Character Naming

As an Author naming your Character is an important step right after coming up with the plot. I am here to help you choose the right character name for you and your story.

Make sure your character name is Genre Appropriate. Make sure if it's a Historical Fiction novel or takes place in a real time period that the name was used then. Or if it's a fictionalized place then you can be as creative as you wish.

Just have fun with naming your character. It is after all your story.



Monday, June 24, 2013

Imogen / Imogene

Meaning: (Maiden, Innocent, Daughter, Girl, From the Celtic name Innogen which derives from “inghean”. Literary: The name has connotations of the perfect heroine as used in Shakespeare’s play “Cymbeline” (1609) and Sir Walter Scott’s novel “The Heart of Midlothian”. The name Imogen was adopted by English speakers in the late 19th Century.)

Origin: (English, Irish, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (IHM-ow-JHehN, EM-o-jen, Imo- Jen, EM-uh-jen, Em-oh-jean, Imo-Jean, EM-uh-jean, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Imogen to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=imogen&submit=Submit)

Gender: Female

I never really liked this name. I think it looks and sounds harsh. It is however a name a lot of people really like so I have decided to add it. I do however like the meanings. I think I would like it if I just used it as a characters given name but they went by a nickname more such as Em, Immy Pronounced like Emmy or Ginny. It’s an old fashioned name which again is what some authors are looking for but this name fits well in the modern era if used right.

Zenon

Meaning: (From Zeus, Gift of Zeus, Hospitable, Guest, Host, Variant of Zenas and Zeno.)

Origin: (Greek, Ancient Greek, Polish, French, Spanish, German)

Pronunciation: (ZE-nawn, ZEHNaoN)

Gender: Female, Possible Uni-Sex

When I was younger I loved the Disney movies Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Zenon: the Zequel, and Zenon: Z3. It was movies based off a book series about an adventurous always gets into trouble girl who lives on a space station. Her name is Zenon. I always thought it fit in a futuristic setting but actually the name is old fashioned. I think the meanings are really lovely.

Jameson

Meaning: (Supplanter, Son of James)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (JAY-ma-sun, JHEY-M-ih-SahN)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching a movie once about a fictional female teen writer whose first name was Jameson but she went by Jaime. I think it’s a decent name and it has an interesting look. It’s a step up from the plain but still nice James.

Laney / Lanie

Meaning: (Torch, Bright Light, Path, Roadway, Variant of Laine, Lainey, and Lane.)

Origin: (Middle English, Hawaiian)

Pronunciation: (LAYN-ee, LAY-nee, LEY-Niy)

Gender: Female

I am planning on writing a short story soon where my main character is named Laney. It is a cute name with good meanings. I first saw this name in the movie She’s All That with Freddie Prinze Jr. He plays a senior in high school that makes a bet that he can turn an un-cool teen into the prom queen in 6 weeks. The teen he has to transform is named Laney.

Luca

Meaning:  (Legendary, Light, Bringer of Light, Man of Light, Man from Lucania, Form of Luke)

Origin: (Italian, Romanian, Greek)

Pronunciation: (LOO-kə, LOO-kaa, loo-cha, lucha)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU the other day and one of the characters names was Luca. I have never been much of a fan of this but I do kind of like it so I have decided to add it and of course I am sure many others might find this the perfect name for one of there characters.

Clarice

Meaning: (Clear, Bright, Illustrious, Famous, Fame, Medieval English and French form of Claritia, which may have meant “Fame” (from “Clarus” meaning Famous”), but as a given name probably an elaboration of Clara. Also an English form of the French Clarisse, which is a form of Clarissa. It was born by a character that appears in some versions of the medieval romances of Roland and other paladins of Charlemagne.)

Origin: (Latin, Greek, English, French)

 Pronunciation: (Klair-EEs, Kla-reese, KLaeRIYS)

 Gender: Female


Hello, Clarice….LOL! The Silence of the Lambs novel and movie may or may not help you decide whether you want to use this name. I have recently used it in a short story. I like the look and the old fashioned sound of this name. I also love the meanings. I also love saying it because it sounds sort of exotic but looks very English.

Tessa

Meaning: (Harvester, Diminutive of Teresa. Also possibly (Greek) “Fourth Child”. Thomas Hardy’s wrote a famous novel “Tess of the d’Urbervilles”.)

Origin: (English, Greek, Latin)

Pronunciation: (TESS-ah, t-EH-s-uh)

Gender: Female

I always thought this was a way short boring name but I saw this the other day when reading the front flap of the book Clockwork Princess and the main character was named Tessa and since then it has crept into my mind on more than one occasion. It is a cute name but can also be a shortening of a longer name. It can be a name that can fit into just about any era.

Surnames


Stark

Potts

Abrahams

Lexington

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Thanks to my Brother in Law Karl my computer is better

In late May me and my mom went down to see my sister Lorinda and brother in law Karl and nephew Jakob. When down there Karl updated our computers and browsers. Since then I am able to reply to comments, view and add post on computers at home and see my followers to my blog. It is working great and I added new names as soon as June came. I wasn't able to say all is well until now because I have been a bit busy. I will be adding more names more often now that my home computer is working.

I hope you all still enjoy my blog and find it helpful. Also thanks for the comments.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Plumeria

Meaning: (A Flower, Plumeria is related to the Oleander, Nerium oleander, and both possess an irritant, rather similar to that of Euphorbia. Contact with the sap may irritate eyes and skin. Each of the separate species of Plumeria bears differently shaped, alternate leaves with distinct form and growth habits. The leaves of P. alba are quite narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves of P. pudica have an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color. P. pudica is one of the everblooming types with non-deciduous, evergreen leaves. Another species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is P. obtusa; though its common name is "Singapore," it is originally from Colombia.

Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, however, and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.

The genus, originally spelled Plumeria, is named in honor of the seventeenth-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. The common name "Frangipani" comes from an Italian noble family (itself literally meaning "breads-breaker(s)" in Italian), a sixteenth-century marquess who invented a plumeria-scented perfume. Many English speakers also simply use the generic name "plumeria". In India, the name is "champa" or "chafa", in Telugu "Deva ganneru" (divine nerium). In Hawaii, the name is "melia" although common usage among all residents is still "plumeria". In Sri Lanka, it is referred to as araliya and (in English) as the Temple Tree. In Cantonese it is known as, 'gaai daan fa' or the 'egg yolk flower' tree. The name 'Leelawadee' (originating from Thai) is found occasionally. In Indonesia, where the flower has been commonly associated with Balinese culture, it is known as "Kamboja". For more information on the flower Plumeria got o this site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumeria )

Origin:  (English, French, Italian, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation:  (PLOO-mir-ee-uh, Go to this site and run your cursor over the name Plumeria to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=plumeria)

Gender: Female

 
I was looking through some of my lotions the other day when I was spring cleaning and I noticed one of my lotions was Plumeria. It is a heavenly scented lotion. Also I just bought a Tropical Plumeria Petals candle. I am thinking of using it as a name of one of my characters sisters. It’s not a name I think should be used a real persons name as its sort of odd looking for the real world. The flower itself is really quite pretty.

Sidra

Meaning: (Star like, Of the Stars, Star Born, Variant of the name Stella)

Origin: (Latin, English, German, Italian)

Pronunciation: (SIHDRaa, SEE-druh, Sid-ra)

Gender: Female

I was watching an episode of Law & Order SVU and there was a pregnant lady on there named Sidra. She was sweet and cute it was a sad story line though. Any way I liked the characters name and I absolutely love the meanings, they are out of this world, lol. I like this name better then the variant Stella. I have never been a fan of the name Stella and I don’t know why.

Damaris

Meaning: (Calf, To Tame, Gentle, Biblical: A woman who heard Paul’s defense at the Athenian Areopagus (Mars’ Hill: the open air supreme court of Athens.) and became a believer. (Ac 17:33, 34) Damaris possibly was not a Greek, in view of the fact that in Athenian society women normally remained in seclusion. Since Damaris is the only woman named, she may have been of some prominence. There is no valid basis for concluding that she was married to Dionysius, simply because the two are mentioned together.)

Origin: (Greek, Latin, Biblical)

Pronunciation: (DAM-a-ris, DAM-uh-ris, duh-MAR-iss)

Gender: Female

This is a pretty name with delicate meanings. A good nickname could be Dama *see on list of posts* which is its own stand alone name. I also love any name of anyone who was associated with Paul in the bible as Paul is one of my favorite biblical people.

Gaius

Meaning: (Land, Rejoice, Happy, Probably the root of the word “Gay”, which used to mean “Jolly”. Also a biblical name, and the name of a Roman jurist in the Second Century. Caius is a variant that occurs in England. Gaius was a common Roman name, the most famous bearer being Gaius Julius Caesar, the great leader of the Roman Republic, and his adopted son Gaius Octavius (later known as Augustus), the first Roman emperor.)

Origin: (Latin, Etruscan)

Pronunciation: (GIE-us, GAY-us, GAYahS, G-eye-us)

Gender: Male

This is a strong good meaning name with an amazing long history behind it. It is a name I really do love. It’s not something you hear much now days but that might be a good thing.  In the bible Gaius was once a companion to Paul on his travels and I love all the names of the traveling companions of Paul’s ex. Timothy, Silas, Barnabas…..

