Do you check your character names?

JeremyR · 12-10-2011, 09:21 PM

Basically what I mean is, when you come up with a name for a major character, do you look that name up on the internet, to see if it's someone notable that you've never heard of? Or do you just prefer to remain oblivious?

Of course, the trouble is, a lot of times there actually is a real person of that name, not famous, but you find their Facebook or resume page. That's a bit awkward, at least if you did something horrible to them in your story or killed them off. You hope they never read it, at least.

mr ploppy · 12-11-2011, 04:44 AM

All the time, and it's really annoying when someone has already pinched them for their sprog.

Steve Robinson · 12-11-2011, 07:26 AM

I always check. It's largely out of curiosity, but if I find someone famous, past or present, with the same name, I change mine. It doesn't matter, of course, as there are lots of people out there with the same name. I just prefer not to use widely known names for my characters.

HarryT · 12-11-2011, 07:31 AM

Unless you're going to be like Edgar Rice Burroughs, and make up wonderful names like "Sator Throg", any name you use is going to be somebody's name. I suspect that there aren't too many people out there called "Sator Throg"

.

anamardoll · 12-11-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyR

Basically what I mean is, when you come up with a name for a major character, do you look that name up on the internet, to see if it's someone notable that you've never heard of? Or do you just prefer to remain oblivious?

Of course, the trouble is, a lot of times there actually is a real person of that name, not famous, but you find their Facebook or resume page. That's a bit awkward, at least if you did something horrible to them in your story or killed them off. You hope they never read it, at least.

One of my Beta Readers pointed out that a main character in my book -- Ezio -- may apparently remind some readers of Assassin's Creed 2. I'd picked the name for the meaning and the fact that I have an Italian setting; I don't play the Assassin's Creed series, so I didn't know about the character.

I think I'm keeping it anyway.

miguel1626 · 12-11-2011, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

One of my Beta Readers pointed out that a main character in my book -- Ezio -- may apparently remind some readers of Assassin's Creed 2. I'd picked the name for the meaning and the fact that I have an Italian setting; I don't play the Assassin's Creed series, so I didn't know about the character.

I think I'm keeping it anyway.

At least make him a badass character

anamardoll · 12-11-2011, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguel1626

At least make him a badass character

Heh. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so he's an 8 foot tall beast with razor sharp claws, each several inches long. So...

Phogg · 12-11-2011, 04:09 PM

Hortimus Fowling Perriweather III,
Farthing Lester D'luzer
Esmereldagarde Dingletyne

I can come up with these all day...

crich70 · 12-11-2011, 04:52 PM

Even famous people get their names from someone else. For example I understand that Abraham Lincoln was killed by an indian. Yrs later his grandson was named for him, and that grandson went on to become the 16th President. Granted that's a case within the same family but then there was George Washington Carver. lol. Anyway that's why they have disclaimers stating that any similarity between the characters and living people is entirely coincidental.

ScalyFreak · 12-12-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Heh. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so he's an 8 foot tall beast with razor sharp claws, each several inches long. So...

Ezio is one of the main protagonists in the Assassins' Creed series, game two and it's expansion are focused on him and his life and deeds. And since he is in the habit of stabbing his enemies with a couple of very long retractable blades, your beast description seems somehow fitting.

As someone else already said, there's no such thing as a unique name, unless you invent one. Since I play lots of video games, I wouldn't name my characters after video game characters, for the same reason I wouldn't name a character after a person I know. It wouldn't be my creation anymore, and I wouldn't be able to do whatever I wanted with it. But for someone who doesn't play video games, who has no other character associated with the name already, I imagine the only possible problem could be copyright related, if the Ezio, or whatever the character is, is far too similar to the original.

JSWolf · 12-12-2011, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Heh. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling, so he's an 8 foot tall beast with razor sharp claws, each several inches long. So...

I like the idea of Godzilla has the beast.

anamardoll · 12-12-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I like the idea of Godzilla has the beast.

Perhaps a retelling set in Japan...

ATDrake · 12-12-2011, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Perhaps a retelling set in Japan...

Make it a cheerful Christmas tale, with this as the most awesomest holiday tree ever, under which Beauty and the Beast romantically eat the traditional festive KFC off those razor-sharp claws*.

