Name for my male lead?

Writers' Corner
1

(Sorry, in advance, for the novel!)

I’ve had an idea for a story for a while now, but I’ve been struggling to give this one character a name. I’m down to four options (Peter, Rowan, Avery, and Joseph, not in any particular order), but I could use some help making a final decision.

This character is in his mid-to-late 20s (25-28?), recently graduated from seminary, and he has just received his first offer for a position at a church. Being a pastor was always his dream, so he is beyond excited about it.

He is, for the most part, very stoic, serious, and quiet–although that doesn’t mean he isn’t friendly or a people person. (He can be surprisingly funny!). He just doesn’t feel the need to speak until it is something of value. He has an incredibly good heart. He is one of those people who will absolutely stand for the right thing, no matter the consequence. He really cares about people, and even though he’s not very wordy, he doesn’t need to speak for you to know he’s there for you. At times he can be a little bit awkwardly geeky, but in an endearing way. He’s kind, generous, and has a gentle soul.

He has dark brown hair, dark eyes, average height/build/etc.–in healthy shape, but probably not paralyzingly muscled. Haha. He’s cute, but not stereotypically sexy.

He has a best friend–Adelaide (she mostly goes by Adele–she was named after both her grandmothers, and she finds Adelaide horribly old fashioned–but to her father and her best friend, she’s Daisy)–who he’s been hopelessly in love with since the middle of high school. They went to different schools–and churches–but worked at the same restaurant in high school and they met through a joint event between their churches. Adele always wanted to be a big-name concert pianist (most likely of the classical nature), but she’s settling to be a piano teacher near her hometown. When my guy starts his new position at the church, he realizes it’s also Adele’s church, and he’s both elated to be reunited with her and disappointed that she never achieved her dream.

Erm, so, yeah. That’s the gist of it. There will be romance and intrigue, but the relationship between Rowan/Peter/Avery/Joseph and Adele/Daisy is key to his personality, so I figured I’d sort of start there. Which of the four sounds best, particularly with “Pastor” in front of it? :slight_smile:

Thanks, Berries!

2

[name_m]Reading[/name_m] his character description, I initially liked [name_m]Peter[/name_m] and [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. After adding “[name_m]Pastor[/name_m]” in front of the names, I liked [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] better because the alliteration of [name_m]Pastor[/name_m] [name_m]Peter[/name_m] sounds a bit silly to me.

I hope my input was helpful. Good luck and happy writing!

3

I love [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]. I think it fits with his looks & personality best. I also like [name_m]Peter[/name_m] but I agree with superllama that [name_m]Pastor[/name_m] [name_m]Peter[/name_m] sounds a bit too much.

4

Personally, I think [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] fits really well with your character’s description. It’s such a soft, classic name that I could imagine your male lead having. And, I think “[name_m]Pastor[/name_m] [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]” sounds great.

5

Thanks, guys! I think I’m actually going with [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]. I love the way [name_m]Pastor[/name_m] [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] sounds, and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] just seems to suit best my image of him. I may post later on, trying to figure out a surname for him, but for now I’m happy that I have his FN figured out, at least. :slight_smile:

6

I think [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] or [name_m]Peter[/name_m] are nice, but [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] is better for two reasons.

  1. [name_m]Pastor[/name_m] [name_m]Peter[/name_m] sounds silly
  2. I feel [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] best fits the character you described, also [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] is one of the those names that isn’t overly common or never heard of. It pairs well with [name_f]Adele[/name_f] and [name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
7

Thank you so much! You’re just reinforcing [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] for me now; I didn’t need reasons to convince me more of [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], but your reasons just made me love [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] all the more. :wink: He’s definitely a [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]!

8

I’d say [name_m]Peter[/name_m] sounds best, but then again if you feel it’s not great with [name_m]Pastor[/name_m] don’t go with it. Second choice [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]. Definitely not [name_u]Avery[/name_u], especially with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f].