By a good surname i mean a surname that will go with a first name you may have already thought of, so i have. Kath dayknight is a cheery middleaged woman, the mother of kim and the wife after season 1 of kel. The 7 rules of picking names for fictional characters. With over 220,000 names in our database, you can also specify language, nationality and other factors to give your character the perfect name. Im participating in national novel writing month and i need some last names for my two major characters. But a name is never enough because characters also need a surname. Weve rounded up 116 of our favorite iconic characters for you to choose from. Since your names seem less fantasy and more real, i tried to pick some normal but not too common names for you. Her name came off a length of pvc tubing i saw in a lumber yard, shipped in from north carolina. Different characters will use different names for the same person. Personally, i wish some books came with an appendix listing the characters because ive been having senior moments since first grade, too long ago to mention, have a hard time remembering real names, and i hate having to dig back and recall who a name is from the first half of the book. The 10 worst story openings how not to start your novel adresses some of the most common facepalm moments that writers and readers face. Can you name the surnames of these characters from the hunger games trilogy.
Blagden is a locational surname deriving from any one of the places called blackden or blagdon, or blagden farm in hempstead, essex. Here is a list of the most popular surnames from around the world. If shown, the year indicates when the book was first published. Feb 18, 2011 the names in ashworths new novel cold light, published in may, were, she says, chosen at random. Flipping through phone books is the easiest way to coin innovative and unique names for fictional characters. Whenever i get new name ideas, i will incorporate them into the already existing list. Remember, dont choose names that start with the same letter. Ask yourself whether or not your characters last name would fit or stand out in a book with similar themes. Some of my favorite character names there, including atticus and holden. Aug 15, 2011 without knowing the setting of your book or potential ethnic backgrounds its hard to just pick last names out of thin air. Your native english characters in britain will have english surnames, and english surnames will also be the predominant surname stock for characters in australia and new zealand, and, to a lesser extent, canada.
This list consists of books with characters who are either designated with or often called by a number. Introduced in 1969, he was the comic book sidekick of captain america, and absolutely historical for being the first africanamerican superhero. Coming up with last names for your characters can also be surprisingly tricky. In fact, the etymology of certain characters names can reveal more about them than you ever thought you knew the joy of harry potters name was that it seemed like one so delightfully ordinary for someone who achieved so much. What i like most about this book is it gives names from mythology and arthurian legand. All you have to do is scour the page of 300 unique, original fantasy names and keep this list a reference while you write that fandomworthy novel of yours. Writing a book can be challenging enough on its own. While a baby book wont have last names, some first names could be used as last names. How to make a good last name for characters in a book wikihow. Sep 25, 2019 to find unique names for your characters, check movie credits or a mythology book for something unique. Were providing that push in the form of this buzzle post.
Naming characters in your stories is as important as naming your children. Your character names have the ability to transform the perception readers have of your book and story. Kristen and jen are sisters and each others whole family. Sort using filters such as language, gender, and fantasy and even discover the meaning behind your favorites. An interesting last name paired with a sound first name can work wonders. You can also look in old telephone books if you can find one. Personally, my three favourite girl names ever are dawn, willow and ivy. Browse surnames from a to z and find out a little bit of your own family history.
Fiction writingwriting advicewriting resourceswriting helpwriting a bookwriting. Coming up with a good last name for a fictional character can go a long way in making him or her seem a lot cooler in the eyes of your. Getting a handle on naming characters books the guardian. Having trouble coming up with a last name for your character. The best film lists find or make a film characters.
And yes, i do realize that there is some conflict including ayn rand on a list of anything literary. Franklin veauxs answer is a great rule of thumb, but keep in mind the point of view youre writing from. I could easily copy what i wrote for the 100,000 baby names book. Feb 06, 2020 for truly random last names, pick up a phone book or book of baby names. The names are separated into different categories, but theyre all pretty straight forward.
I prefer the spelling artemis for a girl she was a goddess after all and artemas for a boy. In the first tier are the top 200 names among boys of high school age in the past few decades. This name generator will give you 10 random book titles for one of 10 genres based on your choice. A boy dose not despise real forest because he has read about enchanted ones, the reading makes all real forest a little enchanted. If you have any other names that you would like to add to the l.
Coming up with a good first name or last name will make your character interesting and memorable. Unique last name ideas for fictional characters of your book. You can add a first name which will stay constant while you iterate through the vast quantity of last names i have add to this generator. You can follow any responses to this entry through the rss 2. Later on kristen falls in love with nolan, the guy partially responsible for her sisters death. This list of general boys names is divided into three lots. These include novels, short stories, graphic novels and comic books. Our name generator allows you to create a name with up to five components, so a name can be short and sweet or doublebarrelled and swanky.
I name babys and characters and i use this book in the process. How to name all the characters in your book go teen writers. See more ideas about character names, names and baby names. How to make a good last name for characters in a book. Rate 5 stars rate 4 stars rate 3 stars rate 2 stars rate 1 star. During a bank robbery, jen accidentally gets killed. Trending book lists books you may have actually read. The most common last name in the united states and united kingdom.
