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, January 31, 2014

Seth

Meaning: (Appointed, Put, Who Puts, Fixed, Set, The son of Adam and Eve born when Adam was 130 years old. Eve named him Seth because, as she said, “God has appointed another seed in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” Seth may not have been the third child of Adam and Eve. According to Genesis 5:4, Adam had “sons and daughters,” some of whom may have been born before Seth. Seth is worthy of note because Noah, and through him the present-day race of mankind, descended from him, not from the murderous Cain. At the age of 105 years Seth became father to Enosh. Seth died at the age of 912 years (3896-2984 B.C.E.).—Ge 4:17, 25, 26; 5:3-8; 1Ch 1:1-4; Lu 3:38. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.)

Origin: (Biblical, Hebrew)

Pronunciation: (SEHTH, s-EH-th)

Gender: Male

I love watching WWE Wrestling and one of The Shield member guys is named Seth. It is an easily recognizable and pronounceable name. Also this is one of the oldest names because it was the name of one of Adam and Eve’s sons. The means are also good as well. Over all this is an attractive short name. I could see a pretty handsome guy being named this as well.

Clelia

Meaning: (Heaven, Sky, Moon, Light, Shine, Fame, associated with the root of the verb cluere "to have renown, fame," and the name therefore means "illustrious, famous." From Greek Kleio. Modern Italian form of Cloelia, the feminine form of Cloelius, a Roman family name. A feisty heroine from legendary Roman history who after having been given by the Romans to the Etruscans as a hostage, escaped by swimming the River Tiber back to Rome. She was returned, but out of admiration, the Etruscans released her along with other hostages. French novelist Mlle. de Scudéry (17th-century) retold her story. The name was borne by Saint Clelia Barbieri (19th century), patron saint of those mocked for their faith.)

Origin: (Italian, Ancient Roman, Old Greek)

Pronunciation: (KLEH-lee-ə, KLey-LIY-aa- or KLey-LYAH, kle-lee-ah)

Gender: Female

I totally forget where I heard or saw this. I should have written it down as to where I saw it but unfortunately I didn’t. It sort of looks like someone was going for Cleo or Chloe but went another direction with it. The meanings are beautiful and the name spelling has an overall unique rare look in the modern era at least. It seems pretty and for some reason it seems a bit preppy to me. It is also an interesting and cool history of the variant names. The pronunciation is also easier than I thought when I was able to see the pronunciation. If you see the name first it may take a while to hit on the correct pronunciation. The pronunciation’s also rolls off the tongue and the roof of ones mouth interestingly. 

Christiane

Meaning: (Christian, Follower of Christ, Feminine form of Christian, which is a form of the Greek Christianos (A Christian, a Follower of Christ). Christiane (1626-1670) was the daughter of King Christian IV of Denmark and his second wife Kirsten. She had a twin sister named Hedwig. Christiane (1683-1683) was the daughter of King Christian V of Denmark and his wife Charlotte.)

Origin: (Greek, French, German, Latin)

Pronunciation: (kris-tee-AH-nə (German), krees-TYAHN (French), kris-tchee-AH-nə, kris-tchee-AHN, KRiySTYAEN in French or KRihSTiyAANah in German, Kris-tyah-neh, Kris-tee-ON)

Gender: Female

I always watch CNN and one of the correspondents is named Christiane Amanpour. I love the look and pronunciation she has…I hear it as Kris-tee-ON. The meanings are good and the history of use is long. It is a nice alternative to Christina and Christiana. Also it is the female version of Christian. I really like this name a lot and hope to be able use it in the future. Or at least see it in books more often.

Aira

Meaning: (King, The Beginning, The Principle, The Breathe of Life, Of the Wind, Pure, Chaste, Melodies)

Origin: (Armenian, American, Greek, Italian)

Pronunciation: (EH-RAH, eye-rah, ay-r-uh)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I was looking up a name and stumbled upon this one as often happens, lol. I think I named a secondary characters child this in the novel I am currently writing. The meanings are super pretty and this name is just so beautiful all around. It is short, sweet and interesting.

Aneira

Meaning: (Snow, Our Snow, Truly Golden)

Origin: (Irish, Welsh)

Pronunciation: (an-EE-rah, aeN-IY-aa, uh - n AY - r uh, ah-NEAR-uh, An-eye-ra, ah-N EE-r-uh)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up a name I saw on a naming board that a lady wanted advice on naming her daughter either Eirwyn *see on list of posts* or Aneira. I fell in love with this name, its meanings and the general look just like with Eirwyn. It is soft and pretty just like its meaning of Snow. It looks foreign by English speaker’s terms but that doesn’t really bug me.

