The Ultimate Guide to Harry Potter Fanfiction

OCs Part 6: Names

This chapter is loosely based on something Rolayde asked me to write about a long ago time (names, backgrounds, and straight-up cliches, which I thought could each take their own chapter). Sorry it took this long to get this out for you, but I already had two other OC chapters in the works when I started this and I'm unfortunately a procrastinating college student with horrible time management, so this had to be bumped back.

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I'm going to be honest about something: I  suck at naming characters. Really. Names either come to me seemingly out of nowhere that fit the character so perfectly that it's like God Himself gifted them to me (highly likely), or I spend months searching and searching and searching and renaming and renaming and renaming characters until I'm about ready to wipe them out of existence. 

Unfortunately for me (and possibly for you, since I'm trying to give you advice on this), my method of naming characters is based almost exclusively on vibes alone. I don't know how to describe my process to you,  because I rarely have one. Sometimes it starts with thinking that a particular name is almost right, but not quite, and falling down the rabbit hole of a "similar names" section on a baby name website. Sometimes it's just taking a name that's too mainstream for my tastes and messing around with changing letters and swapping syllables until it's completely different. Often it's combing through list after list of "baby names that end in O" or "names that feel like a summer breeze." That's probably not the advice you came here for.

Since I feel incredibly under-qualified to write about this, I'm going to tell you about some of my saving graces, then google some good tips for naming characters. 

First, I have a list of names in the notes app on my phone. It's an incredibly long list, because every time I hear a name that sounds marginally interesting, I write it down. Also, every time I think of a combination of sounds that could maybe possibly pass as a name, I write it down, too. There's columns for guy names, girl names, and random names that might become towns or organizations or anything else. If I hear a particularly interesting and unique word (including ones from languages I don't speak), I'll write it down with the meaning. I've been doing this for years. I use this list to name my plants. And sometimes, occasionally, I'll read through it when I'm trying to name a character and the perfect name is already waiting for me. 

Second, I try to plan first and last names together if at all possible. First names are always harder for me, because just about any word (even made up ones) can be a last name, but knowing what the last name is can often help me refine the vibes of the first name, and vice versa. Having one can make searching for the other easier at times, but especially when I get the last name first, it can be difficult to find a first name that fits not only the vibes of the character but the sound of the last name. 

Third, I have grown very familiar with the "similar to" tab on baby name websites. If you've found a name you kind of like, you can often find ones with similar vibes on baby name sites! Some allow users to suggest similar names, which might give you Anna given as a suggestion for the name Elsa. Some give you names with similar origins, so more Irish or Greek or Chinese names. Some look like they go by sound or time period. In any case, I've used many different websites over the years and they've all been helpful at one time or another! If all else fails, spend three hours on baby name websites.

All right, now that my chaotic methods are out of the way, here are some tips I found. Some best practices for naming characters, if you will. 

1. Find names that fit your character's ethnic background. Maybe that means your Irish character will have an Irish name, or your Korean character will have a Korean name. If you don't know where to start, looking at names from your character's culture is a good place!

2. Think about what name might fit your character's personality. Some names have strong associations in people's heads with certain stereotypes of personalities. Apparently, the general rule is that names with hard consonants (like t or k) are more associated with strong personalities, while vowels and softer consonants (like d or l) are more linked to agreeable, warmer personalities. 

3. Pay attention to name meaning! When I started naming characters in the first book of Star of Gryffindor, every name had a meaning, several of which were plot-relevant. If there's a certain theme you want exemplified by your character or in your story, maybe look into what names mean something similar to that.

4. Don't give characters names that are too similar! I've run into this issue with three semi-minor characters: Iris Brown, Eric Finnigan, and Eris Prince. While all three of them are rarely in the same scene, it's still sometimes confusing for both me and my readers. Try to avoid names that sound similar. With main characters, I might even avoid giving more than two of them names that start with the same letter (and those two should have very different names, like Albus and Astra, so there's no confusion). Avoid a lot of names that have the same number of syllables, begin or end with the same sounds, or look similar when written out.

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There you go! I hope that helped you guys in your naming troubles! Honestly, the best way to tell if you have a good name is to just work with it for a while, and see if it's fitting your character well. If not, then try again, with maybe a better idea of the vibe you want (or the vibe you don't want). As always, feel free to leave your questions and thoughts in the comments, and hit up my direct messages if you want to talk more about names!

Ciao!

~Elli