[name]Do[/name] like the same types of names for your characters that you used or will use for your children? I don’t mean the exact same names necessarily, but are they the same style? Personally I like elaborate and uncommon names with cute nicknames for my kids. But for my characters I usually use simpler and more common names.
No, definitely not. I use names that I think best fit the character. That’s the number one criteria. At times, I also use names I like but would never use, for some reason or other. For example, I love the name [name]Jagger[/name]; I like the name. It’s quirky and fun, but I wouldn’t bestow it on my son. It’s too much to live up to.Then are more “normal” names I use for characters that can’t be used in reality. Usually because they’re taken or way too popular. For example, I love the name [name]Dahlia[/name], but it’s my cousin’s name.
Funny thing is, yes. My favourite baby names are also the names I’ve used for my book characters, (therefore pretty much ruling out [name]Brittany[/name] for ever). There are some names, like the last person said, that I wouldn’t have the guts to use in real life, but that I have or plan to use in my books, those being [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Willow[/name], [name]Lucya[/name], [name]Anastasiya[/name], Semele, [name]Brandy[/name] and the like, (word names and names from other cultures from which I haven’t got so much as one drop of blood from.) So I do use the same kinds of names, I guess.
TTFN!! 
Haha, I name my characters everything, Some of then are “Normal” ([name]Harriet[/name], [name]Ada[/name], [name]Charlotte[/name]) that I WOULD name a child but most of my characters have strange word names(Meadowlark,Candle), VERY gender blended names ([name]Greer[/name] for a boy and [name]Julian[/name] for a girl) Or made up names, I hate made up names on children but on characters I like making up names for them xD
I don’t think half the names I love for characters would work in real life, But that is what’s great about them not being real, No body cares if a girl is named Mirror or if a boy is named [name]Jane[/name] xD
The problem is, when I write, I think of all these great names, and then I say to ymslef “Well, that’s one name I can never name my children!”
Most of the names I pick for charactors are names I would use for my children in real life. Some on of them, I don’t like, but fit the charatctor. I have a charactor nams [name]Eliza[/name] and another name [name]Laurel[/name] and I just start banging my head against the wall going “Argh!! I can’t name my daugher that now!” But it’s still fun. I like the Brittish style, and a lot of my stories take place in [name]England[/name]. So, I guess it works.
Good question! Ha! I love so many names that I’m never going to have enough babies for all of them, so a lot of my characters are names that I’m drawn to, but are either things that my hubby would never let me name them AND I also deal mostly in fantasy, so I get to have names like Cygna and Akuru.
However, I usually try and work my kiddo’s name in the piece I’m working on. Her name is [name]Helena[/name] nn [name]Ena[/name], which there’s about a trillion derivatives of, so a version of that is usually somewhere floating. My current novel, I have a princess [name]Elena[/name]. I plan on doing that with our second, whenever he or she decides to arrive. I think it’s fun and I hope they love the characters later in life and know that their momma was thinking about them and tucking them in little corners of her art.
That’s a really cute idea, to name a character after a child. Though I’m afraid if I did that I’d hesitate to put that character in any real trouble or give them major flaws.
I can’t really say I have the same style for characters and for children. Of course I want to give characters names I like, but I like all kind of names from [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] to Erzsebet. The tendency to give characters names I can’t give children, for whatever reason, is definitely there.
I tend to use names that I think suit the character and not always ones I like or would think to use at first. Then, after my characters have worn them, they tend to become my favourites! [name_f]Amelie[/name_f], [name_f]Kaia[/name_f] and [name_m]Kerrigan[/name_m] are good examples of that. I wasnt sure on any of them, but they appeared to be the right name for characters and they quickly became some of my favourites.
Other times Ill use simple, popular names on my characters, because I know that will suit them and their stories best, but I’d never want to use them for a real child 
I never use names that I love or am attached to on my characters. Usually I try to use common names, or names that were common for their age group. If I do give a character an unusual name I try to explain it or have it at least make sense. One of my pet peeves is reading a book or story where the characters names are anachronistically named. It’s like seeing a group of twenty somethings on a TV show named [name_u]Arya[/name_u], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], or [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] when they would more likely be and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], [name_f]Jessica[/name_f], or [name_u]Chelsea[/name_u]. It just kind of takes me out of the story.
