How do you choose a name? Do you put down the first name that pops into your mind? Initially that’s what I used to do, until someone pointed out to me that there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a name…
1. You Have To Be Comfortable With It
We associate names with people we know. If you like a certain name but know and dislike a person who bears it, will you feel comfortable using that name in your story?
Will you mentally shut that person out or will you be reminded of them each time you type that name?
Our characters have to be likable to us before they can become likeable to our readers. Will your dislike for that person transfer to your character?
2. It Must Be Easy To Pronounce
The English language can be, at times, misleading. How many words, and even names we spell one way and pronounce another? If the name you have chosen falls into this category, will your readers know how to pronounce it?
For years I use to pronounce the beautiful name ‘Sean’ exactly how it’s written ‘Seen,’ when it’s pronounced by the much nicer sounding ‘Shorn.’ Will the name you choose bear the same problem?
If you choose a difficult pronouncing name for your character and worse, one that’s not widely known, you stand to lose the effect of that name. A beautiful sounding name can be utterly destroyed if your reader doesn’t know how to pronounce it.
Your story has to flow. If the name you’ve chosen is not easy to pronounce, the readers will constantly stop each time they come across it. This will disrupt the flow of your story.
3. Foreign Sounding Names
The same as the above applies to foreign sounding names. They must be easy to pronounce. Consider the following:
- Yahiya
- Indihar
- Gschu
- Lyudmila
These names sound exotic but they don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Should you compromise the flow of the story for the sake of a name?
4. Does The Name Suit Your Character?
Not all names suit all people and not all names will suit all characters. Like clothing and hairstyles, names go out of fashion too.
