How do you guys come up with the names of your characters?

[Arsène The Third]

Naming characters is hard. VERY HARD! At least for me LOL 😆

And in the midst of the difficulties I've been having naming my characters, I thought: I wonder how other anime-loving aspiring writers name their characters? And for me this was the best place to ask (after all, we're talking about a community of writers within a Fire Emblem forum, of course y'all like anime). 

But detail: When I talk about made-up names, I really mean made-up names! I'm talking about those different and unconventional names we see in Jrpgs, in manga, in anime... Things like that. Like: Gon Freecss, Killua Zoldyck, Leorio Paradinight, Chrollo Lucilfer, Monkey D. Luffy, Vinsmoke Sanji, Rob Lucci, Donquixote Doflamingo, Vyse, Aika, Fina,  Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia...

These kind of unconventional and bizarre names, you know? How do you guys come up with yours? Do you have any examples of your own names or those of other works out there?

[KKAfterbrun]

One idea you could use is to take the names of people or places and jumble up the letter to come up with a name or two.

I once came up with name for a character just by rearranging my own name just for fun. turns out it ended up as actual name of person.

[indigoasis]

As far as using traditional names, I kinda just go with whatever sounds cool or rolls off the tongue. Alternatively, I try to find names that have correlating meanings behind them (when applicable), so the first and last names have some theming to them if it can make sense to do so. Unfortunately, I don't typically make up names since what I write often doesn't cross too far into the territory where made-up names would be commonplace.

Although, based on some of the examples you mentioned, made-up names still have some basis in our real language, whether translated from other languages or perhaps languages from the past. Vyse, for instance, sounds (or reads) like vice. That may or may not be indicative of their character, but Vyse still sounds and looks cool regardless.

A good example I can think of is Optimus Prime, and it's an easy one; it sounds like "optimal," and given his status as Prime and leader of the Autobots, he's literally the optimal/prime leader. His original name, Orion Pax, is a little harder to figure out, but it has "orion" like the belt in space (indicating he's extraterrestrial; this might be a stretch, but it's what I'm going with), and "pax" means "peace" in Latin, which is what he's ultimately striving for. It's pretty on-the-nose, but for an 80s cartoon about alien robot vehicles, it's ultimately a fitting name either way.

[vanguard333]

I'm currently writing my own fantasy novel, I've currently finished the first draft and I'm in the editing phase, and I still struggle with coming up with names for characters and places.

Since the fantasy kingdom my story takes place in is heavily inspired by Medieval Scotland, I mainly use Scottish names for the characters. I try to go with meaningful names, but, more than thinking, "what name best fits this character thematically?" and "what name best fits this character's description?", I also think, "What name would this character's parents give them?"

I haven't really tried coming up with made-up names; I suppose one method, as mentioned above by @indigoasis, would be to have the name still have some basis in real language. To use one of your own examples: the "Donquixote" in Donquixote Doflamingo comes from Don Quixote: a famous Spanish novel from the early 1600s about an insane man who decides to try to be a wondering knight after reading a bunch of chivalric tales. In his madness, he, among other things, tries to joust with windmills, thinking they are giants.

[indigoasis]

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

I also think, "What name would this character's parents give them?"

A sentiment I've sometimes seen is that, as a parent, you aren't just naming your children, you're naming a potential adult, so that's actually an excellent tip! I think I'll have to keep that in mind.

[ARMADS!!!]

I just choose whatever sound cool. A lot of times I choose names that "look american" or basically that would roll on the tongue in english, otherwise a name that "looks foreign" (usually more specific such as looks russian, or japanese, or "tribal", or whatever) but not a anything that actually comes from any language (the mangaka from Cowboy bebop even said that he just chose the name spike because it sounds american and cool).

Avoid unpronunciable stuff if possible (unless that's the point) and try to choose a name that won't be pronounced very differently in different languages or have a very ambiguous pronunciation (unless you don't mind it, I had a character name "Iris" for years only to find out that it's pronounced "Eye-Reez" in english and not "Ee-rees" as I thought for years that it was, that was a bummer).

Sometimes a very vague reference in english (say, like how "killua" obviously comes from "kill" because he's from a family of assassins, or how Zoro from One Piece comes from the Zoro guy that everyone knows, or how a bunch of surnames in Fairy Tail are loose but obvious references to something, I heard that Marth from Fire Emblem comes from Mars because it's the god of war, also a bunch of the characters from RWBY, so yeah this sort of stuff).

 I sometimes choose names from flowers or colors or just random english words all the time (random words in any language can work) for some characters (say, just like how we have "Cloud" in Final Fantasy or "Rouge" in Sonic), others have some normal names (like Robin in one piece), others have names that came from words in latin or mythologically or historical figures related (like the main four guys in Final Fantasy XV, or Aerith in Final Fantasy VII, or Zoro in One Piece), it's not all the names that follow.

 I have a list of names I hear around and thought that sounded cool (names from random OCs I see on Instagram, book characters, musical artists or actors, stuff that comes in my head, name from random Fire Emblem bosses, a bunch that were just when I mispelled a word and it sounded like a cool name (I mean look at how "Bayonetta's name is just the name of the weapon Baioneta but mispelled), random foreign words that I read on packages and don't even know what it means, sometimes someone mispells a word outloud and I think "that looks like a badass name, I'll write it down"), but don't forget: write it down if it sounds cool BUT ONLY USED AFTER YOU GOOGLE IT! I had a character named Erza and I was pretty bummed after seeing that the only thing you get when you google this is Erza from Fairy Tail, really, don't use obvious names, and always be SURE of what the name you chose means (a lot of times it means something, even if in other language and you don't know) or imagine how shitty if you end up giving your character the same name of a pornstar by accident, ALWAYS LOOK IT UP! Anyway, I casually pick names from the list I made and use them.

 Also a bunch of character I named when I was a kid so they had senseless made up names that I thought were cool when I was a kid, a bunch of those stuck if I still think they're cool.

 Also, I like names I can use for puns but not for every character.

 Think if the name of the character is ever going to be important for something too then choose based on that, for example I have a character whose name is the two letters that abreviate his complete name (sorry, I forget how it's called in english, y'know, it's like if Gon Freecss was diminuted as G.F) and I thought about this YEARS before I decided his actual name, the actual name had a be decided with the diminution in mind. I decided another character was going to have a name that was just two letters (and had to have a specific "vibe" I wanted, I wanted it to give sort of a tribal feeling), possibly (but didn't HAVE to be) even two vowels, well as you can tell my options weren't too many, so I made a list of a bunch of two lettered names and let it like that.

 Another GREAT source of inspiration: Sites for ideas for names for babies (you probably bumped into one of those even if by accident while trying to pick a name), they have a lot of weird "exotic" options there that would be cruel to name a real life person as, but cool to name a character. And you can always seek baby names that are popular in other languages. You can search names that start with a specific letter, that have a specific number of letters, names that look like another name, other spellings for a specific name, or look up something like "names related to water" (the sites will give you even names in other languages or that are very loosely related to water, for example, "Juvia" from Fairy Tail is just a japanese way to try to spell "Lluvia" that is "Rain" in Spanish and Juvia uses water magic so it fits).

 Also if you change spellings it can become something new, like Alys instead of Alice or whatever. 

 Later, if I remember something else I comeback and tell you. Good luck with your story bro, I wanna read it when you're finished, I remember you said on the other thread (asking for help on the title of the story) that you came up with your story in Middle school or something and now was able to write it, I relate to it and am doing the same so Im very happy to see someone on the same situation (although, being more sucessful than me, because Im still far from finishing mine) both because I relate to it and because it gives me hope of one day being able to release my story to the world too. I'm proud you're doing well with it.

[alittlelapin]

either in that moment, que extensive research or theme/symbolism/motif surfing and plotting 

OR immediately from the top of my head because it "feels/fits/sounds right"

worse case scenario: no name at all, and they get stuck with a sad, sad placeholder instead for months to come

[Jotari]

16 hours ago, Arsène The Third said:

Things like that. Like: Gon Freecss, Killua Zoldyck, Leorio Paradinight, Chrollo Lucilfer, Monkey D. Luffy, Vinsmoke Sanji, Rob Lucci, Donquixote Doflamingo, Vyse, Aika, Fina,  Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia...

 

A bunch of them are actually real names.

[ARMADS!!!]