* Like Lady and the Tramp with the spaghetti, only edgier. And pointier. And with slightly more risk of careless fatal injury, which shows Trust and Love, naturally.

morriss003 · 12-13-2011, 01:50 AM

I like to think about the character and then use something about him or her to develop a name. For example, in "The Colors of Passion and Love", there is a character who is a lawyer. So then I went back to ancient Greece for two names. Thank you, Wikipedia. One was easy, "Salon." The other is "Licurgo" which is a corruption of a famous Greek lawyer's name.
I love to play with names. "Sarah Talmaiz" and "Pall Swiftcar" for example. Or "Baylispli Tyre", his brother "Racer", and their spaceship, "The Lugging Nut."
If you love Heinlein, you probably can't resist inferences to his works, like "Captain Longlife." And in "Surviving the Fog", I knew that a lot of characters would be introduced, so I deliberately did not give most of them last names, so that the reader would find the characters easier to follow.

Steve_D · 12-13-2011, 03:32 AM

Yes, Heinlein was great with his character names, and in science-fiction you can get away with outlandish names that have more significance.

However, for Earthbound stories set in the present day, I find random selections from the telephone book work quite well. Flick through with your eyes shut and point to anywhere on the page... there's your first name, then repeat for the surname. Works for me!

12-10-2011, 09:21 PM	#1
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	Do you check your character names? Basically what I mean is, when you come up with a name for a major character, do you look that name up on the internet, to see if it's someone notable that you've never heard of? Or do you just prefer to remain oblivious? Of course, the trouble is, a lot of times there actually is a real person of that name, not famous, but you find their Facebook or resume page. That's a bit awkward, at least if you did something horrible to them in your story or killed them off. You hope they never read it, at least.

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12-11-2011, 04:44 AM	#2
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	All the time, and it's really annoying when someone has already pinched them for their sprog.

12-11-2011, 07:26 AM	#3
Steve Robinson Crime Fiction Writer Posts: 12 Karma: 64518 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: none	I always check. It's largely out of curiosity, but if I find someone famous, past or present, with the same name, I change mine. It doesn't matter, of course, as there are lots of people out there with the same name. I just prefer not to use widely known names for my characters.

12-11-2011, 07:31 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Unless you're going to be like Edgar Rice Burroughs, and make up wonderful names like "Sator Throg", any name you use is going to be somebody's name. I suspect that there aren't too many people out there called "Sator Throg" .

12-11-2011, 04:09 PM	#8
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	Hortimus Fowling Perriweather III, Farthing Lester D'luzer Esmereldagarde Dingletyne I can come up with these all day...

12-11-2011, 04:52 PM	#9
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Even famous people get their names from someone else. For example I understand that Abraham Lincoln was killed by an indian. Yrs later his grandson was named for him, and that grandson went on to become the 16th President. Granted that's a case within the same family but then there was George Washington Carver. lol. Anyway that's why they have disclaimers stating that any similarity between the characters and living people is entirely coincidental.

12-13-2011, 01:50 AM	#14
morriss003 Evangelist Posts: 438 Karma: 3409790 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maui Device: kindle	I like to think about the character and then use something about him or her to develop a name. For example, in "The Colors of Passion and Love", there is a character who is a lawyer. So then I went back to ancient Greece for two names. Thank you, Wikipedia. One was easy, "Salon." The other is "Licurgo" which is a corruption of a famous Greek lawyer's name. I love to play with names. "Sarah Talmaiz" and "Pall Swiftcar" for example. Or "Baylispli Tyre", his brother "Racer", and their spaceship, "The Lugging Nut." If you love Heinlein, you probably can't resist inferences to his works, like "Captain Longlife." And in "Surviving the Fog", I knew that a lot of characters would be introduced, so I deliberately did not give most of them last names, so that the reader would find the characters easier to follow.

12-13-2011, 03:32 AM	#15
Steve_D Member Posts: 20 Karma: 19992 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Germany Device: iPhone 3GS	Yes, Heinlein was great with his character names, and in science-fiction you can get away with outlandish names that have more significance. However, for Earthbound stories set in the present day, I find random selections from the telephone book work quite well. Flick through with your eyes shut and point to anywhere on the page... there's your first name, then repeat for the surname. Works for me!

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