Here are ten quick ways to come up with names for your characters (without using one of those online name generators)
- Movie/TV Show Credits: one of the easiest ways I use for character naming is to take a glance at a movie or TV show as the end credits roll. Name after name after name, any of which can be mixed and matched to make new ones or kept as is for authenticity.
- Census: If you dig a little, you can find a ton of old census records online. This will show you names that correlate to a certain part of the country or world, and often to a certain time period.
- Baby Name Websites: Especially if you’re looking for ethnic names, these are invaluable resources for character names.
- Book or Magazine: The acknowledgement section of any book or the list of contributors in a magazine will also provide many interesting names.
- Ancestry Sites: This one could cost you if you’re not already a genealogy nut (or know one), but there are certainly lots of names listed, many of them by time period.
- Cemetary: If you’d like to take a nice stroll for your health, try walking around your local cemetery. The older the graves, the more interesting the names in my experience.
- Newspaper Morgue: This will likely require a trip to the library and a microfiche machine, but any newspaper, especially the classified section or want ads, will give you a list of names.
- Phone Book: If you can find an old phone book or city directory, you’re in luck. They’re chock full of great names.
- Company Websites: You can also find interesting names on a company listing of employees.
- Club/Organization Rolls: If you can find the members’ list of a local club or organization (like the Rotary Club or Baptist Men’s Organization), you can find lots of names for characters.
Bonus: Five Name Generating Websites: