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.



Friday, April 15, 2016

Kiplyn

Meaning: (Kip: From the Pointed Hill, One Who Dwelled Near a Pointed Hill, From a nickname, probably from the English word Kipper meaning, "Male Salmon". Lyn: Leader, Lion Like, Lake, Beautiful, Weak, Soft, Gentle, Friendly, Snake, Lincoln’s Wetland, Pretty, Ruddy Complected)

Origin: (Old English, Welsh, Germanic)

Pronunciation: (Kip: KIHP Lyn: LIN, LIHN Kiplyn: KIHP-LIN, KIHP-LIHN)

Gender: Female

I was watching a show about real life murders on Investigate Discovery Channel and in one of the shows it was telling about a young victim. In 1995 a poor young victim was named Kiplyn. I really came to be interested in the name though I was disheartened by the circumstances that led to this poor girl being murdered. Any murder no matter what is an awful act and my heart goes out the victims families.

The name Kiplyn is interesting however I was unable to find the meaning for the whole name so I had to break it up and find the meaning for Kip and then Lyn. All the meanings are pretty great. It seems a boarding school characters name like, Kiplyn Beaumont the heir to the Beaumont fortune. It is definitely an interesting name and I wouldn’t mind seeing it a bit more often, if used in the right story.  

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-no3-2016-may/

Bryson

Meaning: (Noble’s Son, Son of Brice)

Origin: (English)

Pronunciation: (BRIY-sən, BRIE-sən, if you want to hear how Bryson is said then go to this site and run your cursor over Bryson to hear how it is pronounced:  http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-bryson)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I heard this as the name of a Doctor on show I was watching and on said show they were Doctors who were studying Sloth’s and I love Sloth’s. I love the meanings as I love noble meaning names. As you see with the other meaning it is “Son of Brice” which would be great if this was a name given to the literal son of a character named Brice. However I am not a huge fan of the spelling Brice as I prefer Bryce *see on list of posts*. I’ve actually used the name Bryce before in one of my novels as the newborn baby Prince. The only thing I don’t like is how if said the wrong way this name sounds like Bison, lol!

Akila

Meaning: (Wise, Intelligent, Logical, The Earth)

Origin: (Egyptian, Arabic, Swahili)

Pronunciation: (aa-K-L-aa, ah-KEEL-ah)

Gender: Female

When looking up the name Akilia *see on list of posts* I came across Akila and many of the meanings are similar for each name. Akila is an interesting name and I do like the meanings. However this is a name that will fall to the back of my mind unlike Akilia. I think the spelling or over all look don’t really appeal that greatly to me. However it is very old looking and would I think go great as the name of character or place on another planet.

Akilia

Meaning: (Wise, Intelligent, Logical)

Origin: (Arabic, English)

Pronunciation: (AHKIHLiyAH)

Gender: Female

I was watching a car commercial and I can swear they called a wolf in the commercial Akilia and I was like that is gorgeous and very much reminded me of one of my writer friends race of people in one of her stories. The meanings are wonderful and seeing the meanings and name it does seem old and wise. I can see a scholarly woman presiding over a large university on another planet for this name does seem other worldly to me.

Though if used on earth it seems old like early human history kind of or maybe even in the future it the people had gone backwards and been a tad bit more primitive. Though human history teaches us even the societies that had not even a speck of what we have were far from primitive, they were ingenious and did things with little and I am convinced that we couldn’t even do half of what they did with all the technology we have.

Kahlan

Meaning: (Beauty, Strong Leader)

Origin: (English, Irish, Literature, Pop Culture, Fictional)

Pronunciation: (kay-len, KAY-lən)

Gender: Female


I was looking up women’s warrior attire for one of my characters and I came across a pretty cool picture of this lady and I thought I had seen her before and well when looking it up she was the main character in a TV series some years back and her name was Kahlan. I don’t think I saw the series but I think I saw it advertised and that’s why I remembered the actress. Anyway the name is really cool but I hear the author of the novels that the TV series were based on was made up by him. So like other names like that I am not sure if it’s legal or not to use the name on anyone else’s character or not. I learned it was made up by him after I had already named a character Kahlan so I may have to go back and change it, looking back the name doesn’t really fit my character that well anyway.

