Help: fantasy names!

Help!

I’ve been having a hard time coming up with names for my fantasy book and I really could use some help. I’ve been going back and forth between using a Celtic name theme, a Latin/Greek name theme, and a Scandinavian name theme, but I haven’t been able to come up with names for all of my characters. The only one that I’ve found that I really like for one of my male protagonists (I have four protagonists) is [name_m]Jack[/name_m], but I feel like even though it suits him, it is too common and I don’t really want to name all of my characters super common names.

I could use some help with naming fantasy characters in general. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you all like to stick to a theme (using names from the same or similar cultures)? Or do you just find names that you like and ignore that?

I’m hoping that some of you will be able to help so i’ll give some brief descriptions of my main characters and some more important secondary characters that need names. One thing to note is that magic is fairly common in their world, but there are kinds of magic that are rarer if that makes sense. MC #1 has a more rare form of magic, but MC #3 and #4 have a more common type of magic.

MC #1: Female. She has dark hair and light eyes. She’s cautious, a bit of a perfectionist, but she can be a bit blunt and impatient. She grows throughout the story by learning to be more courageous, and throughout her story (i’m planning on a duology) to be more patient. She has magical abilities, but they are not revealed until the end of the story.

MC #2: Male. He’s the one I like the name [name_m]Jack[/name_m] for. He has dark hair and dark eyes. He’s kind, compassionate but he can be inattentive. He’s very softhearted. He matures a lot throughout the story. He doesn’t have any magical abilities, although the rest of my main characters do.

MC #3: Also female. She has red hair and dark eyes. She’s kind of the mom of the group (even though she is the same/similar age as the others). She’s mature and thoughtful, and kind, but she is very dependent on her twin brother (MC #4) and her growth through the story involves becoming more independent.

MC #4: Male, and MC #3’s twin brother. He has darker red hair and hazel eyes. He is very bold and brave, but he can be temperamental and lacks tact, but his friendship with some of the other characters makes him a much better person, and his story is really one about forgiveness (he has a lot of harbored resentment towards his father, who was abusive towards his mother, which is one of the reasons his sister is meek and very dependent on him)

Secondary Characters:

  • MC #1’s sister, who is blonde haired, blue eyed, and has fallen ill at the start of the story (MC #1 is trying to save her).
  • MC #1’s mother, who is blonde haired and dark eyed and MC #1 really wants to make her mother proud because her mother has generally preferred her sister and blames MC #1 for the death of her father (the mother’s husband).
  • Dieties: I need names for 3 goddesses (one of healing/water, one of fire/life force, and one of snow/ice/disease/pestilence) and one god (who is the god of death and is only ever mentioned but still plays a pretty big role)

Anyway, any names at all are helpful but hopefully the descriptions will help. Thank you all!

I have one fantasy idea that I’m working on and the names I chose for that story are quite random. I’m basing the geography/culture of the world in the story on Europe, so the plot takes place mostly in a kingdom similar to Germany, but I have characters from kingdoms similar to Norway and Spain. Two of their names reflect that but the others just fit the character so well that I said screw it.

I can’t say if it would be better to stick to a specific origin when it comes to the names because I don’t know the world your story takes place in. My advice would be if you’re having trouble finding names because there’s too many that you like, then selecting a specific origin would be beneficial to narrow it down. If the problem is that you have no ideas, then don’t limit yourself because you need as many options as possible.

