10 Inspiring Names For Strong Female Characters

If you want to choose unforgettable names for the women and girls in your novels, read this post. We offer 10 inspiring names for strong female characters.

We all want great names for our female characters, but some of the current mainstream names are not that empowering. We found this post on Stylist where they list 70 feminist icons.

We’ve chosen 10 of the most inspiring feminist names for you to create strong female characters.

You could use these names for unforgettable protagonists, antagonists, love interests, and confidants for your novel, short story, or screenplay.

10 Inspiring Names For Strong Female Characters

1. Coco from the iconic Coco Chanel. ‘Coco Chanel pushed the social boundaries of fashion. She made trousers acceptable for women, helped rid the world of the corset, and revamped men’s designs for women everywhere as she promoted comfort over restraint.’ The name means help.
2. Emmeline from Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the British suffragette movement who helped to win women the vote. The name means industrious and hard-working.
3. Florence from Florence Nightingale. A fierce advocate for women’s rights, Florence Nightingale let nothing interfere with her dreams of being a nurse. She became known as the founder of modern nursing. The name means blossoming.
4. Frida from the artist Frida Kahlo, a feminist icon, who explored pain, self-image, femininity, and sexuality. The name means beloved, beautiful.
5. Greta from Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish activist has already done so much in her fight to save the planet from climate change. The name means pearl.
6. Isadora from Isadora Duncan, an American and French dancer, who ‘challenged the repressive fashions and disciplines enforced upon her gender in the 1800s – and she did it all through the emancipation of modern dance. She even danced whilst pregnant – a move which outraged her peers, particularly as Duncan was unmarried.’ The name means Gift of Isis.
7. Maya from Maya Angelou. Poet, activist, and writer, Maya Angelou spoke out about rape, abortion, life as a single mother, and her experiences as a prostitute. The name means goddess.
8. Octavia from Octavia E. Butler, one of the best-known female science fiction authors. She created many noteworthy female protagonists. The name means born eighth.
9. Simone from Simone de Beauvoir whose book The Second Sex inspired the Women’s Liberation movement. She said that women needed their own jobs, as it was the “first condition for women’s independence”. The name means one who hears.
10. Sojourner from Sojourner Truth, a slave who escaped with her daughter in 1826 and became a powerful equal rights activist. The name means to stay at a place.

If you want to read more posts on naming, try these:

1. Naming Characters – 33 Fabulous Resources To Use
2. 10 Things To Consider When Naming Characters
3. Why Your Characters’ Names Are Your Secret Ingredient

TOP TIP: Use our Character Creation Kit to help you create great characters for your stories. If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course.

 by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

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