I’m currently writing a dystopian/post-apocolyptic novel about a girl who lives in a world where a huge disease has either killed or infected almost everyone. The government has taken precautions to secure quarantine zones were the uninfected can live without fear, but then the girl gets kicked out from one of these quarantine zones into the wild. She meets a guy (obviously) and together they uncover some secret government conspiracy (obviously).
All I need now are a FMC name and a MMC name.
FMC: I currently have her name as [name_f]Lily[/name_f], except no. 1 I don’t think it suits her much and no. 2 I want her to have a cool nickname. She is pretty tough but still sort of naive. She is brave, smart and values and is loyal to her family/friends. I’m kind of basing her on [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]/[name_u]Tris[/name_u] [name_m]Prior[/name_m] from Divergent, but mainly because of the name. I want her to have a fairly normal name from nowadays (Like [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]) that can have a cool nickname (Like [name_u]Tris[/name_u]). I was thinking [name_u]Ari[/name_u] from either [name_f]Aria[/name_f] or [name_f]Ariana[/name_f], but then I’m worried people will just associate her with [name_f]Aria[/name_f] from Pretty [name_m]Little[/name_m] Liars or [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] [name_f]Grande[/name_f].
MMC: The only idea I have at the moment for his name is [name_m]Felix[/name_m], but it doesn’t suit him much. He is tough and is afraid of letting anyone close to him because he’s lost so much. He is fairly masculine, but still has that slightly gentle side. His name should be something fairly dystopian because something happened in his past where he wanted a fresh start and stuff, so he chose a new name.
ANYWAY, I’ve been looking for names for these characters forever; that’s how I found this website (which is amazing). I also wouldn’t mind some other sort of dystopian nicknames that suit peoples personalities like Rat or Stick and things. ALL SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPREACIATED!!!
FMC: Hmm, I once had a [name_f]Christina[/name_f] nn Ristie in a dystopian. I’m assuming this is what you’re looking for. Here some ideas:
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] - [name_f]Lilibet[/name_f] (you can incorporate [name_f]Lily[/name_f] here), [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], [name_f]Lizbeth[/name_f], [name_f]Liza[/name_f]
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] - [name_u]Ari[/name_u], [name_f]Ria[/name_f] (just as an alternative to [name_f]Aria[/name_f]/[name_f]Ariana[/name_f])
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] - [name_f]Lenore[/name_f]
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] - [name_f]Neva[/name_f], [name_f]Neve[/name_f], Vive, [name_f]Viva[/name_f]
[name_f]Virginia[/name_f] - [name_f]Ginny[/name_f], [name_f]Via[/name_f]
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] - Cilia (sill-ee-uh)
[name_f]Valeria[/name_f]/[name_f]Valerie[/name_f] - Valer (like [name_m]Valor[/name_m], which means bravery), [name_f]Ria[/name_f], [name_u]Vale[/name_u]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]/[name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] - [name_f]Margo[/name_f], Garet, Guer (like “guerre”: war in Spanish), [name_f]Rita[/name_f]
[name_f]Claudia[/name_f] - Clau (prn. claw)
[name_f]Mary[/name_f] - [name_f]Mare[/name_f]
[name_f]Celeste[/name_f], [name_f]Celestine[/name_f] - Lestor, Lest
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] - [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f], Syl, [name_u]Silver[/name_u]
[name_f]Marcelle[/name_f]/[name_f]Marcella[/name_f] - [name_m]Mace[/name_m]
I still want to have my FMC nn as [name_u]Ari[/name_u]/[name_f]Ria[/name_f], but I’m not sure about [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]? I like all your MMC names, but I’ve grown attatched to [name_m]Felix[/name_m] and I’m starting to imagine him as a [name_m]Felix[/name_m]. But thanks for the suggestions. Also I really liked [name_m]Carver[/name_m] and I might use it for another character.
I still want to have my FMC nn as [name_u]Ari[/name_u]/[name_f]Ria[/name_f], but I’m not sure about [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]? I like all your MMC names, but I’ve grown attatched to [name_m]Felix[/name_m] and I’m starting to imagine him as a [name_m]Felix[/name_m]. But thanks for the suggestions. Also I really liked [name_m]Carver[/name_m] and I might use it for another character.
