How to Come Up With Character Names (No AI)
Surprisingly, one of the most common questions I get asked as a sci-fi/fantasy author doesn’t really have anything to do with the writing part at all. Readers and aspiring authors really want to know…how do I come up with my character names?
In this blog, I’ll tell you!
How to Name Your Characters: 7 Strategies You’ve Never Heard Before
To be perfectly honest, I didn’t use any clever strategies to devise the monikers for Ren McLellan and Lavender “Eddie” Voclain from Lone Player. It feels like the names just popped into my head; I really don’t remember how they came to be.
But historically, I’ve used a site called Random Name Generator that was around years before LLMs took over the world, which regurgitated lists of—you guessed it, random names—and I haven’t for the life of me been able to find the exact one I used. RIP.
(I still chose them myself, though, since I picked them from a huge list. It was basically another way of sorting through Pinterest graphics and baby name blogs. No AI.)
Now, I’m constantly adding new book ideas and character concepts to my running list. Which means I’m thinking about new names at least a couple times a week, especially if I come across names out in the wild that I really like and want to save for later.
So where am I stumbling across these names, exactly? And how am I generating so many new ones without relying on generative AI? Let’s dive into it.
1. Check Research Articles & Studies
One of my favorite methods for finding new character names is one I haven’t heard anybody talk about before: browsing through studies and research databases. Specifically contributors, or the “References” section.
Some context, first. I’ve been working full time as a content writer for a digital marketing agency for almost 3 years, and I did freelance work for a little over a year before that. I write a lot of hearing healthcare articles for one of our clients, which involves pouring over tons of research papers in databases like PubMed. Seriously, I read through dozens a month.
And for every statistic or claim I retrieve and use in the blogs I write, I need to cite my source. And when I cite those sources, guess what pops up? The names of the authors and contributors who worked on that paper.
Sometimes, I find really unique names that I’ve never heard of before. I even found myself adding some of my favorites to a running list in my notes called “Character Name Ideas.”
For this method, just pick any random research paper and put it into a citation generator like Scribbr. You don’t have to do this but it just makes it easier to see all the names of the contributors in one spot. You can also check the “References” section to see if that paper cited anything else. You’ll find a lot of names down there!
For example, here are a few surnames from the running list I keep for this method:
Brayne
Cathcart
Rolan
Winefield
Resnick
Nasri
Pacheco
Metting
Pretty cool, right?
You obviously don’t want to steal a person’s entire name, first and last. But you can mix and match from different articles to get some nice ideas.
2. Coffee Shop Eavesdropping
Another favorite method of mine involves sitting at a coffee shop and listening to the names the barista announces.
You can either listen until one really inspires you, or make rules for yourself, like listing the next 5 and choosing your favorite. Get creative and take good notes!
You can also listen in on conversations people are having and take note of names they bring up. The possibilities are endless!
3. Visit a Graveyard
Visiting a graveyard is a great way to find character name inspiration. But again, make sure to mix and match names instead of yanking someone’s full name straight from the tombstone. It’s also a nice gesture to bring flowers as a thank you!
4. Keep Track of Typos
I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve accidentally misspoken or mistyped something…only for it to sound like a really cool name! This is especially helpful for fantasy names, which are often entirely unique or made up.
Just make sure to Google the word to verify if it already exists, and what it means if it does. The worst is when you come up with something that sounds really cool and unique but then it turns out to be an existing character. This is an important step to take to make sure you’re not plagiarizing or unintentionally saying something offensive.
5. Create Anagrams
Another great way to come up with character names for your book is to make anagrams of different words. You can either do this manually, or with a website like Inge's Anagram Generator (this is just the first one that popped up for me).
If you don’t know where to start, just type in your own name. For example, I entered Julia Rosemary Turk. Some names I got:
Artus
Emory
Jamie
Eula
Jarret
Jorey
Aeolus
Artus Emory doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Might use that for a project down the line ;)
Make sure to jot down all the ones that speak out to you and save them for later, even if you don’t plan on using them now. You never know when they might come in handy! (Especially for naming stock characters).
6. Mix and Match Band Member Names
Another method is to mix and match band member names! Make a list of your 10 favorite bands (or the first that come up on your playlist), then write down all the first and last names of each member. Next you can try out different combinations to see what you like. Again, write everything down in case you need a name in the future!
7. Go Through Songs with Names as Titles
Another great source for character name inspiration is songs that have first names as titles. Music is probably my biggest obsession (dare I say…moreso than writing!), so I’m constantly finding new music and sorting my current songs into lists based on vibes - or specific things like songs with saxophone, songs about Johnny (why are there so many?), and songs with first names as titles.
For example, “Arabella” by Arctic Monkeys, “Julia” by The Beatles, “Elodie” by Ten Fé, etc.
From now on, any time you stumble across a song with a first name title, try adding it to one ongoing playlist you can refer back to when you need a character name. It’s super helpful, especially if the song matches your book!
Join My Newsletter for More Helpful Writing Tips
Naming your character is a big decision, but coming up with ideas can feel like a chore. Hopefully, the ideas above help the process feel more fun and help get your creative juices flowing. Let me know if you try any of these strategies and what you think!
If you’re new here, my name is Julia, and I’m a sci-fi & fantasy author best known for my YA dystopian series Lone Player. I’ve been writing my whole life and got my first publishing deal at 17 with Lost Island Press, and I love sharing writing tips and advice about all things writing, publishing, and author lifestyle.
If you found this blog helpful, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to hear about new articles, upcoming promotions, and exciting behind-the-scenes content.
Happy writing!
Xoxo, Julia