Every work of fiction has characters and every character has a name. Maybe not a name like Hank or Sam, but something. Whether it’s ‘the man in black” or “Driver,” names give us a point of reference for the audience and can even tell us about the character before they utter a single word or commit a single act.
So what’s in a name? Why do people choose to name characters the things that do or leave out a proper name all together and give them a title?
Story First
What is a character other than a part of the story? Sometimes a writer wanted to focus on the whole of the story rather than the sum of its parts.
Some writers use nameless characters to prevent fun taking the focus off the story itself. I’ve found often times these characters tend to have personalities that match their lack of names: secretive and cagey with details about themselves all in a concerted effort to keep the audience from growing too attached. Obviously this isn’t all any I can’t speak for any writer who’s done this. It’s just something I’ve noticed in my experience.
A Rose by Any Other Name
In pretty much every culture, a person’s name, first and last, have a meaning. Sometimes writers (like me) choose names that have meanings that relate to the character directly.
For example: in my book Nasu one of the leads is named Shigeru or Shige for short. Shige means exuberant, and Shigeru which means luxury and growth, both of which seem to fit him pretty well. For most of the names I’ve chosen across all of my work, a character’s name alludes to a trait they have or maybe something about their future. It’s my secret wish that a few readers will Google a character’s name and stumble across the Easter Eggs I’ve sprinkled throughout the books.
The other main character in Nasu’s name is Felipe, but he goes by Phil, a nod to his biracial origins and the pressure of people from non-English speaking backgrounds to conform in something as simple as a name when people don’t put in the effort to try to pronounce their name correctly.
This is something I’ve had to deal with my given name even from an English speaking background, as people constantly mispronounce it. Here’s a hint: it’s not Sharon or Janet is even close but people have called me both.
So with all that said, I have some questions for you:
If you’re a writer/create characters for various things, what goes into selecting a name for your or choosing to give a title rather than a name?
And lastly, what’s your favorite name? Let me know in the comments.