Kahlan has pretty meanings and a pretty cool look but the pronunciation gets me. Kay-len is what I found as the pronunciation but many people felt the same as I do that it looks more like it would be pronounced like Colin just because most people see AH and say it like you would when you open your mouth for the doctor. But either way you say it looks pretty cool but I would probably suggest sticking to using it a as a screen name or pet name rather than for a character, personal name change or baby name.

Sangria

Meaning: (Bleeding, Blood)

Origin: (Spanish)

Pronunciation: (sahn-gree'-ah, san-gree-ah, if you want to hear how Sangria is said then go to this site and run your cursor over Sangria to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-sangria)

Gender: Female

I was listening to music on one of the music channels on my TV and I heard the song Sangria by Blake Shelton and I fell in love with the song and I kept thinking though Sangria is a wine that wouldn’t it be cool as a name. So I decided to name a character this. Well a Queen in one of my novels was nameless and so I thought about it and the name actually seemed to fit as she has flame or blood red hair and Sangria wine is named such because of the color and in Spanish means Bleeding or Blood. Queen Sangria fit perfect for that character and I love saying Sangria for some reason, though I tend to lean toward pronouncing it sahn-gree'-ah.

It has a very ethereal gorgeous look and feel when said. It does remind me of a very exotic like character with flowing black hair, copper complexion, and piercing sea blue eyes.

Garrison

Meaning: (Spear Fortified Town, 'From Garriston; Son of Garret, Son of Gary'. The first name is derived from the surname, itself possibly from a place name from Garriston in North Yorkshire, or else originally bestowed for a son of someone named Garret or Gary. It was popularized in the USA by the fame of the US anti-slavery campaigner William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879), This ancient surname is of German and French pre 7th century origins. It derives from either of the popular personal names Gerard or Gerald. "Gerard" comprises the elements "gari" meaning a spear, and "hard" - brave, whilst "Gerald" has the same prefix of "gari", but the suffix is from "wald", meaning to rule. This type of compound name with its echoes of tough living and yet compliance with authority, is very typical of the period in history known as "The dark ages" Later after the 11th century there was a revival in Christian belief, and "names" often became biblical, through association with the crusades. The popularity of Gerard and Gerald was such as to ensure their survival into, and beyond the introduction of surnnames in the 12th century. Nobody is quite sure how many surnames emanate from Gerald and Gerard, but it is known to exceed two hundred, and for examples to be found in almost every European country. These spellings range from Garratt, Gerhard, Garred, and Jarrelt, to Gheraldi, Giraudot, Gilardengo and Gerrelts. Early examples include in England, Henry Jerard in the county of Essex in 1284, and in Germany, Burkhart Gerhart, given as being a burgher of the town of Heilbronn, in the year 1293. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of John Gerard, which was dated 1230, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Somerset, England. This was during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.)

Origin: (Old English, Germanic, French)

Pronunciation: (GAR-i-sən, GEHR
-Rih-SahN)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw Garrison as the name of a character on a Disney TV series when I was channel surfing and landed on Disney for a minute. The other character said his name and I was like that’s a cool name and one I haven’t added to my blog before. Though this is another name I tend to see as a last name rather than a first name just as I did with Donovan *see on list of posts*. Garrison has a strong meaning and an interesting long history of use which makes this a name fitted for many different genres and eras. Garrison is a far handsomer name than what it comes from Gary, Garrett, Gerard and Gerald. As someone pointed out and I agree this name would go well as a sibling name with other names such as Donovan *see on list of posts* and Flannigan *see on list of posts in June 2016*. I think Garrison sounds like it would fit a tough handsome take no prisoners like character. But then I can see a nerdy character being names this, so I’m conflicted as to where I could really see this but no matter where it’s put I would like to see it a tad bit more. 