MC1:
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Evelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Geneva[/name_f]
[name_f]Kerensa[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]
[name_f]Thalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_f]Carina[/name_f]
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f]
[name_f]Willow[/name_f]

MC2:
Along the same lines as [name_m]Jack[/name_m] but less common
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]
[name_m]Jonah[/name_m]
[name_m]Miles[/name_m]
[name_u]Toby[/name_u]
[name_m]Hayes[/name_m]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_m]Peter[/name_m]
[name_m]Damien[/name_m]
[name_m]Hale[/name_m]
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]/[name_m]Quentin[/name_m]
[name_m]Laszlo[/name_m]
[name_u]Rhys[/name_u]

MC3:
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f]
[name_f]Katrina[/name_f]
[name_f]Pippa[/name_f]/[name_f]Philippa[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_u]Tatum[/name_u]
[name_f]Rhea[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorelei[/name_f]/[name_f]Aurora[/name_f]/[name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_f]Laelia[/name_f]
[name_u]Eloise[/name_u]
[name_f]Tatiana[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]/[name_f]Meg[/name_f]
[name_f]Margo[/name_f]
[name_f]Manon[/name_f]
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f]

MC4:
[name_m]Peter[/name_m]
[name_u]Riley[/name_u]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]
[name_u]Kai[/name_u]
[name_m]Waylon[/name_m]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m]/[name_u]Andy[/name_u]
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m]
[name_u]Curtis[/name_u]
[name_m]Felix[/name_m]
[name_u]Flynn[/name_u]
[name_m]Terrence[/name_m]/[name_u]Ren[/name_u]

Secondary characters
[name_f]Sister[/name_f]:
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Nia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f]
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]
[name_f]Luella[/name_f]
[name_f]Tallulah[/name_f]

Mother:
[name_f]Regina[/name_f]
[name_f]Geraldine[/name_f]
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f]
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f]
[name_f]Lola[/name_f]
[name_f]Phyllis[/name_f]
[name_u]Dana[/name_u]

[name_f]Goddess[/name_f] of healing/water:
Cansu “water, soul, life”
Damla “water drop”
Euria “rain”
[name_f]Audra[/name_f] “storm”

[name_f]Goddess[/name_f] of fire/life:
[name_f]Nina[/name_f] “fire”
[name_f]Enid[/name_f] “soul, life”
[name_f]Liv[/name_f] “live”
[name_f]Zenobia[/name_f] “life”
[name_f]Zoe[/name_f] “life”

[name_f]Goddess[/name_f] of snow/disease:
[name_f]Bora[/name_f] “snow”
[name_f]Eira[/name_f] “snow”
Eirwen “snow, white, blessed”
[name_f]Lumi[/name_f] “snow”
[name_f]Mahlah[/name_f] “sick, weak”
Morana “goddess of snow and death”

God of death:
Brandr “sword, fire”
Athanasius “immortal, death”

That’s pretty much up to you, in a completely made-up world, I feel like you could make any of those ways work. Maybe mix in some made-up names, too. I think the A song of Ice and [name_m]Fire[/name_m] books are a good example of fantasy naming: A good mix of made-up, real and real-with-a-twist, but with some comsistency, names exist in different reginal variations, family/honor names, different styles for nobles and common people, and so on.

So think about the background of your characters: Are they all from the same country? Are any of them royals? The names should reflect that in the first place, rather than a specific culture from our world.

[name_m]Just[/name_m] a thought: if you like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] but think it’s too mundane, you can make [name_m]Jack[/name_m] the nickname and name him something like [name_m]Jacopo[/name_m] or [name_f]Jacenty[/name_f].

Oh, and one of the girls could be named for one of the goddesses! I’d like that!

Anyway, some ideas (all over the place):

MC #1: [name_f]Mercy[/name_f], [name_f]Kess[/name_f], [name_f]Anora[/name_f], [name_u]Jay[/name_u], [name_u]Allie[/name_u], Medina, [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u], Valoda, Vyn, [name_u]Billie[/name_u]

MC #2: I’d say stick with [name_m]Jack[/name_m].

