I need help coming up with surnames for these characters! For context, this story is set in modern day America. Looking for surnames that are common enough to be realistic, but still not super common.
Aiden & Nora
Jake
Maya
Lucas, Chloe, David, & Rachel
(The reason why some are grouped together is because they’re related so I’d like them to have the same surname.)
I thought the last name Bennett would be absolutely perfect for Lucas, Chloe, David, and Rachel, but there’s already a pretty well-known actress named Chloe Bennett, so that’s off the table. I’ve considered Harris for Aiden and Nora, but I’m not sure yet. I’ve thought of a couple for Maya (Thompson, Robinson, Williams) but I’m not sure about any of those yet either. Totally blanking on Jake.
Please tell me any realistic surnames that go well with these names!
[name_u]Aiden[/name_u] and [name_f]Nora[/name_f] [name_u]Banks[/name_u]
[name_m]Jake[/name_m] [name_m]Larson[/name_m]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f] [name_u]Perry[/name_u]
[name_f]Chloe[/name_f] [name_m]Hart[/name_m]
[name_u]Aidan[/name_u] and [name_f]Nora[/name_f] [name_m]Ramone[/name_m]
[name_u]Aidan[/name_u] and [name_f]Nora[/name_f] [name_m]Butler[/name_m]
[name_m]Jake[/name_m] Isherwood
[name_m]Jake[/name_m] [name_m]Baxter[/name_m]
[name_m]Jake[/name_m] [name_u]Linden[/name_u]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f] [name_u]Campbell[/name_u]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f] [name_m]Clements[/name_m]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f] [name_m]Ross[/name_m]
[name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_u]David[/name_u] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_u]Morgan[/name_u]
[name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_u]David[/name_u] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_m]Wainwright[/name_m]
[name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_u]David[/name_u] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_m]Gregg[/name_m]
[name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_f]Chloe[/name_f], [name_u]David[/name_u] & [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_u]Hayes[/name_u]
Why are they all [name_f]English[/name_f] surnames? And who are your characters’ parents and why did they name their kids the way they did?
I generally do a deep dive into family dynamics before I decide on names & surnames, and include race, ethnicity, religion, social class, region the story takes place, etc.
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Mostly [name_f]English[/name_f] surnames because this story takes place in [name_u]America[/name_u] and I was using common American surnames.
[name_u]David[/name_u] and [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] are [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] and Chloe’s parents, and they’re rich suburban WASP types. [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is Aiden’s single mother, and they’re more lower class. [name_m]Jake[/name_m] comes from a half-Asian and half-Jewish family, and they’re middle class. [name_f]Maya[/name_f] is from a [name_m]Black[/name_m] American family, and they’re middle to upper class.
I can tell you more about the families’ personal dynamics with each other if you need that?
I haven’t come up with names for Maya’s parents or Jake’s parents yet since they aren’t major characters, but I will soon. Hopefully this helps you.
This is the most helpful character naming advice ever
[name_u]America[/name_u] is full of ethnic variety and all kinds of ethnic surnames. Where I grew up in Connecticut there were kids with Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Egyptian, Jewish, Polish, Ukranian, Russian, French-Canadian, [name_u]Irish[/name_u], Welsh, Scots, and [name_f]English[/name_f] surnames. So, while [name_m]Smith[/name_m] and [name_m]Williams[/name_m] may be common, not every [name_m]Smith[/name_m] or [name_m]Williams[/name_m] is English-derived. Living in the Deep [name_u]South[/name_u] now, most of my students who have the most [name_f]English[/name_f] and [name_u]Irish[/name_u] surnames are [name_m]Black[/name_m].
Depending on what state you’re in, WASP could be [name_u]Gardiner[/name_u] or it could be Nash; you didn’t say what ethnicity [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is. Is Jake’s mother or father Jewish? Would change his last name and would change whether he is Jewish or not. Some Jewish names are [name_m]Harris[/name_m], [name_m]Braun[/name_m], [name_u]Green[/name_u], [name_u]Rosen[/name_u], Shemaria, Cardozo, [name_u]Watson[/name_u], Weir, [name_f]Vana[/name_f], Danow.
Some of my students’ last names are Fountain, Stallworth, [name_m]Williams[/name_m], Wiggins, [name_u]Jackson[/name_u], [name_u]Jemison[/name_u], [name_m]Watts[/name_m], and McGhee.
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