How to Name Your Characters 6 Tips for Creating Memorable Names

Literature and film are populated with evocative character names: Ebenezer Scrooge, Harry Potter, Tiny Tim, Humbert Humbert, Wonder Woman, Bilbo Baggins, Katniss Everdeen. Yet despite this, little is made of the art of naming characters. Do authors tend to pick a random name for a fictional character? Do they pack a character’s full name of thematic symbolism? Do they borrow a character’s first name and family name from real people? Most authors have their own particular methods for selecting a character’s name. Here are some tips to help you come up with character names in your own writing.