MC #3: [name_f]Lovisa[/name_f], [name_f]Emilie[/name_f], [name_f]Bobbi[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Patience[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_m]Fane[/name_m]

MC #4: [name_m]Brody[/name_m], [name_m]Burton[/name_m], [name_m]Carl[/name_m], [name_m]Griffin[/name_m], [name_u]Carson[/name_u], [name_m]Jonas[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Tobiah[/name_m]

Secondary Characters:

  • MC #1’s sister: [name_f]Jana[/name_f], [name_f]Dalla[/name_f], [name_u]Bray[/name_u], [name_f]Hope[/name_f], [name_f]Fatima[/name_f], [name_f]Jill[/name_f], [name_u]Merle[/name_u]
  • MC #1’s mother: [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Cate[/name_f], [name_u]Allison[/name_u], [name_f]Lisabeth[/name_f], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u]
  • Dieties: Now this is hard. Dieties often have word names, or names that turn into words as centuries pass by. I don’t know if you’ve made up a language for your world, if so, that’s probably where to start looking for their names… if not, maybe straight out english word names, maybe in an archaic spelling, like:
    healing/water: Hǣling, Helynge, Wodr
    fire/life force: Lyf, [name_m]Leif[/name_m], [name_f]Liba[/name_f], Fyr
    snow/ice/disease/pestilence: Sno, Cald, Ceald, Kall
    death: Dauthuz, Deyen, Digan

It took me a while to respond to your post because I had to go an check the names of all my fantasy characters. You ask a good question and for a lot of people sticking to a similar name theme makes the world-building consistent. For me, though, I used names I liked. The familiar, the unusual, and the made up, so it’s a mix of just about everything. If I’m intentionally creating characters based on a specific culture (Greek, Russian, Japanese, [name_f]Indian[/name_f], Arabic, etc.) than I stick to that theme though that doesn’t necessarily mean all my characters will be from a specific region.

As for names of characters I’ve used for my own stories, that’s kind of a long list. I have several stories set in different fantasy worlds and so a lot of them have different naming styles.

Incidentally, I have a character named [name_m]Jack[/name_m], the son of one of my MCs, [name_m]Willard[/name_m] “[name_m]Will[/name_m]”. If you feel that name suits him perfectly than keep it- you’re the writer, after all, and if you don’t like a character’s name than it would be hard to keep writing about them.

Names I’ve used in my fantasy stories:
[name_f]Nellie[/name_f]
[name_f]Rabia[/name_f]
[name_m]Willard[/name_m] “[name_m]Will[/name_m]”
[name_f]Eyo[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Hannah[/name_f]
[name_m]Killian[/name_m]
Enda (m)
[name_f]Tula[/name_f] (f)
[name_u]Finn[/name_u] (m)
Drakkis
[name_u]Blake[/name_u]
[name_u]Harmony[/name_u]
[name_u]Toby[/name_u]
[name_f]Emily[/name_f]
[name_f]Starr[/name_f] (f)
[name_f]Tonya[/name_f]
[name_m]Paul[/name_m]
[name_m]Luther[/name_m]
[name_f]Lana[/name_f]
[name_f]Mara[/name_f]
Marche (m)
[name_u]Wallace[/name_u]
[name_f]Laia[/name_f]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_m]Lance[/name_m]
[name_m]Arlington[/name_m]
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]
Melati
[name_u]Emmet[/name_u]
Sulla (f)
[name_m]Krispin[/name_m]
Stelinda
Favian
[name_m]Zeno[/name_m]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
Jad (f)
[name_u]Byrd[/name_u] (m)
[name_f]Editha[/name_f]
Yesaya (m)
[name_m]Norberto[/name_m]
Nessan (m)
Aourgen (f)
Heathly “[name_m]Heath[/name_m]” (m)
[name_f]Devora[/name_f]
Dafoe
Lotan
Jovac
Pintos
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]
[name_m]Rastus[/name_m]
Narr (f)
Lyka
Amorina
Phylene
Eloris (f)

As for names for your characters, I’ve picked names based on what I feel suits them from your descriptions of them. I hope some of these help with what you’re looking for.

