I've been struggling with this for several days. I'm currently trying to write a fantasy novel set in a Mediterranean-esque region. I'm struggling with constructing my main villain, I can't even come up with a name for him. He comes from an Arab sort of culture and I'm trying to give him a befitting Arabic name that is simple to pronounce for English readers. One of my main characters is named Amna al-Khouri if that means anything. The villain comes from a nomadic to semi-nomadic tribe and was raised in a harsh desert climate. I based his tribe partly on the Mongols, and him partly on Ghengis Khan. The villain was born to poverty and raised mostly by his mother. He was the second youngest of his siblings (7 boys and 2 girl) and because of events surrounding his father's death, his family was expelled from the tribe. I'm trying to make him ominous without making him ultimately evil if that makes any sense. He isn't Lord Voldemort, he wasn't born into his evil self. He is an excellent military strategist, he loves power, and he's ruthless. He enjoys overcoming men he sees as equal to or greater than himself. His thoughts are often occupied with the mortality of men and he aims at becoming immortal through conquests, construction, and destruction. He's rumored to cohort with demons. As his empire grows, so does his paranoia of assassination. He credits his successful military campaigns to the will of (his) God. His name (whatever it may be) strikes fear into the hearts of men. Kindgoms are in constant terror that his men will invade. Some surrender without a fight in hopes that they are spared. I'm mostly seeking a name (not necessarily Arabic) right now but if anyone had an idea on how to make him a better, more solid, more well-rounded character I'd be all ears. I have a feel for him but it isn't set in stone in the way that my main protagonist is. I feel like I know my main protagonist personally. I'd also like to know, how do you guys go about naming characters and places?
I've always liked the name Sayid. Other spellings: Sa'id Saeed Saeid I don't know why I like it so much. I guess it's just cool sounding and to me it's easy to say.
Thanks. I was thinking of Oman or Majid for a first name. I like Oman because it kind of sounds like Omen and I know a Majid that would be a perfect contender for the antagonist in a novel >: ( . I was considering Soltani for a last name, but it doesn't sound very malicious or bad guy-ish.
You don't need to come up with an ominous-sounding name to make him ominous. If you write it the right way, any name can become ominous. Look at Alex in A Clockwork Orange or Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Both are pretty ordinary names, but for people who know these characters, they have a lot of power.
