn’t need one. The name perfectly described the place in a way that is consistent with realistic standards. If Tolkien had decided to name it something else, would he have had to explain what it meant every time the name was used? If he did, then it makes sense as to why “Dead Marshes” was chosen instead. 

2. Does the name add any “hidden” information about the character or place?

Like we mentioned before, we carry gained experiences with names. Sometimes this information is widespread or general knowledge, and the writer can use it for their own purposes. If a writer uses the name “Julius,” the reader might immediately assume that this character is going to be betrayed. The writer can then use this assumption to aid a red herring or to feed into foreshadowing.

There are also times that specific knowledge is used. Take the name Katniss, for example. Readers of Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” know the name of this fiesty fighter very well. Katniss, however, is also a plant. When comparing the character to the plant, one common attribute should stick out. Arrows. The katniss plant looks like an arrowhead, and the character is a skilled archer. Therefore it stands to reason that there could be other attributes about the plant that could feed into Katniss as a character. 

This is a commonly found trope in books. There are countless characters who have names that hint at the character’s fate or personality, as if the character’s parents had foresight into who their child would grow to be.

While this is fine, it does beg a single question. Is the background information of the name technically necessary in understanding the character or place? 

This is a hot debate question that can leave writers feeling strained with each other, and once again, there’s no simple answer. Sometimes a writer just wants a fun little tid-bit in there, sometimes the writer is banking on the reader’s pre knowledge, and other times the writer didn’t even realize there was a connection. It really is up to personal preference. However, if the connection of the name’s meaning is necessary, please be sure to include context at some point for the reader.

3. Does the name fit into the context of the story?

This might be the one question that is constantly overlooked, and yet one of the most important questions. We’ve all read a book where it is painfully obvious who the main character is. While everybody has names like Philip, Bob, and Mary, the main character is Blue Jay Evergreen Moonwolf. Yikes. In cases like this, the MC’s name sticks out like a sore thumb because it has no relevance to the context of the setting. 

Wait, a name should be relevant to the context of the setting? YES.

Writers, more specifically fictional writers, depend on the suspension of disbelief. Meaning, they need people to believe their story could be real. How does a story feel real? By having characters, settings, and developments consistent with the worldbuilding given to the reader. If there is a reason the character or place name sticks out, please by all means, make it relatable to the plot. That is a great tool that can be used. Just be warned that if literally everyone else is named Philip, Bob, and Mary, the reader will be disturbed everytime Blue Jay is read.

But what can a writer ask to be sure their name fits? Here’s a quick list:

• Does it fit within the time period? 
• Does it fit within the region? 
• Is the spelling consistent with language patterns?
• Is it a common name?
• Does the name have connotations within the world(fictional or real) that changes how people interact with it?

Of course, not every check here is applicable to every type of writing. And while this might seem like a lot of base questions for simply picking out names, the benefits of research can take a piece of writing from mediocre to excellent. 

Now, all this information is great, but what does it actually do in the context of crafting names?

Let’s look at it in my own writing. 

Personally, I’m a fantasy writer with an intense love for worldbuilding (I’m not joking, the amount of lore crafted for my world fills a book in itself), which means that name crafting absolutely has to be done within the context of my settings. 

One of my main characters’ original name was Blitz. For context, she is a princess of a western kingdom, and born with sun magic. If we take input from “irl” connotations, then two things appear: the London blitz, and lightning. Neither of which the character reflects at all. If we put the name into the context of the fictional world, it breaks the reader’s connection to the surrounding setting. So, I scraped the name and started over. This time, using my worldbuilding as the base.

The language used in her kingdom is known as the “Common Tongue,” so it is, for my own sanity, based on mostly English sounding words and etymology. However, names in her region are often blocky, having long vowels next to hard consonants. Okay, so we need a simple looking name with long vowels and enough consonants to make it chunky. 

Oh, did I mention that I tend to button mash many of my names and fine-tune it for aesthetics?

After the random button mashing, I got the letters: HSUYNKANI (or something like that). The first choice is to put the S and H together, but I don’t want the harsh “shh”. I also wasn’t feeling the K or I. What if we split each vowel apart with a consonant? Eventually, after enough playing around, I ended up with Suryana. Once that name was found, nothing else seemed to fit. 

In terms of time period, commonality, and in-world connotations, I haven’t written that far into the worldbuilding lore, but these questions are ones that won’t necessarily affect the story. 

In terms of standing out, Suryana fits right in with everyone else’s names, so it doesn’t feel like a Blue Jay Evergreen Moonwolf situation. 

But in terms of having “hidden” meaning to add to the story, the simple answer is that it doesn’t. Even if I unintentionally stole a name or word parts from another language that happen to correlate, Suryana is simply just the name of the character. Her personality is her own. 

So to recap. What is the importance of the name that was chosen for a character or place? It could be that it gives extra meaning, context, or depth. There could be no importance at all. Maybe it’s both at the same time!

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s meant to get readers discussing with each other to increase their literacy. 

Got a special meaning in your name? Comment below!

Until next time!

Safe soaring.