Catalina

Meaning: (Pure, Variant of Catarina, Katherine, Island off the coast of Los Angeles)

Origin: (Greek, Spanish)

Pronunciation: (KaeT-aa-LIYIYN-aa, Kah-tah-lee-nah)

Gender: Female

I think this is a super adorable name and I love the look of it. Good nicknames can be Cat or Lina. The meanings are good and it could be used in reference to the Islands for a certain purpose in a novel if the author cares to.

 

Novalee

Meaning: (New Field, Nova: New Lee: Meadow, Clearing)

Origin: (American, English, Latin, German)

Pronunciation: (Noh-vuh-lee, NahVEYLiy)

Gender: Female

One of my favorite movies is “Where the Heart Is”, with Natalie Portman. It’s the movie about a pregnant woman who gets left at a Wal Mart by her boyfriend. Natalie Portman is the pregnant woman and her name is Novalee Nation. I have added Nova and Lee to my blog in some form but now I am combining them here. It’s a beautiful name.

Elin

Meaning:  (Nymph, Woman of Intelligence, Bright One, Also Finnish and Swedish form of Helen.)

Origin: (Sanskrit, Hindi, Finnish, Swedish, Welsh, Old French, Old Greek)

Pronunciation: (ee-lyn, EHL-ahN, ee-l-ih-n, ai-l-ih-n)

Gender: Female

I can’t remember where I saw this name but I came to like it. It is short and has a good look and is easily pronounced. It is also a foreign form of Helen *see on list of posts*. 

Alleyne

Meaning: (Precious, Harmony, Peace, the Cheerful Handsome One, Little Rock, Variant of Allan, This interesting name is of Celtic origin, and derives from a personal name of great antiquity. The name Alan, is thought to derive from the Gaelic "ailin", little rock, a diminutive of "ail", rock, and was introduced into England and later to Ireland by the Breton followers of William the Conqueror after 1066, among whom it was a very popular given name. One man in particular is credited with being the first of the name into England; Alan Fergeant, Count of Brittany and a companion of the Conqueror, and later first Earl of Richmond in Yorkshire. The personal name is recorded in its Latinized form of "Alanus" in the Domesday Book of 1086, although the surname is not recorded until the first half of the 13th Century (see below). The modern surname can be found in a variety of forms, including: Allen, Alen, Alleyn, Alleyne, Allain, Alan, Allan, Allin, Allon, Allans and FitzAlan. Recordings from London Church Registers include the christening of William Alleyne at St. Mary's, Whitechapel, on December 30th 1606. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Alein, which was dated 1234, in the "Feet of Fines of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Alleyne) 

Origin: (Old German, Old English, Irish, Celtic)

Pronunciation: (AELEYN)

Gender: Female

There was a book my sister was recommending and one of the books in the series the author wrote was named Alleyne. Apparently it is an old name. The meanings are pretty but the pronunciations are tricky for me.

Perna

Meaning: (One who dealt in Pearls, Portuguese: habitational name from any of several places named Perna in Portugal. Catalan and Portuguese: from perna ‘leg’; possibly a nickname for someone with long legs, or with a deformed or missing leg.)

Origin: (Italian, Latin, Middle English, Norman, Portuguese)

Pronunciation:  (PUR-nuh, PER-nuh, per-NAH)

Gender: Female

I was watching an episode of Stargate: Atlantis and one of the scientists on one of the worlds they visit were named Perna. I think the name is exotic and pretty. The name has a pretty decent meaning and is easily pronounced in my opinion.

Zira

Meaning: (Arena, Messenger)

Origin: (Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (Ziy-Raa, Zee-ruh, ZEER-uh)

Gender: Female

My favorite movies are Planet of the Apes movies, the old ones from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Dr. Zira is the one who helps the human Taylor “Bright Eyes”. I think this name is exotic and pretty. I think it is a lovely name that could fit in many different genres. 

Quorra

Meaning: (Heart, Maiden, Variant spelling of Cora.)

Origin: (Italian, Greek)

Pronunciation: (KOR-ah)

Gender: Female

 
This is an old name even though people don’t think so. Most people think it is just a unique or some say stupid spelling of Cora. Quorra is a name. It is also the name of a movie character in Tron: Legacy. I think this is a unique and quite beautiful name. I love this spelling a lot.


I try to have the most accurate Meanings, Origin and Pronunciations for the names on this blog. It is best though to do research into the names you decide to use for your characters as there can be errors on my blog. Or meanings, origins, and pronunciations I have not seen thus not been able to add to this blog.





Try some of the leading Baby Name Sites and Baby Name or Character Naming books as well.


The baby name sites below are where I collect many of the Names, Origins, and Pronunciations I use on this blog.

Baby Names Sites:

http://www.thinkbabynames.com
http://www.babynamewizard.com
http://www.behindthename.com
http://www.babynamespedia.com