Proper names in epic fantasy/s&s

[Nerds_feather]

Fellow fantasy writers: how do you name your characters? I feel like it's a fine line between a great name and a horribly cheesy one.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

My Frodo is Angus Lorenzo and my Gandalf is Alexander Brown (changed Brown to Kazuto in his teens because he thought it was boring).

I just created a connection between the worlds in the form of a fantastic library which explained where the names came from. In the first chapter my MC is reading Sherlock Holmes.

Socrates is the only name that has ever drawn negative comments from any readers but more love the character too much to care.

 

[Hex]

I think unless you pick a name that's completely awful, names are just labels to identify a character. I know that's not a universally held opinion

 

[Wizraban]

My setting is based on real historical cultures and I've chosen my names accordingly. I wouldn't use a name that is associated with a well-known historical figure. The names are usually combinations of two words, so I can recombine them to create new names, or perhaps real ones that I don't know existed, but the origin of the names is always clearly recognizable. However, I'm not quite certain my approach is the best choice. It might make readers think it's too blatant a copy of the real thing.

If I were to create names from scratch I would stick with two-word combinations. It's an efficient way to create a lot of names that look like they are from the same language. Male and female names would be distinguished by the ending, either the entire second word or just the last one or two letters. Of course, some caution is needed to keep the characters apart. It wouldn't do to have two important character's names begin with the same word.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Okay,can't find the thread to link to. I have a character called Kare - said care. Can't get more simple, right? There were almost three pages on how to say it. Thing is, people will find ways to say whatever it is so unless it's really awkward (which does irk me a little) or you really care how people pronounce it, I think you'll mostly be okay.

I normally name them from things around me or names on books.

 

[Mouse]

I don't write epic so the question doesn't apply to me (I write contemp. my last MC was called Daniel ) but... what's S&S?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I don't write epic so the question doesn't apply to me (I write contemp. my last MC was called Daniel ) but... what's S&S?

Swords and sorcery?

 

[Mouse]

Ah! Thanks.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Okay,can't find the thread to link to. I have a character called Kare - said care. Can't get more simple, right? There were almost three pages on how to say it. Thing is, people will find ways to say whatever it is so unless it's really awkward (which does irk me a little) or you really care how people pronounce it, I think you'll mostly be okay.

It's Kurr

I have the same problem with Soc.

In my head it is Sock. Others say Soak, So-sh etc

 

[Hex]

(springs pronounces 'care' as 'kurr', though)

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Don't start it again. I have a lovely soft lilt, tis all. (and I said Sock, Anya.)

 

[Juliana]

Oh dear, poor springs, here we go again!

As springs said, people will just pronounce stuff in their heads the way they want to anyway. So really, just go with what works for your world.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

My normal technique was simply to find normal names and change the spelling slightly so they looked off but read more or less normally. So plain old Edward becomes Edouard.

But in my last book I hit upon a new idea. So in The Lady's Man I had two races - more or less - humans and elves. And as it was an epic fantasy I decided my names should be old. So for my humans I found an online baby names book for traditional English names that sound good and seem to fit the character, and for my elves I used traditional French names. I think it works actually.

And when it lets me down I have an editor to blast me about it! I just sent her my latest draft of my new work and in it I have an FBI agent as my MC - Special Agent Garrick Hamilton. I'm expecting the phone call any day now!!!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Shameless theft. I just use genuine English, French, Latin German and Gothic names. A few I borrowed from history.

Norman names are good. They still work (Richard, Robert, William) but sound old-school. Religious names also have an old feel, like the archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Fellow fantasy writers: how do you name your characters? I feel like it's a fine line between a great name and a horribly cheesy one.

Reading about period history can be a great inspiration for names.

Also, I've recently been changing character names in my WIP - not a problem when looking to retain the spirit of that character in the name, rather than change completely for its own sake. So if you find yourself not entirely happy with a name, I'd suggest you can still actually change it later if the story demands it.

IMO the only thing you need to avoid is long, convoluted names - apostrophes and accents are great ways to stop a reader in their tracks, while they try to figure out how to pronounce them.

 

[lonewolfwanderer]

I just think of something... My MC's name just came to mind one day (William van Ganstein), his father's name is a Nordic name(Aanon), mother's a german name (Amelia von Ganstein) and my one Character, Camel, I got his name from a pack of cigarettes. I don't think names matter too much, but it would need to fit with the style of the story. There's no point having an english name in a middle eastern story, unless the story revolves around an english guy travelling to the middle east.

 

[Toby Frost]

True. Anything with apostrophes is generally bad news. However, I have to admit finding the GRR Martin style of naming slightly irritating, where every bizarre name can be abbreviated to Bill, Sue, Pete or whatever. The "Ser" thing is very annoying - it's so obviously supposed to be "Sir", so why change the spelling?

I went for vaguely Italian sounding names to suit the setting. I am always worried, however, that since I don't speak the language I'll discover that they will translate into actual Italian as rude words.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

True. Anything with apostrophes is generally bad news. However, I have to admit finding the GRR Martin style of naming slightly irritating, where every bizarre name can be abbreviated to Bill, Sue, Pete or whatever. The "Ser" thing is very annoying - it's so obviously supposed to be "Sir", so why change the spelling?

I went for vaguely Italian sounding names to suit the setting. I am always worried, however, that since I don't speak the language I'll discover that they will translate into actual Italian as rude words.

Google translate?

 

[lonewolfwanderer]

I am always worried, however, that since I don't speak the language I'll discover that they will translate into actual Italian as rude words.

Haha why not? Could make the story interesting and invoke a stronger reaction...

 

[tinkerdan]

I think a name is a name and the character will ride the strength of your writing over the name most of the time.

Try not to get too married to the name-I've seen that. It's almost as bad as thinking that your plot is unique; to think that the character's name is unique and should be protected.

I usually 'google' the full name of the characters to get a good spread of people using that or something really similar-it's a good reality check for originality in naming.

I've even used names that contained a certain built in innuendo and have yet to have anyone mention anything about it. In one case it lends enough distinction that when I google the full name I get references only to my work.