how does 'Zayden' sound? any other ideas for unique/semi-unique name for my 14 year old male MC? It used to be 'Andrew' but I think i want something more unique than that... thanks
Don't take this the wrong way, but if you have to put this much thought into the MC's name, you're never going to get the story finished because you are going to be constantly fighting yourself over every little detail.
Well, if it's fantasy you can name him whatever the pinkberry you want. If it's more set in real world and modern times, you can't just make stuff up or it'll clash with your readers. Find a baby name website or reverse search name definitions to find something less common. Lots of good names out there.
That was Vin Diesel in XxX. Notice though how the name starting with an 'X' goes along with the title. If the author is stead fast on making sure the name stands out, it is important to know more about the story in order to pick one.
Depends on how you want them to come across (e.g: Raphael, Van or Amedeo might sound a bit odd for a nerdy, bullied kid.). I personally hate Zayden, probably just because it has been done to death where I live. It's not really unique at all, at least not in Australia. It depends on the character- a trendy name could fit him well. I have tonnes of name lists, if you like, but I would focus on writing the story and picking a name after. If you are looking for a unique name, the Top 1000 list is good, as are name websites. Nameberry is good: they have a search bar in the 'names' tab, where you can select unusual, familiar or popular names. You can also search for names with particular meanings, letters, origins or numbers of syllables, which is helpful. They also have lots of lists, which might help. Hope that helped, good luck!
the story is already written, I am just considering changing the name now.... thanks everyone for responding
http://www.nymbler.com This website has been super helpful for me since it connects you with names that are similar in style.
One way is to use the (really cool) website I love: http://www.behindthename.com But I do want to ask: what style? Are you writing about Greeks or Romans, is the setting France or Orlando? What type of unique name do you want? Ancient unique names or modern? Alaskan names or Portugese? BUT, I might have a few names you might like (if they're not TOO unique): Aadolf Aage Sage Achilles Adonis Aedan Aeneas Aengus (or Angus) Alastar Aodh Bradach Cavan Adolphe Alex Amabilius Anatole Florent Septimus Brand (or Braahm) Cade (or Cadence) I got most of these from behindthename....so yeah...enjoy!
I overthink too. There's a thread around here somewhere where I try to find a new name for my villain because people thought "Davis" was too boring of a last name and I already had another character with a D last name. Final result? Her name is still Priscilla Davis. It was the only one that fit. I also still have a protagonist with a four-syllable last name that people say is too long (Nina Constantinos) and a sidekick who's name almost rhymes with my protagonist's name and whose last name is the same as her religion and hence too obvious (Vinya Jain). Maybe one day when I finish, an editor will make me change their names. But right now their names are Priscilla Davis, Nina Constantinos, and Vinya Jain....I can't change them because I've gotten to know them by those names. And that's the only way they work. If your character already has a name in your head, roll with it.
Hmmm... Depends on what your MC is like. If he's completely flawless as a human being, name him William. I've never met a William who I've known to have done something morally questionable. If he's quite shy and not one of the popular kids at his school, name him something unusual, like Roger. Or Quentin. If he's one of those people who is scared or reluctant to embrace who he really is, or someone who likes to pretend he's someone he isn't, name him Archibald Buckingham III, but have himself refer to himself only as "Archie" or "Bucky". If he's quite a unique individual, give him a common name, but have him spell it strangely. Like Tomas. If he's a sly little rodent, call him Kevin. Never trust a Kevin.
Yep, pretty much; and Davis is a common name, but all the better for an uncommon girl nestled in the pages of an uncommon book! And as you said, I get to know them by their names. But I try to make them interesting (I write a lot of fantasy, so...) so after they read the backs of my books, people don't yawn, put the novel back on the shelf, and mutter to themselves, "Boring name? Boring book." Of course, that will never actually happen, but it happens in my little writing reality. And, of course, I pick the name that most suits their personality. I've about six (unfinished) stories with similar main characters. What do I do? Name them ALL the uncommon name I picked out: Elizabeth Athena.
if im stuck for inspiration (which on rare instances i am) i use Seventh Sanctum to get names. i had a similar issue with the naming of a 16 year old male, who, ok, is a minor character, but he is hanging around a lot in the novel, as he is the main character's protégé i may boost him to a main character in the 3rd book (i think it may be required) but thats another story all together. for said character he was originally named Raven which got changed to Midnight now its Arcana... so quite a difference. also it is down to you, if you think Zayden fits the bill, then use it
If you're writing in the 'real' world then look up names lists for people born in the same area and the same year as your character. You don't have to pick one off the list but it will give you some idea of the names that were popular at the time your character was 'born'. If you are writing in a fantasy world then your world really is your oyster and you can choose any name you want so long as you think it matches your character and is a name that you don't forget. I know that sounds silly but if you constantly have to refer to a list or a set of notes to remember your character's names, then to me, you have the wrong name. I changed the name of my main characters when I started seriously writing my book, the bare bones were written many years ago and the names I had then, didn't fit the characters as they are now. Saying that though, the rest of my characters have not had name changes as I made sure to research them first. On one occasion when I was really stumped for a name, I asked my FB friends to suggest names based on my very brief description of the character. I got 100 suggestions which I managed to whittle down to two which fit the character perfectly. Good luck finding your character's name x
Good point on names that were popular, although that's not a hard fast rule. My Priscilla was born in 1986 - I kept it but I had to explain the archaic name and how she got it, which influenced her character. But I also have a Madison born in the late 1990s and a Sophia born in 2014 (I'm in the future obviously )
Yes there are other factors that you can consider too, like the parents of the character, if they are in the book then maybe they named their child after an actor/singer/older family member etc or even from part of the story (I have a character who may feminise her brother's name to name her child in memory of him) but this is where research comes in. Along with the where/when was the character born, you can also ask yourself what the character's family background is. After all, that's where a lot of names come from.