And as for the all the other names suggested I liked [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] and I think I’ll use that. I could still use some more nn for the other chracters, like Rat, Stick, Zip… you get the idea. Thank you for your suggestions!!!
Hmm, names that can nn to [name_u]Ari[/name_u] or [name_f]Ria[/name_f]:
[name_u]Ariel[/name_u]/[name_f]Arielle[/name_f]/[name_f]Ariella[/name_f] NN [name_u]Ari[/name_u]
[name_f]Maria[/name_f]/[name_f]Marina[/name_f]/[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]/[name_f]Marianna[/name_f] nn [name_u]Ari[/name_u] or [name_f]Ria[/name_f]
[name_f]Rianna[/name_f]/[name_f]Rhianne[/name_f]/[name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f] nn [name_f]Ria[/name_f]
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f] nn [name_f]Ria[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] nn [name_m]Aro[/name_m] (close to [name_u]Ari[/name_u])
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] nn [name_m]Arri[/name_m] (or even [name_f]Ria[/name_f] but it’s a bit more of a stretch)
[name_f]Valerie[/name_f] nn [name_f]Ria[/name_f]
[name_u]Hilary[/name_u] nn [name_f]Ria[/name_f] - in fact any name ending in the -rie sound could nn [name_f]Ria[/name_f] - [name_f]Mallory[/name_f], [name_f]Eleri[/name_f] etc.
And for what it’s worth, the name [name_u]Ari[/name_u] wouldn’t bother me. I don’t watch Pretty [name_m]Little[/name_m] Liars and have no idea who [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] [name_f]Grande[/name_f] is, but I don’t think it’s too close to either unless your character is very similar in terms of looks or personality to either of the others.
And [name_m]Felix[/name_m] means ‘lucky’, so it could be that he chose his new name ironically because his life had been full of bad luck in the past - guessing the plot from the line where you say he lost so much, anyway.
Sarianna would give you [name_u]Ari[/name_u] or [name_f]Ria[/name_f]. (OK, so it’s not a ‘fairly normal’ name, but it sounds cool, and could easily have derived from [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] + [name_f]Anna[/name_f]… I’ll shut up now.)
[name_f]Carina[/name_f]
[name_f]Charity[/name_f] (love this one!)
[name_f]Clarissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Gloria[/name_f] / Gloriana
[name_f]Honoria[/name_f]
Other nicknames… I’m just thinking household objects I can see right now, lol. [name_u]Pen[/name_u]. Clip. Plug. Straw. [name_m]Dock[/name_m]. Pad. Hippo.
wow… hippo?
anyway everyone’s given me so many good suggestions! and thanks for that little fact about the name [name_m]Felix[/name_m]… i never even thought to look at what his name means for the FMC im stuck between harriet, rhiannon and one of the maria suggestions… hmmm anyway thank you everyone!! xx I STILL NEED SOME HELP WITH NN!! so far ive got zip, rat, hunter…??? need some more!!! I’LL [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] YOU FIVE-[name_f]EVA[/name_f] IF YOU HELP ME OUT!! (***which means i’ll love your more than FOURever :D)
PS i was also thinking ariya? but im not sure how people would read it in their head… do you guys read it like aria?
PPS i really do like clarissa except idk i think its a really uncommon name and its already been used in the city of bones books by cassandra clare
I don’t think Ariya really contributes much, and just looks like a strange, unnecessary variation of [name_f]Aria[/name_f].
I also wouldn’t be concerned about having your names be the same as other characters, unless the actual character is similar. Inevitably, there will be a book somewhere out there that has a name that you’ve used, no matter how original. It’s just not something that’s worth worrying about. Of all things that people would critique in a novel, name originality is not one of them.
[name_u]Abilene[/name_u] ([name_u]Abby[/name_u]) and [name_m]Crawford[/name_m] (Craw). Maybe [name_m]Crawford[/name_m] was his mom’s maiden name, if he hates his Dad. Dunno…your story.
anyway thank you everyone!! xx I STILL NEED SOME HELP WITH NN!! so far ive got zip, rat, hunter…??? need some more!!! I’LL [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] YOU FIVE-[name_f]EVA[/name_f] IF YOU HELP ME OUT!! (***which means i’ll love your more than FOURever :D)