7 hours ago, alittlelapin said:

either in that moment, que extensive research or theme/symbolism/motif surfing and plotting 

OR immediately from the top of my head because it "feels/fits/sounds right"

worse case scenario: no name at all, and they get stuck with a sad, sad placeholder instead for months to come

 Yeah, same. And then sometimes I decide that the placeholder name is not even that bad and it ends up staying like this lol (sometimes not, when the placeholder name is TOO sad...)

[Arsène The Third]

On 1/11/2024 at 9:18 PM, KKAfterbrun said:

One idea you could use is to take the names of people or places and jumble up the letter to come up with a name or two.

I once came up with name for a character just by rearranging my own name just for fun. turns out it ended up as actual name of person.

This is a tactic I've been doing recently and I have to say, it works like a charm! I already have a few ready like Aleks, Artranis, Arsèn and Jadd.

On 1/11/2024 at 9:20 PM, indigoasis said:

As far as using traditional names, I kinda just go with whatever sounds cool or rolls off the tongue. Alternatively, I try to find names that have correlating meanings behind them (when applicable), so the first and last names have some theming to them if it can make sense to do so. Unfortunately, I don't typically make up names since what I write often doesn't cross too far into the territory where made-up names would be commonplace.

Yeah, I'd say that's been my biggest problem.

You see, I've always named my characters with real names and meanings like Raymond, William, Joshua, Lydia and so on, but as I've developed my work, I've realized that these "common" names are no longer going to work based on everything that's been established. So I started modifying the names and it worked! Until I arrived at my protagonist Jadd...  Since "Jadd" is already very different, I tried to apply common surnames or different surnames that wouldn't make it difficult to pronounce it, but nothing works. Nothing seems to fit. I have a VERY hard time identifying whether a name is good and sliding off the tongue, or if it's cringe-worthy, weird or generic. In my head they're all bad...

On 1/11/2024 at 9:20 PM, indigoasis said:

Although, based on some of the examples you mentioned, made-up names still have some basis in our real language, whether translated from other languages or perhaps languages from the past. Vyse, for instance, sounds (or reads) like vice. That may or may not be indicative of their character, but Vyse still sounds and looks cool regardless.

A good example I can think of is Optimus Prime, and it's an easy one; it sounds like "optimal," and given his status as Prime and leader of the Autobots, he's literally the optimal/prime leader. His original name, Orion Pax, is a little harder to figure out, but it has "orion" like the belt in space (indicating he's extraterrestrial; this might be a stretch, but it's what I'm going with), and "pax" means "peace" in Latin, which is what he's ultimately striving for. It's pretty on-the-nose, but for an 80s cartoon about alien robot vehicles, it's ultimately a fitting name either way.

Yeah, I know that many of them are based on our language or that of other countries or even on characters like Vanguard333 said about Doflamingo. 

Some of my favorite examples are in the film "Promare" by Studio Trigger. In that movie, "Promare" comes from the Greek God Prometheus, responsible for bringing fire to humanity. And the names of the protagonists: Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia also have symbolism on this Greek basis. Galo is just Rooster in Portuguese, but Thymos is a Greek word representing the concept of "spiritedness" or "the heart's desire", which reflects his energetic and over-the-top personality. Lio comes from Deucalion, the name of the son of Prometheus and Lion, a Greek island. Fotia means Fire in Greek. Two antagonists: Kray Foresight and Biar Colossus come from the two titans who chained Prometheus to the rock, with Kray being Kratos and Biar being Bia. Foresight alludes to the real meaning of Prometheus' name and Colossus may refer to the ancient Greek statues. 

What's more, I had no idea about this story about Optimus Prime's name! I'm legitimately enchanted by it! Thanks for sharing! I really couldn't imagine that the creators would have put so much effort into the cartoon all the way back in the 80s!

On 1/11/2024 at 10:35 PM, vanguard333 said:

I'm currently writing my own fantasy novel, I've currently finished the first draft and I'm in the editing phase, and I still struggle with coming up with names for characters and places.

Since the fantasy kingdom my story takes place in is heavily inspired by Medieval Scotland, I mainly use Scottish names for the characters. I try to go with meaningful names, but, more than thinking, "what name best fits this character thematically?" and "what name best fits this character's description?", I also think, "What name would this character's parents give them?"