Brigit

Meaning: (Exalted One, Shining Bright, The High One, Strength, The name Brigid from brigh meaning “power, vigour, virtue” epitomizes the Irish genius for layering old and new. The main female deity of the Celts, Brigid made the land fruitful and animals multiply, she blessed poets and blacksmiths. Her namesake St. Brigid of Kildare carried her powers into the Christian era. The stories of Brigid”s compassion and miracles are told now as they have been for more than 1500 years in every part of Ireland. She is equal in esteem and shares a grave with St. Patrick and St. Columcille. Her feast day, February 1st, is the first day of Spring in the Celtic calender.)

Origin: (Gaelic, Irish, Irish Mythology, Celtic)

Pronunciation: (bridge + id, BRIJ- id)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Rhiannon *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Brigit was among them. I have decided to use this as maid servants name in one of the novels I am currently writing. I do however keep wanting to use the French pronunciation bri-JEET but when I listened to this name it is Bridge-id. I like the meanings and the spelling versus other spellings like Bridget and Bridgette. It also has a nice long history as well.

Rhiannon

Meaning: (Derived from the old Celtic name Rigantona meaning "Great Queen". In Welsh mythology Rhiannon was the goddess of fertility and the moon. This name is also borne by a princess in Welsh legends, the wife of Pwyll. As an English name, it became popular due to the Fleetwood Mac song 'Rhiannon' (1976). Mythology: the title Rigantona "great queen" is borne by a Celtic goddess of fertility. The Welsh horse goddess is described in legend as dressed in shining gold and riding a pale horse. The name was not used as a given name before the 20th century.)

Origin: (Welsh, Celtic, Celtic Mythology)

Pronunciation: (hri-AN-ahn (Welsh), ree-AN-ən (English), REE-ən-ən (English), ree-AH-nən, ree-ANN-on)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Arianrhod *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Rhiannon was among them. I have decided to name a deceased Queen this in one of the novels I am currently writing. It has a pretty look to but just like the name above the mythology is interesting but I do not like the relation of this name to pagan religions and often Wicca rites. But like I said the mythology is quite interesting.

Arianrhod

Meaning: (Huge or Round Wheel, Silver Disc, Silver Circle, Silver Wheel, arian, "silver," and rhod, "wheel" may be cognate with Proto-Celtic *Arganto-rotā, meaning "silver wheel." Alternatively, the earliest form of the name may have been Aranrot, in which case the first part of the name would be related to "Aran." In Welsh myth Arianrhod was the mother of the twin brothers Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In earlier myths she was a goddess of the moon, sky, and stars.)

Origin: (Welsh, Welsh Mythology)

Pronunciation: (aaR-iy-AENRaaD, ahr-ee-AHN-hrod, Go to this site and run your cursor of the name Arianhrod to hear how it is said: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=arianrhod)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Aelwen *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Arianrhod was among them. This name has a very unique spelling. I do like the meanings and the mythology is interesting but I do not like the relation of this name to pagan religions and often Wicca rites. I think if this name were separate from that it would be much better. As it is this name is pretty but I could see one being thrown off by the spelling but I think it does have a unique charm to it.

Aelwen

Meaning: (Blessed Brow, Fair Brow, Blessed Brow)

Origin: (Welsh)

Pronunciation: (IHL-when, Ail-wyn, ILE-wen)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Aderyn *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Aelwen was among them. I think this is a pretty name but I tend to be thrown off by the A in the beginning. Elwen would look really cool but I think the A give is a far more forging look, as it is. I do like the meanings and pronunciations as not all that difficult. All in all I really like this name.

Aderyn

Meaning: (Bird, The first instance of Aderyn used as a first name was a little girl born in Caerdion, Merionethshire in 1900. There was then one Aderyn registered each decade up to the 1960s. There is a much bigger story behind the first use of this vocabulary Welsh word as a first name, which gets right to the heart of Welsh culture and a change in attitudes across Britain. Previous legislation from government in London had seen a denigration of the Welsh language. The Act of Union in 1536 banned Welsh monoglot speakers from public office and made English the official language of the country. In some Victorian schools Welsh children were punished severely for speaking Welsh in school. This took place against a background of high immigration of non-Welsh speakers into Wales which began to dilute Welsh-speaking populations. Indeed, the 1911 census records that, by that time, only 43.5% of the population in Wales spoke Welsh. Alongside Aderyn, several other vocabulary Welsh word-names were coined at the end of the 19th century in an effort to assert Welsh heritage and culture.)

