Well, my names, for me, reflect the overall temperment of my characters, so as my characters evolve emotionally and mentally, their names sometimes become obsolete, and no longer sound right. For example, I had a character named Camille, but then she turned evil, and now her name's Valencia, which I think sounds a lot more sinister (...and cool).
Usually I first create the characters. They eventually "name" themselves when I go looking for names and I find names that fit the personality. My main character was named after one of my best friends, and I have many characters who I used this method on. xoxo
I create files for my characters before I start to write. To find names I use lists - a phone book, say, for a modern novel or the county rolls for a medieval novel. I just jot down a few that seem to suit the character. From the short list there is usually one that on further consideration stands out. I make seperate shortlists for first and second names, then try to match them up. John
I just kind of pick a name that I like or make one up. If it seems to fit the character type then I use it. I don't put that much effort into naming characters. The names just kind of come to me.
When you write fantasy (as I try to do) then your characters can not really be named Joe or Sally. The foundation of the story rests on the idea that this is not the USA/Earth, etc. and so you have to have characters with names that are at least a bit unorthodox. I generally borrow names from other countries and swap a letter or two to produce a name that the reader can say in her head while reading yet it is at least a bit unusual. I usually start here: 24,000 Baby Names, Meanings and Origins at Baby Names World
I make my own names for my fantasy books or adjust a name I like. or combine to names such as Rhani and Hanna to get something like Rahania. I picked up some ideas from final fantasy like keffka which I changed to Ketka. I go with sounds I like hearing.
here is a link that I came across today whilst trying to find something to do with fantasy poetry. Hope that it helps someone out. link to name generators
My main character that I use has the name of Street. Her real name is Alixandra. While I know it seems silly to call someone Street, it seemed to fit and suit the character. I also have another female character with a boys name and it suits her well. I happen to have about three baby name books which are good because you don't have to fiddle around teh net trying to chase down links, not that they are a bad thing, just I find using a book is a bit easier, especially if your not too top-notch with the net. Like me! But yeah, I generally choose names with meanings and meanings that will suit teh character.
Sometimes I think. It sort of depends on how important that character is in your story. But yeah, it depends.
Ah, well, I kinda get the name, although an example of having to think of something up for a character name and have it being unusual would be this. I needed to create a secondary character, who is a barman who runs a bar. The bar is called TJ's. The characters name, this is not a pun, is Tavern. His parents named him tavern, maybe because he was conceived in one, I don't know, but it suits who he is. The main character who helped him set up the bar is named Hayabusa, yes I know it roughly goes to falcon, peregrine falcon I believe, but that suits him, due to the way he fights.
I have a odd way of going about it, in my opinion. I pick out a name, ranging from Jack to Victory to Socks (yes, I have given characters these names), then I put a face to it. I have several different sets of faces for one name. For a character of mine named Vincent, he had four different bodies: one for the historical past, one for fantasy, one for modern day, and one for the future). All of my characters are like this. After making all four (who all share extremely similar mindsets- they are the same person, after all.), I pick my favorite and use it for a certain story. Of course, after I pick my favorite Vincent (modern), I get rid of all the others, or at least I don't use them without giving them a name change and a new mindset.