First of all, congratulations! I'm glad you've finished your first draft, that's truly awesome!  And second, your suggestion really is something I hadn't thought of, I'll write it down now, thanks!

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

Avoid unpronunciable stuff if possible (unless that's the point) and try to choose a name that won't be pronounced very differently in different languages or have a very ambiguous pronunciation (unless you don't mind it, I had a character name "Iris" for years only to find out that it's pronounced "Eye-Reez" in english and not "Ee-rees" as I thought for years that it was, that was a bummer).

Unpronounceable names are definitely on my blacklist. I try to make sure as much as possible that my names don't get too weird or unpronounceable, and yet I don't always succeed. I think my biggest problem is my insecurity when it comes to naming things. I can never tell if the name is good, bad, cringe or weird, and I always end up discarding it until I hear someone else's opinion.

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

Sometimes a very vague reference in english (say, like how "killua" obviously comes from "kill" because he's from a family of assassins, or how Zoro from One Piece comes from the Zoro guy that everyone knows, or how a bunch of surnames in Fairy Tail are loose but obvious references to something, I heard that Marth from Fire Emblem comes from Mars because it's the god of war, also a bunch of the characters from RWBY, so yeah this sort of stuff).

 I sometimes choose names from flowers or colors or just random english words all the time (random words in any language can work) for some characters (say, just like how we have "Cloud" in Final Fantasy or "Rouge" in Sonic), others have some normal names (like Robin in one piece), others have names that came from words in latin or mythologically or historical figures related (like the main four guys in Final Fantasy XV, or Aerith in Final Fantasy VII, or Zoro in One Piece), it's not all the names that follow.

I've been doing exactly that to tell you the truth. And I'm doing pretty well to be honest! I've developed a ton of tactics that are helping me a LOT when it comes to naming characters and making the process a lot easier. It's an excellent tip!

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

but don't forget: write it down if it sounds cool BUT ONLY USED AFTER YOU GOOGLE IT! I had a character named Erza and I was pretty bummed after seeing that the only thing you get when you google this is Erza from Fairy Tail, really, don't use obvious names, and always be SURE of what the name you chose means (a lot of times it means something, even if in other language and you don't know)

It's so annoying when that happens, man... it's one of the things that made me want made-up or modified names in the first place.

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

imagine how shitty if you end up giving your character the same name of a pornstar by accident,

DON'T MAKE ME REVIVE THAT TRAUMA!!! (Just kidding, thank God it never happened) 

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

 Another GREAT source of inspiration: Sites for ideas for names for babies (you probably bumped into one of those even if by accident while trying to pick a name), they have a lot of weird "exotic" options there that would be cruel to name a real life person as, but cool to name a character. And you can always seek baby names that are popular in other languages. You can search names that start with a specific letter, that have a specific number of letters, names that look like another name, other spellings for a specific name, or look up something like "names related to water" (the sites will give you even names in other languages or that are very loosely related to water, for example, "Juvia" from Fairy Tail is just a japanese way to try to spell "Lluvia" that is "Rain" in Spanish and Juvia uses water magic so it fits).

Surprisingly I've never had much luck with these baby name websites or similar. I've never found many exotic or different names there, maybe I just haven't looked hard enough, I'll check them out again sometime. And the one about Juvia's name is very clever, I'll write it down and see if I can form something using the same formula.

On 1/12/2024 at 3:02 AM, ARMADS!!! said:

Later, if I remember something else I comeback and tell you. Good luck with your story bro, I wanna read it when you're finished, I remember you said on the other thread (asking for help on the title of the story) that you came up with your story in Middle school or something and now was able to write it, I relate to it and am doing the same so Im very happy to see someone on the same situation (although, being more sucessful than me, because Im still far from finishing mine) both because I relate to it and because it gives me hope of one day being able to release my story to the world too. I'm proud you're doing well with it.

That's so awesome, man! Thank you very much for the encouragement, I'm very happy to be talking to you again, you're a very creative person and I can see that you really are a very inspired person who likes to help others. I'll want to read your story when it's done too! You can bet on that! Have hope for your work and I hope you're doing well with it too. 😄

Edited January 16 by Arsène The Third