A surname is a name added to your given name and is usually the family name or last name. This list is comprised of some of the most recognizable names from fictional books. Generate the best character names with these tricks. Its that thing on those new fangled machines i saw when in toon last, leoma replies. The 50 greatest literary character names of all time. In playa perdida, one of my favorite characters is charlotte pipe. Indigo is the name of a major book chain store in canada so i wouldnt use it for a first name. These first names are used in canada, australia, new zealand, the united states and south africa.
The prominent and respected owner and proprietor of river valley farm, herb is the patriarch of the clutter family, husband to bonnie clutter and father to four children. Blackden in cheshire, blagden in essex and blagdon in northumberland share the same meaning and derivation, which is the dark or black valley, derived from the old english pre 7th century blaec, black, with. Back, i tell you, back pokes people with a stick xd you will probably see these names in my story. I highly recommend behind the name because some of those online baby name websites are all ads and no real information. A lot of times, last names can be used as a first name and vice versa. Choose a category baby names top 100 names for boys top 100 names for girls search for names by trait browse first names by origin browse all names last names browse last names by origin browse all last names baby. I am guessing you are here because you are an author and have found it difficult to think of a good surname. If you cant find anything you like, try misspelling other names or words to create new ones. Use the name generator to provide story characters with dissimilar names. Find real names looking for interesting contemporary names. Try your pets name as the fictional characters first name, and your streets name as your characters last name. Very creative, slightly dramatic, loves the arts, funny, loud even to the point of.
A cool last names list for character creation hobbylark. The approximately 2,000 entries have publication information, type of book fiction, picture book, biography, number of pages, and a brief annotation. From margaret atwoods offred to thomas harriss hannibal the cannibal, names can end up shaping characters in ways even their creators never intended fiona cummins tue 16 apr 2019 04. By keeping separate cards for first and last names, you can combine as needed.
Give your characters names that not only begin with different letters but that also sound as dissimilar as. Basically 4 young adults, nolan, tyler, zac, and nick are a group of friends and thieves. Literature is such wonderfully rich hunting ground for names. If you have polly and paul in the same story, or even robert and rebecca, readers will have a difficult time remembering their names. Search belly ballot to discover the popularity, meanings, and origins of thousands of names from around the world. He is a generous employer, and an active churchgoer and diehard community booster 21.
Maybe youve checked in baby books or have flipped through the phonebook looking for the right combination of names, and still. For many writers, a character comes to life once theyre given a name. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Surnames for your characters most common american surnames. If you still have access to a phone book check your grandmothers house, let your fingers do the walking until you find a few names that sound just right for your characters. Because youngsters delight in reading about characters with the same first names as their own, this guide is a great way to motivate them to read. A fullfledged avenger, sam also actually became captain america in 2014, being handpicked by retiring steve rogers as his replacement. You can also rearrange the letters of phrases or names you like to create something less recognizable. Naming characters 33 fabulous resources to use writers write. If you want to learn how to write a book, join our writers write course. Popular character names a z books meet your next favorite book. They are two teenage girls, chloe and lola, and i like the. Tristam shandy i never read the book, but this name sounds like a really excellent dive bar of the kind.
Make a good last name for characters in a book last names for. This book is comprised of names, street names, cities, creatures. Character name generator the ultimate bank of 2,000,000. If you think about itcharacter names are actually a specific literary device you can use most sneakily and if you want readers to love, adore, and care for your main character, giving them the best and most memorable name can make all the difference. The simple automated character name generator below will help in your search for interesting and unique character names, male or female. Of course if your story isnt based in real life, then its your choice. Unique last name ideas for fictional characters of your.
Yeah, im one for unusual names xd and two were used on this list. John galt the answer to the question posed in the opening sentence of atlas shrugged is. In the second tier are other names you might run into more than once in your lifetime. The phone book will not only give you thousands of last names, but you can also read first names and get a feel for what names work well with each last name. Glance through character or place names in the book to get some ideas. Aug 05, 2008 what a good last name for a characters in my book. It can also help to compare last names from your characters to the story youre skimming. Novels, tv shows, movies and comic books are great sources for baby names. If youre in close third person, basically writing through the eyes of a c. Writing a character is tough, but picking out the perfect name is even tougher.
Feel free to use or change any of these for any of your works. Belly ballot uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our. Very creative, slightly dramatic, loves the arts, funny, loud even to the point of obnoxious at. Of course these lists are flexible names can often be used either way looking for more help with character development. Writing adolescent fictioncharacter namesboys wikibooks. Nov 04, 2015 yes, the rumors are truekhaleesi was the 755th most popular baby name for little girls born in america last year. When writing a novel, should i use the characters first. Have you struggled to imagine a suitable name for your story or novel character. The 7 rules of picking names for fictional characters writers digest. Curly, copperyred hair to her shoulders, olive green eyes, a few freckles, a small, slightly sharp nose and a thin frame. For truly random last names, pick up a phone book or book of baby names. I love hugo, milo, peregrine, septimus, bastian, bartholomew, eben and rowan. Kath was born in 1954, and was married to gary poole kims father for a short time in the late seventies. If you still have access to a phone book check your grandmothers house, let your fingers do the walking until you find a.
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