Common but Not Boring

Writers' Corner
1

I’m having trouble naming some of my male characters and could use some help. I always run into this problem, because while there are infinite girl names I like, there are so few boy names I like, and I’ve practically used all of them already in older stories :thinking:

It’s historical fiction inspired by a real event in the mid 1980s, meaning my teenage characters would have born born at the tail end of the 1960s. I want a name that suits this time period, but a lot of timeless names are boring to me.

  • I’ve considered Emmett, but it has such specific imagery in my head (soft spoken, shy, sweet, maybe a little farmer-y). What vibes do you get from it?
  • Names I’ve already used in previous projects but could theoretically reuse: Dean, Benjamin, Elliot, Carmichael, Joseph
  • Names I like but have used too recently/am currently using in another project: Gus, Isaiah, Mack, Riley, Clyde, Eddie, Luke
  • I’ve always liked Sloan(e) as a girl’s name, but because of the historical setting, it might be the right time period to use it on a boy?
  • Names that suit the vibe but feel too plain/overused: Steve, Michael, Adam, Matthew, Paul, Max, David, John, Evan, Andrew, etc
  • I’d seriously consider Cole, but another main character is Opal, and they feel too rhymey
  • Names I love but feel weird to use because I know someone with the name: Jack, Leland, Sam

Help :sweat_smile: I’ve written too many things over the years and it feels like the masculine name well has run dry. Idk why I have such a harder time with boy names.

2

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is also soft-spoken and sweet to me, although I can see him as a more outspoken, creative type as well – like the leader of a rock and roll band.

Other names you may like…
[name_u]Bryce[/name_u]
[name_m]Bruce[/name_m]
[name_m]Clark[/name_m]
[name_u]Brennan[/name_u]
[name_m]Ernie[/name_m]
[name_u]Drew[/name_u]
[name_m]Grant[/name_m]
[name_m]Conrad[/name_m]
[name_m]Russell[/name_m]
[name_m]Benji[/name_m] or [name_m]Benny[/name_m] (maybe instead of reusing [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] in full?)
[name_u]Laurence[/name_u]
[name_m]Stuart[/name_m] / [name_m]Stewart[/name_m]
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u]
[name_m]Mitchell[/name_m]
[name_m]Colin[/name_m]
[name_u]Seth[/name_u]
[name_u]Scott[/name_u]
[name_u]Cody[/name_u]
[name_u]Toby[/name_u]
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]
[name_u]Everett[/name_u]
[name_u]Wesley[/name_u]
[name_m]Ross[/name_m]
[name_u]Terry[/name_u]
[name_m]Kenneth[/name_m] / [name_m]Kenny[/name_m]
[name_m]Keith[/name_m]
[name_m]Travis[/name_m]
[name_m]Trevor[/name_m]
[name_m]Jerome[/name_m]
[name_u]Douglas[/name_u]
[name_m]Gregory[/name_m]
[name_m]Kurt[/name_m]
[name_m]Kirk[/name_m]
[name_u]Brett[/name_u]
[name_u]Kelly[/name_u]
[name_m]Ralph[/name_m]
[name_u]Corey[/name_u]
[name_m]Rodney[/name_m]
[name_m]Todd[/name_m]
[name_m]Cliff[/name_m]
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
[name_u]Blaine[/name_u]

1 Like
3

Oh I agree! It’s so fun to write in a historical setting much names can get finicky. EagleEyes has a lot of great suggestions so I think those are a perfect place to look! A few that I think also could work:

[name_m]Craig[/name_m] (I know! It feels so basic…but was very common then :sweat_smile:)
[name_m]Marshall[/name_m]
[name_u]Davis[/name_u]
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]
[name_m]Allen[/name_m]
[name_u]Neil[/name_u]
Leonard/Lenny
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m]

2 Likes
4

[name_u]Ainsley[/name_u]
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]
[name_u]Curtis[/name_u]
[name_m]Coleton[/name_m]
[name_u]Milo[/name_u]
[name_u]Jordan[/name_u]
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m]
[name_u]Francis[/name_u]
[name_m]Aaron[/name_m]
[name_m]Patrick[/name_m]
[name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_u]Glen[/name_u]

