Character Name Generator
Character Name Generator: Follow the instructions to search for name meanings on Behind the Name. Select one of the names, and use its meaning to write a story or scene about a character with that name.
When I'm choosing names for characters and locations, I love playing with the search engine Behind the Name. You can enter a name and discover its true meaning, what culture it came from, and when it was first used. Or, with a slight setting change, you can enter an object, concept or place and find names related to your query. I encourage you to play with the variety of other features there at your leisure, but for this prompt, we'll be searching for meanings.
Writing Prompt: Character Name Generator
- Visit behindthename.com.
- Click the gear-shaped button next to the search bar to select "search meanings," as pictured below.
- Type in an object, concept, place, color—anything you can think of that might inspire a name. For example, you might type in green, mountain, beautiful or war. Alternatively, you can visit the Name Themes page (behindthename.com/info/themes) and click on one of the concepts there if you're not sure what to type in.
- Select one of the names from the list, and read about its origin. (Or, if you already have a name in mind, you can search for it to determine its origin.)
- Create a character using the name you've selected, and post a story or scene about them (500 words or fewer) in the comments below. Try to incorporate the meaning of the name you've selected in your response.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
