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, November 30, 2012

I’ve been having Posting Problems

Sorry about not having posted in a while. I have been unable to get my posting page to come up. As best I figure is it’s probably my outdated browser. I use my parents computer (my lab top no longer allows me to use the internet unless I use Wifi) and internet. They have dial up and are unable to get any faster internet right now. So updating the browser is impossible right now. So I will have to try and go and take my lab top to a place that has free Wifi and use it there. Well that’s what I am doing right now. That said I will probably not be able to put new names on my blog as often. I want to try and keep adding at least once a month, if I can. I have missed blogging more than you know and I have missed adding new names.

 I want to thank those that continue to check out my blog and comment. Below this post I have added all new names so check them out and sorry it’s taken so long. I will try and collect and add new names in December but if I am unable to get to a free Wifi spot then I will just have to start posting and see you all in the New Year.

Ambrus

Meaning: (Undying, Immortal, Hungarian form of Ambrosius (AMBROSE: From the Late Latin name Ambrosius, which was derived from the Greek name Αμβροσιος (Ambrosios) meaning "immortal". Saint Ambrose was a 4th-century theologian and bishop of Milan, who is considered a Doctor of the Church. Due to the saint, the name came into general use in Christian Europe, though it was never particularly common in England.) This name recorded as Ambrose and Ambrus, derives from the ancient Greek personal name Ambrosios meaning "divine" or "immortal". Its popularity as a medieval christian name was largely due to the fame of Saint Ambrose (circa 340-394), Bishop of Milan and one of the great fathers of the Latin Church. His pupil was St. Augustine, the name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and again in the 1168 "Pipe Rolls of Norfolk". The surname first appears in the latter half of the 13th Century, (see below). In 1567, Johane Ambrose, daughter of William Ambrose was christened in St. James's Church, Clerkenwell. Isac Ambrose (1604-1663) educated at Oxford in 1624 was appointed one of the King's four preachers in Lancashire in 1631 and worked for the establishment of Presbyterianism. In 1729 Joseph Mottram and Ambrosia Ambrose were married in St. George's Hanover Square, London. John Ambrose (died 1771) was a captain in the navy who served in the Channel and Mediterranean between, 1734 - 1744 and rose to the rank of rear admiral. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Ambroys, which was dated 1273, in the "Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1302. 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/Ambrus )

Origin: (Hungarian, Latin, Greek)

Pronunciation: (AA-MBRahS)

Gender: Female

I was looking through some of my old year books the other day and I remember this girl I knew that was a year older than me. We had a class together and I remembered she had an interesting name. I looked it up in the year book, it was Ambrus. The meanings are beautiful and it has a wonderful history. Ambrus is a nice alternative for the similar spelled Amber (Amber and Ambrus have different meanings and are not alike except that they look similar). Of course as well you can use this as a feminine version of Ambrose which is the basis for Ambrus. I have used Ambrose before in a novel but I have not as of yet used Ambrus. It’s a rare name but I think I like that.

Otto

Meaning: (Wealth, Fortune, Prosperity, From the Old High German Otho and Odo, which are derived from Auda (Rich). The name was borne by Otto I (912-73, 10th Century), a King of Germany and the first Emperor of Holy Roman Empire he was known as Otto the Great. The older form Odo is also bestowed, but it is much less common. This was the name of four kings of Germany. This name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece who was originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898). Common in English-speaking countries until Otto von Bismarck's German armies became threateningly powerful in the early 20th century. Ottone is the Italian form. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful, creative and prosperous civilizations in the last 1000 years. At their height during the 16th Century, their Muslim influence can still be seen in architecture, religion and culture. Otto is the name of a volatile and highly fragrant essential oil obtained from the petals of roses. As short a name as Otto is, it is actually based on even shorter compound personal names containing the Germanic elements "od" and "ot" -- derivatives of prosperity, wealth, fortune and riches. (A similar example is how the English "ead" is used in names such as Edward and Edwin). Otto has a rich religious and royal history, and the name has maintained its popularity through the ages by having christened those important and wealthy surviving families during what were for many turbulent times.)

Origin: (German, Nordic, Scandinavian, Dutch, English, Finnish, Ancient Germanic)

Pronunciation: (AH-toh, AW-to (German), AH-to (English), AW-toh, OT-toe) 

Gender: Male

I was watching a furniture commercial the other day. It was a commercial where the furniture introduced there selves and the ottoman said his name was Otto. I have heard this name before and I thought to add this now. The meanings are lovely. It’s got a very long interesting history. I love that it is short and the pronunciation is fun (say Otto over and over and see).

