Naming Characters – 33 Fabulous Resources To Use

Naming characters in your stories is as important as naming your children. We have put together this list of 33 resources to use when naming characters.

In my post, 10 Things To Consider When Naming Characters, I discuss what you should think about when you’re looking for names. Important starting points are:

1. Is it believable for the character’s time and place?
2. Does the meaning suit your character’s role?
3. Does it work with their possible nicknames?
4. Is it easy to distinguish from your other characters’ names?
5. Does it have any strong associations you need to consider?

You may also find it useful to answer these questions about your character before you settle on a name: 94 Questions For The Characters We Create

In today’s post, I’ve put together a list of resources for writers who are looking for interesting names for characters.

Naming Characters – 33 Fabulous Resources To Use

Lists Of Names From Literature

1. Dickensian Names
2. Names From Beatrix Potter
3. Names From The Works Of The Bronte Sisters
4. Names From Harry Potter
5. Names From The Works Of Jane Austen
6. Names From Enid Blyton Books
7. Names From Tennyson
8. Shakespearean Names
9. Names From American Literature
10. 46 Literary Baby Names That’ll Make You Want To Have Children
11. Bookish Baby Names
12. 10 Russian Literary Names For Girls

General Lists

1. Saintly Names – A list of saints’ names
2. Biblical Names – A list of quirky names from the bible
3. Popular Culture Names – A list of names from popular culture and entertainment
4. Theology Names – A list of names from Judeo-Christian-Islamic deities
5. Victorian Names – A list of some of the popular Victorian era names
6. Tudor Names – A list of names from a dynasty (1485 and 1603) that brought us the Reformation, Shakespeare, and the first English queen to rule in her own right
7. Vintage Names – A list of names from the 1940s to the 1970s
8. Medieval Names – A list of names from the fifth to fifteenth century
9. Mythology Names – A list of names from mythology and religion

Interesting Names From Different Nationalities

1. Russian Names
2. Scandinavian Names
3. Scottish Names
4. Eastern African Names
5. Southern African Names
6. Western African Names
7. Northern African Names
8. Native American Names
9. French Names

Surnames

1. Surnames – A list of surnames from around the world. If you want to find out what your surname means, click here: The Internet Surname Database
2. 10 Rare English Surnames
3. Cool Last Names for character creation

Visit Behind The Name for more lists

If you’re looking for a quick fix when naming characters, you can also use this name generator (Thank you to those who suggested it on social media.)

by Amanda Patterson