Having trouble coming up for a name for your character? Look no further! This random character name generator is just the tool you need.
A good writer knows that word choice can make or break a story, and character names are no exception. The names you choose resonate with readers on both a conscious and subconscious level. They have the power to convey meaning overtly or through hidden messages.
For instance, in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll’s experiment unleashes his animalistic alter-ego, Hyde. Jekyll has the word “Kill” hidden inside it, and Jekyll is after Hyde’s “hide.” See? The entire story is given away in their names alone. Stevenson’s layers of meaning are a fine example of the density that can and should be packed into names.
Zane Farr
Plushy “Twitch” Labarge
Veronique Liger
N.T. Purr
Cannon Longhorn
Linus Hamilton
Quentin Dubois
Sofia Earp
Salma Fawzi
Ramzey Chalk
Stubby Coffey
Melvin Curio
Emerald Axworthy
Velvet Bixby
Alex Cahill
Birdie “Two-Bush” Bancroft
Cha’relle Archer
Buzz Abernathy
Magdelena Tremaine
May Van Dyck
Birdie Waldgrave
Captain Yunior Pevensey
Kelsey Quackenboss
Kyron Stryker
Shiloh Cage
Silas Fry
Jafaris Griffin III
Jesus Emmanuel
P.E. Cougar
Sergio Babcock
Clark Elbutt
Wright “Rat-tail” Entwistle
Sir Ned Ellarshaw
Frank Ball
Paul Underdown
Morris Emms
Urwin Moss
Francis Sutton
Austin Read
Singh Skeet
Sheldon Gallagher
Wallace Sharp
Eliot Sean
Sage Underhill
Santiago Unwin
Malumbo French
P.L. Green
Bucky Spackle
Peace West
Gerald “Bull-Dog” Trench
Reni Driver
Jarl “Bow-Wow” Seeger
Quincy Frankel
Horace Robote
Wai Qu
Niger Siodla
Jamille Victory
Jim Sitar
Fred Sisk
Sammy Sebastian Sinclair
James Jury Johnson
Kwanza Bello
Nice Zeller
Boris Ivanov
Aponi Butterfly
Kofi Kenyon
Catherine Weston “Tall Chief”
J. Dada
Paul Harikrishna
Soe Watt
Rich Vachier-Lagrave
Mae “Pretty Prairie” Bae
Magnus Hero
Yue Li
Viswanathan Baht
B.C. Macklemore
Terry Rumble
Annabelle Fury
Terry Plymouth
Christian Giammona
Stitchy Morwood
Horace Greenlawn
Bebe Hollywood’” Sandovski
Snicker Treemount
Connor Eck
Bishop Trabuco
Geronimo Champion
Marlo “Scooby” Vixon
Maximilian Peppero
Quincy Lima
Adrian Rauso
Breen Zuniga
James Garstang
Cliff Dorr
Amanda Friedman
Rebecca Knox
To Kill A Mockingbird‘s Boo Radley is portrayed in a mysterious light, almost as if he is a ghost. And just by hearing the name Mr. Dark from Something Wicked This Way Comes, a reader surely knows who the antagonist will be. These straightforward examples are no less creative; in fact, it may help a reader tie together intricacies of meaning woven in the plot of the story and make predictions through the suspense of foreshadowing.
Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games Trilogy is a baker’s son, as his bread-like first name suggests. With all of the bird imagery in the trilogy, Peeta’s surname suggests his important yet supporting role since his surname contains the name of a small yet passionate bird. Larks are songbirds, which alludes to his sensitive nature.
When coming up with your own character names, the key is variety. This includes ethnic diversity, varied length, originality, and creative juxtaposition. A creative, catchy name can make your novel stand out from the crowd and be remembered. Even if you prefer ordinary sounding names, it is important to pick one that fits the spirit and role of your character in the novel. For instance, Harry Potter is a fairly ordinary sounding name, but it contains a subtle contrast; Harry means home ruler, while Potter is a laborer’s name. This contrasts Harry’s humble upbringing with his noble destiny as “The Chosen One.”
Your names can include reframing of historical names, or completely new combinations of letters! Bilbo Baggins is the perfect humble sounding name for a hobbit in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and despite its originality, it sounds quite natural and familiar due to its alliteration and simplicity. Gollum, on the other hand, is taken from the Jewish word “Golem,” which refers to an inanimate form made human and given life. However, Tolkien explains that the name refers to the sound the character makes in his throat. It’s up to you whether you choose to explain names or leave them a mystery for your reader!
Use the generator above however you wish. These can be a starting point or a destination. You can use them to develop a full character backstory or use them if they feel right for a character you have developed but just can’t seem to find the right title for. Leave any names that particularly inspired you in the comments below, along with how you plan to use them.
Post written by Victoria Fombelle
One thought on “The Only Character Name Generator You’ll Ever Need”
Hi,
Your Character Name Generator does not appear to be downloadable – is there something wrong with the web page or is it no longer available?