Guy names

[Aes]

So here I am, fleshing out some details for the characters in the story I want to write, and it's going rather well. This is, until I need to name the male characters.

For some reason, I can come up with what I think are great female names without much work, however I seem to struggle with male names in much the same way George Bush struggles to run a country.

What I want to know is, what techniques do you guys use for coming up with names, particularly male names? So far, I have 5 dudes outlined, and none of them have nametags that I want them to keep.

[star.torturer]

use joe


what are the charachters like

[Mark Robson]

I have a book of 50 000 baby names which is a most useful tool here. The names originate from all over the world, so there are some most unusual ones. The thing I find great about this resource is that it gives the meanings of the names in the native tongue as well. I now look for names that have meaning to the type of character I'm creating.

[j. d. worthington]

Mark beat me to it. I'd also suggest, in picking the names, go for sound that reflects the nature of your character, as well.

[Paradox 99]

I've almost completed a VB programme which holds a database with thousands of names from around the world (probably similar to Mark's list).
The tool shows the meanings of the names too and is searchable in that way.
I used it in Ocean Black for Mahina's name - Did a search for names having the word "moon" in the meaning and that was one of the names.
So if you have a particular character trait that you want captured through the name, it might be useful for you.

If you (or indeed anyone) would like this tool let me know and I'll send you the beta version.

[Aes]

I'd love a copy of that program, and any other names/ways to locate large name databases.

What are the characters like? In as simple a way as possible, something like this:

1) Cares only for himself, he aspires for the power to exert his authority as well as immortality so that he can maintain this authority indefinitely. He could probably be referred to as "an ass" because he just loves screwing with people. Primary Antagonist.

2) Another powerhungry individual, he's a very wise, very old mage in the service of #1. He has little ethics when it comes to his research, as he won't hesitate to bring in human test subjects, and then dispose of them after they've outlived their usefulness. I haven't developed much of his personality yet, other than that. Secondary Antagonist.

3) While he's on the side of the 'bad guys,' (#1 and #2) he cares deeply for the protagonist, as he was once an appointed guardian of sorts for her. Duty and his family are important to him, but since #1 gets a kick out of manipulating him through threats towards his wife and child, he is forced to serve on the side he's on.

4) Father of the Protagonist & Antagonist, he's naive and kind-hearted, and never fully recovers from the loss of his wife. Not much else is really needed, because he's a goner after the first or second chapter.

5) An otherworldly being without form who 'befriends' the protagonist out of mutual necessity. Somewhat cold, easily annoyed, and rather chaotic.

6) A good-natured orphan boy who is able to stay positive through the worst of things. Street-smart and somewhat clumsy.

[Marky Lazer]

You should call the hero Mark of course.

[j. d. worthington]

If I may toss in a couple of suggestions (not names, but things that may help nonetheless in picking names):

as noted in my earlier post, try for euphony -- names that flow easily off the tongue

don't be afraid to be ironic in some of your name choices; for example, your chief antagonist could be named Alexander, which means "defender of men", when he is obviously anything but

on the formless entity, try to avoid the two pitfalls: human names that are too familiar, and names that readers will find unpronounceable. Try to find something that suggest alienness without it being a roadblock when the reader comes across it in the text. Often fantasy writers use names with an Arab or Indian origin, or something of that nature, or derived from such roots; though these are finally making it into European culture, they are still exotic enough to "appear" alien to many readers. I'd suggest not following such a name exactly, but finding roots in these names and extrapolating, or allowing them to suggest a similar set of sounds to you

[Marky Lazer]

And name the bad guy Jerry, please.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Marky Lazer

And name the bad guy Jerry, please.

No, not Jerry, too familiar and too modern -- Jeremiah

[Aes]

Ugh, the protagonist is 1) already named and 2) doesn't have a penis. Still, if you want the antagonist to be named Jerry, I have to name the protagonist Tom. In his quest, Tom will search for the legendary Wooden Mallet to slay his enemy with. More than likely, he'll only end up smashing his tail though.

Now, if you were trying to imply that certain aspects of what I outlined are overused and cliche, then by all means, say so using the direct approach. I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve my ideas, and I don't want this to end up as "just another ho-hum cookie cutter story."

- - -

On a more serious note, thanks JD, that's just the kind of thing I was hoping to see in this thread. An ironic name would be especially fitting for the antagonist, because as far as his people know, he's a great ruler. Well, he appears to them as better than his father, at the very least.

The two pitfalls you named were already in the back of my mind--the entity is just as likely to be named Grazz'thu'mogok'ra'zorkmmpht as he is to be named Casper the unfriendly ghost. The indian/arab suggestion is awesome, and I'm going to nose around through some online lists or something tomorrow. (later today)

Thanks for the feedback.

[j. d. worthington]

Actually, I think Marky was offering a not-so-subtle hint that the bad guy should be named after me, the good guy after his own sweet little self. And all just because I've been looking out for him, what with his condition and all.....

[Aes]

Ugh, I should've made the connection with "Marky" suggesting that I name a protagonist "Mark," but I'm way overdue in terms of sleep. What I really need to do is stop trying to flesh out my world (as tired as I am, I'm more likely to ruin it) for now and get to bed, but creativity is addictive, especially when it's remained practically unused for roughly 10 years.

I also have a fear of making something that I think is just creative, awesome and cool beyond words, but to someone else, it's just mediocre.

Damn forum, damn story, let me sleep.

[Marky Lazer]

As long as the hero is called Mark it can't be mediocre, really.

Anyway this is a great site for names and their meaning: http://www.behindthename.com/

[Mouse]

Also all-names.com is a good one for character names, has names from all over the world. Also I recently found a babynamer on aol's site that has some good names: http://parenting.aol.com/parenting/o...20172,,00.html