MC1-

[name_f]Asha[/name_f]
Ashra/Ashara/Asherah
[name_f]Anala[/name_f]
[name_f]Talia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elda[/name_f]
[name_m]Eldrid[/name_m]
Sulis (f)
Sepia
[name_f]Lisandra[/name_f]/Lissandra
Gabrella
Cressline
Amzie
[name_f]Riona[/name_f]
Gwynnette
Katalia/ [name_f]Catalia[/name_f]
Katry/Catry
[name_f]Rhea[/name_f]
[name_f]Tana[/name_f]/Tanna
Joppene
Dinara/Denara
Aila/[name_f]Ayla[/name_f]
[name_f]Hedda[/name_f]
[name_f]Ainara[/name_f]
Anneys

MC 2
Illtyd, Illtid (m)
Melon
Meliard
Gladio
[name_m]Lazar[/name_m]
Everil
Ezrael
Balam
Jodam
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]
[name_u]Bay[/name_u]/ [name_u]Bayly[/name_u]
Zakkai
[name_u]Quince[/name_u]
[name_u]Corin[/name_u]
Argen
Istros
[name_m]Arron[/name_m]
[name_m]Garth[/name_m]
Ashbel
Tekoa
Nyko
Chion (pr. kee-on)
[name_u]Davin[/name_u]
Davic/Davoc
Adalay
Petram/ Petrem/Petrum
Irrus
Verus
Abelio
Taras

MC 3
[name_f]Mara[/name_f]
[name_f]Meda[/name_f]
Meela
[name_f]Anona[/name_f]
[name_f]Serra[/name_f]/[name_f]Sera[/name_f]
[name_f]Belia[/name_f]
[name_f]Carma[/name_f]
Lenara / [name_f]Lenora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lina[/name_f]
[name_f]Alida[/name_f]/Alita
Arisa

MC 4
[name_m]Merrick[/name_m]
[name_u]Tobin[/name_u]
[name_u]Roan[/name_u]
Aero
[name_m]Edric[/name_m]
Elric
[name_m]Luke[/name_m]
Brennos
[name_u]Alden[/name_u]/[name_m]Aldin[/name_m]
[name_u]Alwin[/name_u]
[name_m]Aaron[/name_m]

As for the names of your deities, that’s up to you. The names I chose for my deities were names based on existing ones though I tweaked them a bit (Doreath, Artalina), based on existing gods (Lilit, Shamash, Sin, [name_f]Cerelia[/name_f]) or names I made up (Allatu, Zorak, Saradi, Azidia).

If you’re looking for more names, I posted a link to a site called Behind the Name- this link leads to a random generator tool where you can choose any category of names.

It took me a while to respond to your post because I had to go an check the names of all my fantasy characters and see what kind of names I chose. You ask a good question and for a lot of people sticking to a similar name theme makes the world-building consistent. For me, though, I used names I liked. The familiar, the unusual, and the made up, so it’s a mix of just about everything. If I’m intentionally creating characters based on a specific culture (Greek, Russian, Japanese, [name_f]Indian[/name_f], Arabic, etc.) than I stick to that theme though that doesn’t necessarily mean all my characters will be from a specific region.

As for names of characters I’ve used for my own stories, that’s kind of a long list. I have several stories set in different fantasy worlds and so a lot of them have different naming styles.

Incidentally, I have a character named [name_m]Jack[/name_m], the son of one of my MCs, [name_m]Willard[/name_m] “[name_m]Will[/name_m]”. If you feel that name suits him perfectly than keep it- you’re the writer, after all, and if you don’t like a character’s name than it would be hard to keep writing about them

