Finn was really cute and I love the name, too! —@lifeofpages_
Yes! I was so happy to see this comment in a reader’s review of Murmur. Good names are so important, don’t you agree? (Also, geez—I can only imagine what it’s like to name a real-life baby. So much brainstorming.)
Here’s the low-down on how I get ideas for character names:
Etymology / Name Meanings
I’ll often google “[potential character], name, origin” to see what comes up. Like, what’s the origin behind the name Natalie? (Day of birth, or Christmas Day!)
Finn has albinism, so I gave him a name that’s short, sounds nice, and means “white” or “fair”.
Last names are especially great for extra meaning. Corbin and Branson, for example, have roots in the French and Celtic words for “crow”. Check out The Sterling Aunts’ Guide to Shapeshifter Names for more!
Looking at Maps
I was looking at a map of Texas on a road trip when I realized: Wow, if I ever need character names (especially last names), I should definitely look at a map. So many places have names that work for people, too! (And if you’re coming up with fantasy names, try borrowing bits of names or syllables from far-away cities.)
The aunts in my books have names that are legit first names, but they are also the names of cities in Texas: Odessa, Abilene, Edna, Elsa, and Tulia.
Anagrams and Easter Eggs
In video games or movies, creators will sometimes leave “Easter eggs”–little hidden trivia or inside jokes for the people watching. One of the characters in Murmur has a name that’s an anagram: it rearranges to spell something else! I don’t point it out at all, so it’s kind of just a little thing that I know is in there (and now you know) 🙂 Skip the next line if you don’t want any spoilers, but I’ll give you the anagram here:
..
Ready? OK!
NATHANIEL R. REGIS rearranges to spell THE LIAR’S NEARING. Muahaha!
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Conclusion
So that’s it! Hope this is helpful for those of you writing stories, or naming actual babies 🙂 Feel free to leave comments or questions below–I love hearing from you guys!
Love and anagrams,
Emily
Photo by Christian Sterk on Unsplash