I realise that I am going to be called by this name for what could be months or even years, and when I look at that blank space, I feel an overwhelming pressure to pick the perfect one. I want it to be fitting, original, memorable. All of these thoughts swirl around until I'm paralysed by choice, and my dream character is left in limbo.
If you're anything like me, you know this struggle well. It's not only characters, but towns, spells, magical items. All of them need a name and the possibilities are endless. Fortunately, there are a few ways I've found to make this process a little easier.
What's important to the character?
I often think that Tieflings have the easiest time when it comes to names. I've always been a fan of the tiefling naming convention of picking an idea or concept that they embody. When I create characters, their personality is often the first thing that comes to me, long before a name, and so by sorting through all words to describe them I often arrive at the name naturally.
One NPC I created was a rogue tiefling who sought to rid the world of suffering. He was a misguided soul and thought the best way to do this was to end as many lives as he could, releasing them from the pain of the world they lived in. He chose the name Mercy, seeing that as his life's purpose. In this case, the name was a reflection of the character's world view and stood as a reminder of why he did what he did.
The next was Joey, my tiefling wizard. His birth name was Azranathor, the eternal shadow. The problem with this was he was a vibrant and bubbly personality who wanted to make as many friends as possible. To fix this, he chose a common name to avoid the fear his birth name inspired: Joey was what he settled on. While it might seem mundane, that was the point of the character. He just wanted to fit in, so he picked a name that would let him do this.
Titles are also a great way to do this. Sure, you could name your paladin a generic fantasy name, but by giving them a title (The Ironclad, The Tempest, The Unbroken), it gives a sense of the character from one introduction, and stands as a reminder of what they value.
Word clouds
This next method I found more useful for towns and locations, but the same system can be used for character names. When you have settled on a location, but can't find the right name, a useful exercise is to list all the words that are associated with it first. I'll use the starting village from the campaign I'm writing as an example. The settlement is a dwarven mining outpost, deep within the underdark, known for it's sparkling gem mines and the glowing fungus that lights the town. So the first task is to list all the words that can relate to this. For this one:
|
Mine |
Glow |
|
Rock |
Gem |
|
Bright |
Shine |
|
Stone |
Cave |
|
Pit |
Cart |
The list can go on, but this is enough to go off for the example. The next thing I do is combine aspects of the words until I find one that sounds right. Gemglow, Brightrock, Caveshine. None of them really sound right. Eventually I settled on Pittbright, taking the two aspects I know about the place, and merging them into a name that fits.
I used the same method for naming the tavern in this village, taking the words above and standard tavern names, and eventually settled on The Cave Inn (I'm always a fan of a pun).
While I find this most useful for locations and settings, the same can be used for characters. In one of our games, we have an Eladrin hexblade warlock. By using this same method, combining aspects of the character we know about, he settled on the surname 'Feyforge'.
Next time you make a character, try to pick apart the different aspects that make them up and see what fits well. It's a process of experimentation and discovery, but with a few tries you'll find something that fits.
Steal from all sources
The Player's Handbook has some great suggestions under every race for names, and some tips on naming conventions, but given the small amount in there it can be hard to find one that really speaks to you. In this case, my advice is to steal shamelessly from every source you can get your hands on.
A lot of people get hung up on the idea that they want their character name to be entirely original, but as most writers know, there are no new ideas under the sun. No matter what you come up with, there's probably been someone who's done it before. This isn't a bad thing, and you shouldn't worry about being the first. The important part is to find a name that fits, not one that's never been done before.
I've taken character names from old musicals, an encyclopedia of spirits and folklore, gardening manuals. The point is, there's no limit to where inspiration can arise. When looking out for that character name, my advice is to cast a wide net. You never know where that perfect name could be hiding.
Name generators
Of course, when all else fails, there is no shame in using a random name generator. There are plenty of options online and they can be an absolute life saver when you just need to get going. Sometimes when you're stuck on a name for a long time, it can also be good for a placeholder, so you can get back to writing and think more on it when the setting is complete.
With random generators, I always advise to pick and choose parts that you like, rather than just going for the first on the list. It's a process of discovery when sifting through the lists, finding the option that best suits your character/location, based on everything we're discussed above.
My go-to is FantasyName Generators just for the sheer variety of player races and location types available. Granted, it's not always perfect, but by picking and choosing different elements of names that appear, I can often get to a solid option.
No matter what method you use to find a name, no matter what name you choose, remember that the name only really comes to life when you play it. I can often get caught up trying to go in to the first session with everything figured out, but the truth is it's impossible.
As your character grows, a name will take on its own meaning and its own importance, no matter what you pick. The important thing is to find one thing you like and they rest will fall into place from there.
Oh and one last thing, as a personal note, please chill out on the apostrophes. Fa'elri'an'theil may sound cool in your head, but remember that the other people at your table are going to have to say it eventually.
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