Camalina

Meaning: (English as camelina, gold-of-pleasure, or false flax, also occasionally wild flax, linseed dodder, German sesame, and Siberian oilseed, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae which includes mustard, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts. It is native to Northern Europe and to Central Asian areas, but has been introduced to North America, possibly as a weed in flax. Camelina needs little water or nitrogen to flourish, it can be grown on marginal agricultural lands. It may be used as a rotation crop for wheat, to increase the health of the soil. It has been traditionally cultivated as an oilseed crop to produce vegetable oil and animal feed. Ample archeological evidence shows it has been grown in Europe for at least 3,000 years. The earliest find sites include the Neolithic levels at Auvernier, Switzerland (dated to the second millennium BC), the Chalcolithic level at Pefkakia in Greece (dated to the third millennium BC), and Sucidava-Celei, Romania (circa 2200 BC). During the Bronze age and Iron age, it was an important agricultural crop in northern Greece beyond the current range of the olive.  It apparently continued to be grown at the time of the Roman Empire, although it’s Greek and Latin names are not known. According to Zohary and Hopf, until the 1940s, C. sativa was an important oil crop in eastern and central Europe, and currently has continued to be cultivated in a few parts of Europe for its seed oil, which was used, for example, in oil lamps (until the modern harnessing of natural gas and propane and electricity) and as an edible false flax oil.)

Origin:  (English, English Nature Name, Latin)

Pronunciation: (cam-uh-lee-nuh)

Gender: Female

I was watching something of T.V and I heard this. I think it was during a commercial. I came to think what an adorable name this would make. Again here is a nature name with very nice meanings. The plant has an interesting history as well. The spelling and pronunciation is unique and would be great in many different genres. It would be super cute in a science fiction / fantasy novel. But I could see this being kind of cute in the modern day as well.

Topanga

Meaning: (A Place Above, Where the Mountain meets the Sea, A variant form of Topanga is the name Topangah. Another variant of Topanga is the pet form Topi.)

Origin: (Native American)

Pronunciation: (toh-PAN-gə, TAH-pang-uh, Tow-PeyN-Gah, toe-pane-guh)    

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw that the old TV series Boy Meets World is going to have a sequel called Girl Meets World that will follow the daughter of Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World. I used to watch that show many, many years ago. I think the name Topanga is a bit weird but I like the meanings. Also I don’t add Native American names too much so I decided to add this one.

Joss

Meaning: (He will Enlarge, One of the Goths, Little Goth, A member of the Germanic tribe, the Gauts, Lord, Originally a diminutive of Jocelyn, which used to be a masculine name or Joshua. Joss Whedon, television writer and Joss Stone, singer.)

Origin: (English, Hebrew, Old French, Breton, Old German)

Pronunciation: (JAHS, JHAOS)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching a movie the other day. It was like a thriller / mystery. The main persons name was Joss. I was like that’s short but kind of cute. I looked up the name but I saw it was just a nickname for Jocelyn. I have heard the name used in movies and books but I just don’t really like the look of it. (I know a Jocelyn in real life so I don’t want her or any other Jocelyn’s to think I am downing there name.) Jocelyn is a fine name I just can’t see using it on any of my characters in my novels. Joss on the other hand is a good stand alone name and is super cute like I have said. The meanings are all right as well.

Azalea

Meaning: (Dry, Dry Earth, From the name of the flower, ultimately derived from Greek αζαλεος (azaleos) "dry". Flower name of a shrub that flourishes in dry soil and blooms in spring. First coined in the 18th century.)

Origin: (English (Rare), English Nature Name, Greek)

Pronunciation: (ah-ZAY-lee-ə, ə-ZAY-lee-ə, ə-ZAYL-yə, a-ZAYL-yah)

Gender: Female

I was on Yahoo Answers a few weeks ago and this person was asking about naming one of there princesses in there story Azalea. They were also asking about Amaryllis *see on list of posts.* So I have seen this plant name used as a name before but never really gave it much thought. Now I have started to think about it and I like the name so I have decided to use it as one of my characters middle names. It is a name you don’t really hear too often and the meaning is decent. It’s a nice nature name and really quite pretty. I would love to see this name used in more stories but not so many that it becomes over used and boring.

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