Some of the names I’ve used for my own fantasy stories:
[name_f]Nellie[/name_f]
[name_f]Rabia[/name_f]
[name_m]Willard[/name_m] “[name_m]Will[/name_m]”
[name_f]Eyo[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Hannah[/name_f]
[name_m]Killian[/name_m]
Enda (m)
[name_f]Tula[/name_f] (f)
[name_u]Finn[/name_u] (m)
Drakkis
[name_u]Blake[/name_u]
[name_u]Harmony[/name_u]
[name_u]Toby[/name_u]
[name_f]Emily[/name_f]
[name_f]Starr[/name_f] (f)
[name_f]Tonya[/name_f]
[name_m]Paul[/name_m]
[name_m]Luther[/name_m]
[name_f]Lana[/name_f]
[name_f]Mara[/name_f]
Marche (m)
[name_u]Wallace[/name_u]
[name_f]Laia[/name_f]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_m]Lance[/name_m]
[name_m]Arlington[/name_m]
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]
Melati
[name_u]Emmet[/name_u]
Sulla (f)
[name_m]Krispin[/name_m]
Stelinda
Favian
[name_m]Zeno[/name_m]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
Jad (f)
[name_u]Byrd[/name_u] (m)
[name_f]Editha[/name_f]
Yesaya (m)
[name_m]Norberto[/name_m]
Nessan (m)
Aourgen (f)
Heathly “[name_m]Heath[/name_m]” (m)
[name_f]Devora[/name_f]
Dafoe
Lotan
Jovac
Pintos
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]
[name_m]Rastus[/name_m]
Narr (f)
Lyka
Amorina
Phylene
Eloris (f)

As for names for your characters, I’ve tried to pick the names I thought best fit the descriptions you have of your character. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] it helps you.

MCF 1-

[name_f]Asha[/name_f]
Ashra/Ashara/Asherah
[name_f]Anala[/name_f]
[name_f]Talia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elda[/name_f]/ Eldra
[name_m]Eldrid[/name_m]
Sulis (f)
Sepia
[name_f]Lisandra[/name_f]/Lissandra
Gabrella
Cressline
Amzie
[name_f]Riona[/name_f]
Gwynnette
Katalia/ [name_f]Catalia[/name_f]
Katry/Catry
[name_f]Rhea[/name_f]
[name_f]Tana[/name_f]/Tanna
Joppene
Dinara/Denara
Aila/[name_f]Ayla[/name_f]
[name_f]Hedda[/name_f]
[name_f]Ainara[/name_f]
Anneys

MC 2
Illtyd, Illtid (m)
Melon
Meliard
Gladio
[name_m]Lazar[/name_m]
Everil
Ezrael
Balam
Jodam
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]
[name_u]Bay[/name_u]/ [name_u]Bayly[/name_u]
Zakkai
[name_u]Quince[/name_u]
[name_u]Corin[/name_u]
Argen
Istros
[name_m]Arron[/name_m]
[name_m]Garth[/name_m]
Ashbel
Tekoa
Nyko
Chion (pr. kee-on)
[name_u]Davin[/name_u]
Davic/Davoc
Adalay
Petram/ Petrem/Petrum
Irrus
Verus
Abelio
Taras

MC 3
[name_f]Mara[/name_f]
[name_f]Meda[/name_f]
Meela
[name_f]Anona[/name_f]
[name_f]Serra[/name_f]/[name_f]Sera[/name_f]
[name_f]Belia[/name_f]
[name_f]Carma[/name_f]
Lenara / [name_f]Lenora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lina[/name_f]
[name_f]Alida[/name_f]/Alita
Arisa

MC 4
[name_m]Merrick[/name_m]
[name_u]Tobin[/name_u]
[name_u]Roan[/name_u]
Aero
[name_m]Edric[/name_m]
Elric
[name_m]Luke[/name_m]
Brennos
[name_u]Alden[/name_u]/[name_m]Aldin[/name_m]
[name_u]Alwin[/name_u]
[name_m]Aaron[/name_m]

As for the names of your deities, that’s up to you. The names I chose for my deities were names based on existing ones though I tweaked them a bit (Doreath, Artalina), based on existing gods (Lilit, Shamash, Sin, [name_f]Cerelia[/name_f]) or names I made up (Allatu, Zorak, Saradi, Azidia).

I’ve posted a link below to a site called Behind the Name- this link leads to a random generator tool that could help you narrow down the kind of names you’re looking for.

You can do [name_u]Ember[/name_u], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f], [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_u]Jesse[/name_u], [name_f]Irina[/name_f] and [name_m]Dante[/name_m] if you want.