Donovan

Meaning: (Brown-Haired Chieftain, Dark Brown, Strong Warrior, 'Descendant of Donndubhán, Descendant of the Dark Brown One'. The first name is derived from the Irish surname Ó Donnabhain meaning 'Descendant of Donndubhán'; Donndubhán is a given name from the Gaelic Donn and Dubh (meaning 'Dark, Black') and it could have originally been bestowed on someone with dark brown hair, eyes, or complexion. The name Donovan was first adopted by English speakers in the early 20th century. In modern times, it has largely lost its Irish associations, and the fame of the Scottish-born pop singer Donovan (1946-) has boosted its adoption since the 1960s.)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (DAHN-ə-vin, DAAN-aa-VahN)

Gender: Male

I was watching a contemporary Pride and Prejudice on Hallmark Channel which was called Unleashing Mr. Darcy and they gave the name Donovan as Mr. Darcy’s first name. Unleashing Mr. Darcy is also a novel. A few years back a friend of my sisters named her son Donovan which my sister loved and I kind of liked at the time. I think back then I didn’t really love it as I kind of saw it as a last name rather than a first name. I kind of like it a bit more now and the meanings are great. It’s a name that’s been around a while but isn’t over used. It’s easily pronounced which is great and there are great nickname options so all in a great name for a character. As someone pointed out and I agree this name would go well as a sibling name with other names such as Garrison *see on list of posts* and Flannigan *see on list of posts in June 2016*. It does have a sophisticated wealthy look about it but also I think could work on a street-wise Casanova, lol! So very versatile!

Aubryn

Meaning: (Hill, Horizon, Gold, Golden Hill, Golden Horizon, My Treasured Dream, Elf Ruler, Of the Hill, Elf Ruler of the Hill)

Origin: (English, German, French, Welsh)

Pronunciation: (Ah-brin)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this name on a bloggers blog, apolla13. This name looks a lot like Aubyn which I have used in one of my longest novels. In that novel Aubyn was a gorgeous sweet younger brother of the brother who nobody quite knew if they should or could trust. As for this name Aubryn I think that R throws it off a tad bit for me and reminds me of other things and names like, Auburn and Aubrey. However there is a unique look here I do like, so much so I’ve used this name in another novel as the name for some woods near my main characters house.

I love the meanings a lot though some I can’t quite authorize as true meanings as other people on naming forums had suggested what the name meant but I liked them so I kept them. The meanings I am not sure about are Gold, Golden Hill, Golden Horizon and My Treasured Dream. Even so I think those meanings are great and beautiful and I will take the word of those that listed it on naming forums. However if you want true meanings stick with the other meanings listed above under meaning. 

Leith

Meaning: (River, Harbor, Water, Wet, Damp, Broad River, Lion, This intriguing name is of medieval Scottish origin and is locational from the coastal town of Leith near Edinburgh, which takes its name from the river at whose mouth it stands, and is derived from the Gaelic 'lite' meaning wet, and is comparable to the Welsh 'llaith', damp or moist. There are reported to be three fables as to the origin of the Leiths, the first being that they held the barony of Restalrig, secondly, that they were burgesses of Edinburgh, who gave their name to Leith Wynd, and thirdly, that the founder of the family of Leith of Harthill, in the parish of Oyne, was William de Lethe, burgess of Aberdeen. The following examples illustrate the name development after 1342; Laurence de Leth (1388), Robert de Leithe (1406), Leithe (1641), James Leith married Christian Watson on December 27th 1670 at Canongate, Midlothian. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gilbert of Leth, which was dated 1327, Edinburgh, Scotland, during the reign of King Robert 1, 'The Bruce', 1306-1329. 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/Leith )

Origin: (Scottish, Celtic, Gaelic, English (Rare), Arabic)

Pronunciation: (Liy-TH)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this name on a fellow bloggers blog, Apolla13. I think this is a really cool name. It reminds me of the name Leif though the meanings and origins are far different; I knew a guy in High School named Leif. I really love the meanings and for anyone looking for a water meaning name then look no further for this name is chockfull of water meanings. It has an interesting history and is even a town and river in Scotland. It seems a nice old name with many different variants.

To me I think this would work best in a Fantasy or Sci-Fi novel as it has that historical look but with an elfish or time travelers kind of look which is odd for me to see but I do see it. Not to say this couldn’t work in the modern era or even a Historical Fiction novel. Also would look good in a romance novel as this is an attractive name, I can see a gorgeous club owner in circa 1920’s New Orleans being named this, lol, very specific there!

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