For example: Anna Joey, Robert Gideon, Paul Michael. This is a very subtle approach and would make the most sense for a story that unfolds in a time and place that’s similar to your own. Some names can be both surnames and forenames, like: Curtis, George, Paul, Jordan, Logan, Dylan, Wilson, Kerry, Owen, Keith, Austin and Oliver.
Because this is a broad approach, it could be applicable to a wide variety of genres as well as male or female characters.
For example: Razilee, Kadiah, Joval, Jantanie, Keryl, or Kaline. If you want to be inspired by both a name and a character, check out a mythology book from the library; however, unless you want something obvious (ex. Athena), don’t go with Norse, Greek, or Latin mythology. Make sure that the name is still pronounceable. Keryl, Razilee, and Genoviah are pronounceable with little effort, but nobody wants to have to try to pronounce Kazlistynez, no matter how unique it is.
Blend common names together. So, Sarah and Josephine could become Josah and Saraphine; Garrett and Adrian could become Adriett and Garran; etc. Try different spelling variations. Substitute Mikhail for Michael, Gaebriel for Gabriel, etc. Rearrange your own (or a friend’s) name. If your name is Bob Smith, scramble the letters to get something like Omi Thibbs. Your friend Eileen could be Neelie, Annabel could be Belanna, and so forth. Create anagrams from common words. For example, laugh can be Gal Uh and jump can be M Puj. You can also use this technique to make a name that fits a character’s personality. So, the anagram of laugh, Gal Uh, could be a good name for a comedian and the anagram of jump, M Puj, could be a good name for a high jumper.
Type a random string of letters in a Word document, then select a set that seems promising, and rework them to create something you like. Or, you might cut individual letters out of a magazine, throw them into the air, and choose a combination based on how they fall to the floor.
For example, if you want to name your character after Katniss Everdeen, don’t just name your character Katniss Everdeen, as this is not only unoriginal, it is also against copyright laws. Instead, try to create names similar to the existing name, such as “Katherine” instead of “Katniss”, or “Dean” instead of “Everdeen. ” You can also use celebrity names to create new names by mixing up or combining the names. For example: Justin Bieber and Kate Alexa could become Jexa Kelbeir.
For example, misspell “like this” so it appears as: lykkethez. Then, choose an interesting letter combo from the results. For example, Kethez, Ethe, or Ykke. Type a few lyrics from a song without spaces to find interesting combinations. For example, ‘All we are is the wind’ could become Llwea, Arei, Isdus, Hewin, etc.
Keep in mind not all names have opposite-gender equivalents.
For example, if you are staring at the moon, think of a synonym, such as “celestial body”, which could become the name “Celeste”.
If the name you come up with sounds clunky, add more letters, but don’t overdo it.
It will add to the believability of your story if the character names sound appropriate for the setting. For example, a story set in China will likely have different character names than a story set in South Africa. Another technique, used by John Braine, is to use place names from the region or area the story takes place in.
Look for names that are easy to say out loud and roll off your tongue. Avoid using a lot of strangely spelled names for your characters as this could confuse and alienate your reader.
You could also use a contrasting name to create some friction between the sound or meaning of the name and the personality of the character. For example, a tough girl could be named Grace, or a nerdy kid could be named Brock.