Origin: (Welsh)

Pronunciation: (a-DEH-rin, ee-der-in, ah-DEH-rin or uh-DEH-rin, a-DE-rin, aeD-EH-R-ahN)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Eirwyn *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Aderyn was among them. I like the pretty look and the spelling is pretty cool. I have never seen such a lovely name as this before. The meanings and history of this name use is pretty darn interesting as well. I am still grappling with the pronunciation though, lol.  

Arianwen

Meaning: (White, Holy Silver, Silver, Blessed, Name of one of the daughters of Brychan, a semi-legendary Welsh chieftain (fifth century).)

Origin: (Welsh)

Pronunciation: (Ari-ann-win, Ah - ree - anne - wen)

Gender: Female

When I was looking up information on Eirwyn *see on list of posts* I saw that some had suggested sibling names and Arianwen was among them. I love the purity of the meanings and the over all beauty of the name. Arion or the Welsh form Arian can be for a male character or male child and maybe if you want a girl name then Arianwen. This name also has such a long history which I really like. I for some reason see a fair maiden or a legendary beautiful woman of nobility being names this.

Eirwyn / Eirwen

Meaning: (Snow White, White as Snow, Blessed Snow, Snow, Fair, White, Blessed, Holy, The name is known to create a dual nature where someone at one hand wants change and on the other is attuned to their system of doing things and doesn’t want any change. People given this name are known to be restless and out to explore new ideas.)

Origin: (Welsh)

Pronunciation: (EY-RWihN, eh-r-w-ih-n, IRE-win, AYER-wen, ay-er-wen, AYR-win)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I am using this name in one of my current novels, I am actively writing two. I was looking up a name and I saw on someone’s comments board that they were thinking of naming their daughter this. I fell in love with the look and meanings of this name. I have always wanted to use as a middle name Snow as in Snow White because I love that fairy tale, of course the middle name Belle would be used first for a daughter. Anyway so that is why I love the meanings. Plus as I saw this name I was actually looking for a name for one of my secondary characters and this name fit perfect. Plus the other information about this name and ones named it surprisingly fit the character to a T, lol. The name is very beautiful and poetic like in my opinion. I am also in love with Welsh names right now and this was a perfect fix for my Welsh obsession, lol.
 
The pronunciation can throw some off and well I had to go listen to it a few times to finally hopefully have it down, lol. AYER-wen and ay-er-wen are the best ways as for the way I heard it.

Veronica

Meaning: (True Image, Variant of Bernice (Greek) “Bringer of Victory”, The name was occasionally used in the Christian world in the Middle Ages, The name first appeared in Britain in the 17th Century and spread beyond Catholic families in the 19th Century. The spelling was influenced by the ecclesiastical Latin phrase Vera icon meaning “True Image”. Name derived from the Greek phrase Bere nike which means “Bringing Victory”. Veronica is a genus of plants, the common name being speedwell.)

Origin: (Latin, Greek, English, Italian, Romanian, Late Roman)

Pronunciation: (ver-RON-ni-kah, va-RAHN-i-ka)

Gender: Female

A few months ago there was this publicized custody battle between a half Native American man to get to keep his daughter after taking her back from her adoptive parents after two years. The little girl is named Veronica. Then not long ago I heard this name again. So after looking into it I do like many of the meanings and the history. I like much of the uses and history but I also like that it is the name of a genus of plants as well. I love plant names but with this most won’t know it is one.

It is pretty and seems very posh and sophisticated. I could see a girl in boarding school named this. And I could see her being very popular yet not snobby, this names doesn’t register as a snobbish name to me. Well unless any author or writer wishes for it to come off snobbish in their novels, then that is for them to do so.  

Jensi

Meaning: (High Born, Well Born, Noble, Variant of Eugene.)

Origin: (Old Greek, Hungarian)

Pronunciation (JEN-see, JHEHNSIY)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching an episode of The Millionaire Matchmaker and one of the ladies they had there for the millionaire was named Jensi. I like it more as a male name but it could be cute as a female name too. I have thought of having this be the name of one of my future characters and have Amita *see on list of posts* be his (Jensi’s) secret guardian. I love the meanings as I love all noble meaning names. It has a unique quality and is likable in my opinion.

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