1 Like
5

Well, I grew up in the 60s and here were the neighborhood names: (we were a mix of European ethnic groups with no [name_m]Black[/name_m] or Hispanic kids):

[name_f]Carrie[/name_f], [name_u]Bobby[/name_u] (Robert), [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Alison[/name_f]
[name_f]Faith[/name_f], [name_f]Charity[/name_f], [name_f]Hope[/name_f]
[name_m]Bradford[/name_m]
[name_f]Debra[/name_f] (Debbie), [name_u]Kimberly[/name_u] (Kim)
[name_f]Heather[/name_f]
[name_m]Richard[/name_m] (Rick), [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] (Larry), [name_m]Bruce[/name_m]
[name_f]Regina[/name_f], [name_f]Annette[/name_f], [name_m]Ronald[/name_m] (Ronnie)
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Samantha[/name_f]
[name_m]Alan[/name_m], [name_u]Gary[/name_u], [name_u]Dale[/name_u] (g)
[name_f]Sandra[/name_f] (Sandy), [name_f]Sheri[/name_f]
[name_f]Laura[/name_f]
[name_m]Stephen[/name_m] [name_u]Leslie[/name_u], [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], [name_u]Robert[/name_u] (Bobby), [name_u]James[/name_u] (Jimmy)
[name_m]Paul[/name_m], [name_u]Shawn[/name_u] (g), [name_u]Kelly[/name_u], [name_f]Megan[/name_f]
[name_u]Raleigh[/name_u], [name_u]David[/name_u], [name_f]Janice[/name_f]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (Muffy)
[name_m]Russell[/name_m]
[name_u]Jeanne[/name_u] (Jeannie), [name_f]Linda[/name_f], [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f] (Kathy, [name_m]Gregory[/name_m] (Greg)
[name_f]Melissa[/name_f] (Missy), [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f] (Becky), Jon-Paul
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u]
[name_u]Michael[/name_u], [name_f]Donna[/name_f], [name_f]Judith[/name_f] (Judy)
[name_u]Ryan[/name_u]
[name_u]Michael[/name_u], [name_m]Christopher[/name_m], [name_u]Scott[/name_u]
[name_u]Lynn[/name_u], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_f]Deneen[/name_f]
[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] (Larry)
[name_u]Michael[/name_u], [name_u]David[/name_u], [name_m]Christopher[/name_m], [name_u]Daniel[/name_u], [name_f]Susan[/name_f]
[name_f]Susan[/name_f], [name_f]Donna[/name_f], [name_f]Michelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Kristin[/name_f]
[name_u]James[/name_u] (Jay), [name_u]Michael[/name_u]

Other common names: [name_m]Brian[/name_m], [name_m]Kenneth[/name_m], [name_m]Carl[/name_m], [name_u]Charles[/name_u], [name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m], [name_m]Dennis[/name_m], [name_m]Craig[/name_m], [name_u]John[/name_u], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Kurt[/name_m], [name_m]Ian[/name_m], [name_u]Timothy[/name_u], [name_m]Donald[/name_m], [name_u]Francis[/name_u], [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], [name_m]Jerome[/name_m], [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m], [name_u]William[/name_u], [name_m]Mark[/name_m], [name_m]Joel[/name_m], [name_u]Daniel[/name_u], [name_u]Joseph[/name_u], [name_u]Arthur[/name_u], [name_m]Albert[/name_m], [name_m]Eben[/name_m], [name_u]Leon[/name_u], [name_m]Norman[/name_m], [name_u]Evan[/name_u], [name_u]Edward[/name_u], [name_m]Roger[/name_m], [name_m]Patrick[/name_m], [name_m]Randall[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_m]Matthew[/name_m].

1 Like
6

[name_m]Roland[/name_m]
[name_u]Bennett[/name_u]
[name_u]Jasper[/name_u]
[name_u]Amos[/name_u]
[name_m]Augustus[/name_m]
[name_u]Augustine[/name_u]
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]
[name_u]Jonah[/name_u]
[name_m]Otis[/name_m]
[name_m]Reuben[/name_m]

1 Like
7

Maybe [name_m]Oliver[/name_m]? I’ve always liked that name