Writing

The Chase for a name. . .


You guys are the best. A while ago (click here for the post) I asked for your help in choosing a name for my hero.

I had a list of potential names, but didn’t know which one I should use. So, I put up a poll for a few days and you guys spoke up.

The name chosen was: CHASE!

~~~

~~~

Now, if I could only think of a title….

Just kidding. That’ll come.

I’m deep in the edits of this novel and one of my other ones (Jayden and Trinity’s story). So, once they’re both a little more tightened up, I’ll throw the “Back Cover Blurbs” up here on the blog and see what you all think of some title choices.

If you’re a writer, I’m curious, how do you come up with character names?

9 Comments

  • Kristie Cook

    I love the behindthename.com website. You can enter a meaning and it will provide a list of names with origin, to make sure it really fits the character. There is also one for surnames. My main characters and major players have names that were carefully researched. My MC’s family line has a purpose behind every name. For others, they are either ancient or their families are and their names follow their origin. Because I put so much time and research into their names, they rarely change. My smaller characters’ names have changed, though. My current series started with just “she” and “he” until I understood them better and knew who/what they would end up being like. Fortunately, the names that matched the meaning are ones I absolutely love!

    Good luck with the titles! That’s a whole different animal!

  • Billy Coffey

    For me, it’s always names of people I know. I’ll mix someone’s first name with someone else’s last name.

    Love the name Chase. All kinds of connotations there!

  • Jill

    Thanks for the website Danica! I often find myself taking notice of salespersons name tags and will jot down the unusual or interesting names.

  • Stephanie Morrill

    I love the name Chase! I have a Chase in one of my manuscripts, but I haven’t decided yet if he’s THE guy 🙂

    Sometimes names just come to me. Like for The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt books, I’d always loved the name Skylar, and I think I saw “Connor” on the back of a semi-truck or something 🙂 These days, if I’m in doubt about a name, I turn to Facebook or my blog for opinions!

  • Lori Lundquist

    I LOVE names. My stories always start with a name or even an entire character list. Baby name books, character name books, web sites are helpful – I just browse them, read meanings, origins, etc. and one stands out. In my current WIP, however, the main character got his name from something my mother-in-law said on a totally unrelated subject. So I pick things out of random conversations too. Of all characters I know from all the books I love, the names Journey and Chase have to be a couple of the best ones I’ve heard. Just love it and can’t wait to see their story! Happy Tuesday, Lynn!

  • danicaavet

    Most of the time I use names I know any children I might have in the future would hate, but I secretly love. When I start running out of those names, I hit http://www.behindthename.com and start searching for names that mean something that fits my character perfectly.

    Character names are very important, so we as writers, have to be sensitive to what sounds “romancey” and suitable for the genre we’re writing in.

  • talewright

    Having taught nearly 3,000 students, I have no shortage of names from which to choose.

    Usually a character will reveal him/herself and a former student who is most like that character comes to mind, and the character initially gets that name.

    Sometimes the name changes as I write.

    In my present project, the protagonist is describe much like a former student named Rianne but as the writing progress, she took on the attitude of a student named Laynie–so, the character became Laynie and will stay Laynie.

    As a character takes on a life of her own, she will reveal her name to me if I have initially misnamed her..

    What’s interesting is the change in popular student names over the years.

    “Chase” is quite popular as a boy’s name right now–I count six in my classes the past two years–and I’m not surprised at that name being selected above by those who completed your poll.

    The most unusual boy’s name I’ve come across was “Pilgrim”, whose father was a big John Wayne fan while I once had a white female student named Ebony and a black female named Ivory–in the same class. I’m not making that up!

    What I like most are names that go against the norm. I had a senior this year, born in Mexico, full-blood Mexicana, whose name is Brooke Nicole Lopez while a red-haired student of Irish descent had the name is Fenix Jose Sullivan

  • Cassandra Jade

    I usually feel a character name – I just realise who they are meant to be. Sometimes this happens while I’m just walking around, other times I’ll be flipping through a names book or something similar and a name will jump out at me and I know it is right. Very occasionally I have to bounce ideas off of people and slowly develop a character name but that is usually a by-product of me not knowing the character very well.