My Long but Foolproof Method to Naming Things
I see this come up a lot, and I get why. Naming things can be difficult - especially if you’re like me and tend to stress about finding the perfect name for everything. I’ve come up with a process that takes forever but guarantees results. If you’re able to pull a name out of thin air and move on, you probably won’t find this method helpful, but you might get a laugh out of the long and agonizing process anyway lmao
To clarify, I use this process for characters, places, book titles, and pretty much any proper noun, but I’ll just be using characters for this example.
Step 0: Pick a placeholder name. Ideally you want something ridiculous enough that you’re not attached to it but not so ridiculous that you can’t really use it. A normal earth name in a non-earth setting, or even Potato. But Travngolamenthia Blanchiestia the Third is probably less usable (unless you’re really going to commit to typing that every time). The goal is to just have a name you can write with for now. I don’t recommend names that are common words or pieces of common words, like Hat (part of that) or Ace (part of place) since you’ll be doing a find + replace later.
Important: Write your draft with your placeholder name. Don’t let your search for the perfect name interfere with your writing. The whole point of a placeholder name is to be able to write the draft and let the naming process happen when it happens. I separate my drafting time from my worldbuilding time entirely. WRITE THAT DRAFT
Step 1: Figure out what kind of name you want. I consider the following criteria:
- Earth name or made up? (Mary vs. Garniuth)
- Long or short? (Generally just how many syllables)
- What kind of sounds? (Hard sounds like K or G? Tender sounds like TH or L? Sneaky ones like S or X?)
- Pronounceability? (Do I want to prioritize the name, whether it’s complex or not? Am I okay with sparking another Jasnah/Yasnah debate? Etc.)
- Language Rules? (Many languages don't include certain sounds. I've found using similar restrictions makes my names sound more cohesive. For example, one of my made up societies has no plosives, AKA P, B, M)
- Evocative of anything? (Such as including the syllable “mal” for a villain, or a name that reminds someone of flowers)
Step 2: Make a document or a spreadsheet and go to a baby naming website. Scroll through names starting with your sounds of choice. Any potentials go into the spreadsheet. I use two columns: Names from said website, and names inspired from the website but that I made up. That way I can consider any real names and their meanings if I end up going with one of them.
Step 3: Over the next few days/weeks/however long you want, add any name ideas to the spreadsheet. Don’t re-read it at all, only add. (Adding duplicates is okay, even preferred)
Step 4: After some time has elapsed, go back to your spreadsheet and read through all the names. Your writer’s gut will kick in and some names will immediately give you an ick. I usually bold my favorites/top contenders. Duplicates definitely get bolded, since that means my brain landed on the same idea multiple times.
Sometimes I’m able to land on the perfect name here, but usually I’m more indecisive than that lol so I will repeat steps 3 and 4 a few times, doing rounds of elimination until I have just a few to pick from. Since I have a placeholder name, there is zero urgency to make any final decisions whatsoever, so I can take all the time I need and not let it hinder my writing.
Step 5: Once you land on a name, a quick find + replace in your document makes your new name good to go. No momentum lost, no stress.
This mostly works for important characters or things. For side or one-off characters, I have a random letter generated (usually in the form of asking whoever is with me to pick a letter) and just toss a vowel or two followed by a couple consonants until I have a name, whether that turns into a real name or a made up one (Depending on the genre I’m writing in). Even I’m not dedicated enough to go through this whole process for the random street vendor getting yelled at by his wife in chapter 3.
What about you? What are your favorite methods for naming things? Did I miss anything?