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.



Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Surnames

Du Barbarac 

Greylek

Cavanaugh 

Pond

Swan

Harker

Floren

Meaning: (Blossoming, Charming, Flowering, Flourishing, Prosperous, From Florence.)

Origin: (Latin)

Pronunciation: (FLAORahN, floor-in)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw this name in the 2014 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. There was a brother in the Philippines that had this name. The meanings seem feminine but the person in the year book was a man. I think the meanings are lovely and beautiful. It has a good foreign pretty name but I think it would look decent on a man.


Idina

Meaning: (Wealth, Blessed, Variant of Edina, From Edinburgh, Scotland. Variant of Adena (Noble).)

Origin: (Old English, Scottish)

Pronunciation: (uh-DEE-nuh, eye-DEE-nuh)

Gender: Female

I have heard that song, “Let it Go” from frozen a lot. It is performed by Idina Menzel. The name has grown on me. It has lovely meanings and has a unique look. It is super pretty. I really like the whole over all look of this name.

Sanctuaire

Meaning: (a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter: the protection that is provided by a safe place.)

Origin: (French)

Pronunciation: (To hear pronunciation go tot his site and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=sanctuary)

Gender: Female

I have always like the use of Sanctuary as a name but when I saw this spelling, Sanctuaire, I thought it could work even better. It has a unique spelling but has a very feminine flare and looks like a good sci-fi / fantasy name. I love the meanings and the look. I even added it to my Favorite Female Names list on this blog.

Dearbhail

Meaning: ("Daughter of Fál", derived from Gaelic der "daughter" and Fál, a legendary name for Ireland. True Desire, Poet’s Daughter, is related to Deirbhile, Deirbhealla, and perhaps the simpler Darla. Though not necessarily common, this name is well known in Ireland.)

Origin: (Irish, Irish Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (dare-voll, dare-villa, Derv-la, DER-val)

Gender: Female

I was looking up Irish names that were older and when I saw this I fell in love with it. I even added it to my Favorite Female Names list on this blog. It has beautiful meanings and has a beautiful look. It is such a lovely Irish name. Though I could see how the pronunciation could throw someone off. It just looks like a name I could see it fitting with Isolde and Tristan for some reason.

Katella

Meaning: (Soul of Truth)

Origin: (Calos Tribe of Indians in Florida)

Pronunciation: (kuh-tella, KAH-tella, KAT-ella)

Gender: Female

When I go out in the field ministry I first go to the house where we meet for field service arrangements. There is a street near the house where we meet that I always drive by and it is Katella. I think that is such a beautiful name. It reminded me of Katniss in a way. It looks like it could be in a fantasy novel or a dystopian novel. I think it has a great beautiful unique look.

I had to go to a few naming sites I don’t normally go to, to find the meaning and origin so I am not sure if they are 100% correct but there is no true 100% correct for any name as they come from so many different lands and are altered and added to over time. But I do love the meaning I found and the origin as well.

Jubilee

Meaning: (Anniversary Celebration, Joy, Celebration, The year following each cycle of seven 7-year periods, counting from Israel’s entry into the Promised Land. The Hebrew word yoh·vel′ (or, yo·vel′) means “ram’s horn,” and this refers to the sounding of a ram’s horn during that 50th year to proclaim liberty throughout the land.—Le 25:9, 10, ftn; see HORN.
Starting with the time of entering the Promised Land, the nation of Israel was to count six years during which time the land was sown, cultivated, and harvested; but the seventh year was to be a sabbath year, during which the land must lie fallow. In the seventh year no sowing or pruning could be done. Even the growth from kernels of grain spilled during the harvest of the previous year could not be reaped, and grapes were not to be gathered from the unpruned vines. Grain and fruit that grew of itself would be available to the owner, his slaves, hired laborers, alien residents, and the poor. Domestic animals and wild beasts also were allowed to eat of it. (Le 25:2-7; Ex 23:10, 11) Seven of these seven-year periods (7 × 7 = 49) were to be counted, and the following year, the 50th, was to be a Jubilee year.
The Jubilee shared features of the sabbatical year. The land again had complete rest. The same regulations applied to the produce of the land. (Le 25:8-12) This meant that the produce of the 48th year of each 50-year cycle would be the primary source of food for that year and for a little over two years following, until the harvest of the 51st, or the year after the Jubilee. Jehovah’s special blessing on the sixth year resulted in a crop yield sufficient to furnish food through the Sabbath year. (Le 25:20-22) Similarly, God provided a bountiful and sufficient harvest in the 48th year to supply the nation through the Sabbath year, the Jubilee that followed, and the next year until harvest time, if the Jews kept his Law.
The Jubilee was in a sense an entire year of festival, a year of liberty. The keeping of it would demonstrate Israel’s faith in their God Jehovah and would be a time of thanksgiving and happiness in his provisions. *from Insight, Volume 2, 1988, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses*)
Origin: (Hebrew, Biblical)
Pronunciation: (JOOB-uh-lee, joo-buh-lee)
Gender: Female
A few years ago I saw that the Duggers 19 Kids and Counting were to have the 20th baby but it died and they named it Jubilee. At the time I was not too interested in the name Jubilee, even now I am not sure I like it on real people. But a few weeks ago when reading my bible I read about the Jubilee year. So it brought the name into my head more. I do think it would make an interesting character name. I mean there are other names like Mercy, Felicity, Prudence, Harmony, Serenity *See Harmony, Serenity, Prudence, Felicity, and Mercy on list of posts* that are like words used as names over time. I think it is pretty and has good strong meanings.

Sophronia

Meaning: (Wise, Sensible, Prudent, feminine form of Sophronius. Torquato Tasso used it in his epic poem ’Jerusalem Delivered’ (1580), in which it is borne by the lover of Olinde.)

Origin: (Ancient Greek, Literature)

Pronunciation: (so-FRON-ee-a, so-FRON-ya, soph-ro-NEE-ah, sof-Roan-ia, so-FRON-yah)

Gender: Female

This was an older name I found on a list and I found it interesting. It has a different look to it and the meanings are very lovely. It also has a long history of use and it is very beautiful really. I could see Sophie being a nickname, just in my mind as this is a tad bit of a long name. I would be very intrigued though to see where an author might take a character named this. The vastly different ways to pronounce this name could be confusing though.

Ritika

Meaning: (Of a Stream, On the Move, Movement, Stream, and Brass)

Origin: (Indian, Sanskrit)

Pronunciation: (RIH-tih-kah, Rah-Tee-Kah, ree-tee-ka, ree-THEE-kah, ree-TEE-kah, Riy-TIY-Kaa)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I can’t remember where I saw this but it was on a names list somewhere I think. I wait so long to add them I forget where I saw them, lol! Anyway this name has such a unique but kind of really cool pretty look to it.

The pronunciation is the only down fall for me but the meanings I think are really pretty and nature based. Unfortunately it is a name I will probably forget about unless I see it more often. I like it though because it reminds me of the character Riddick, played by actor Vin Diesel. That is if you say if fast enough and have my accent when saying it, lol. But spelled out they don’t look alike.

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