I definitely use my favorite names for characters! My number one favorite name since 5th grade is [name_f]Ella[/name_f], and I’ve used it for my main character in 3 different story attempts, I think? The last one took, so now I’ve got one and a half books (well, they’re drafts) with [name_f]Ella[/name_f] as the main character. I do think that it may be an issue if I ever get the book(s) published and then name my first daughter [name_f]Ella[/name_f] (which is the plan, depending on future husband’s opinion) but I’d stiill name my daughter [name_f]Ella[/name_f] anyway. Most of my other favorites ([name_u]Luca[/name_u], [name_f]Maddalena[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f], [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f], [name_f]Azalea[/name_f], [name_u]James[/name_u]) show up in that story too. I also recently began a short story that uses the names [name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Aveline[/name_f], [name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f] nn [name_f]Rhia[/name_f], and [name_f]Clara[/name_f]. Theoretically I’d use any of these names for future kids, but that’s a while off, and I don’t have a SO to get other approval from. They also have to fit the characters and their ages/the time period, which is why I have characters named Kaeli and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Blake[/name_u] and [name_u]Bryce[/name_u], even though I’m not a fan of those names as much.
I always used to find myself liking the names once I got in to researching them, as my style flits around alot, I end up not wanting to use them so I can use them for kids (despite that being ages away). I’m getting better with it though as I use my GPs for characters now (eg. [name_f]Wanda[/name_f], [name_f]Zosia[/name_f], Fiametta, [name_f]Freida[/name_f], [name_f]Endellion[/name_f], [name_m]Lucian[/name_m], [name_f]Abigail[/name_f]) and save the names that are useable or assign them to a side character.
Oh yes! Authors have a tendency to do that. Some weeks ago a TV show had a CEO called [name_f]Mia[/name_f] and I was like… no… that’s not how this works.
Yes and no.
It depends on the characters. For babies I would exclusively use traditional names. Some of my characters’ parents also like traditional names, though others don’t.
I do sometimes think about how if I used a name for a main character, does that make it off-limits for a future baby? I don’t want to associate my future children with any of my characters, especially before they are born or adopted so I don’t even know them yet.
This is literally me! I often change my character’s name half-way through writing because I’ve found I like the name to the point I don’t want to be not-able to use it for a potential real baby (it’s a real pain when I’m 20,000 words in, though…).
In my early writing days, I did name characters names I’d use for kids. Now, I specifically avoid my baby names. But, like said above, I end up liking the name even then, most likely because of the character (I am guilty of adoring my own characters more than real people; sorry, not sorry). I think I like names more if I associate them with something I love, hence the name-changing. Then, there’s the dilemma of whether I love the name or the character (…both is good).
However, I love more names than I’ll ever have babies. It’s like, “[name_f]Do[/name_f] I risk using this name for a character now on the off-chance that my future SO loves it and hates the rest of my favourites, leaving it as our only option?” (This is actually a legitimate and frequent concern of mine. Ugh.)
I think my general rule is that I try to avoid my Top 20-ish. My naming style is similar for both real babies and characters, so the struggle is real, especially considering that my main characters aren’t, in general, ‘good’. But, in my current project, a lot of the names I’m using are made-up because they’re an “alternate race”, simply put; they just wouldn’t share our names and it wouldn’t make sense to use them. I won’t use made-up names for real babies, so there’s that difference.
I try to keep to names that I’m indifferent to mostly, with names I like for main characters/if they just fit.
Right now, just using the names for my characters. Would definitely re-use some favs for my kids, too many names to use them all.
usually they don’t cross over much for me. I have used short, boyish or just straight up boy names for several of my female characters ([name_u]Kai[/name_u] and [name_m]Jack[/name_m] being prime examples). I would never do this in reality. there are some more “normal” ones, but generally still names I wouldn’t use for one reason or another.
there is one exception to this, but I don’t know if I could bring myself to use it on a child and a character. (even though the character’s story will never be seen.)
When I was younger I used to use my favourite names all the time, but I don’t anymore. The main reason being I am better at writing and character development now, and the characters family/background/circumstance come into play when I consider the name. Also, If I stuck to names I would bestow upon my own children, I would have a small pot to choose from. I have a very specific style so it wouldn’t sound realistic. It’s amazing how many names you ‘like’ when you stop considering whether you would name a real baby it. I end up loving some names just by using them in my stories.
I actually love it when this happens in a TV show or book… as long as it is an anomaly. If all the characters follow this trend it feels unrealistic, but if most fit well with their age and time except one, I think it really works.
This is coming from a 27-year-old with one of the most popular little girl names at the moment. People are always very surprised but delighted to meet me in the office! Almost everyone knows a little girl with my name and they delight in telling me haha. It’s nice when I see the name, or others similar, used on 20-somethings or professionals in TV shows
I actually love it when this happens in a TV show or book… as long as it is an anomaly. If all the characters follow this trend it feels unrealistic, but if most fit well except one, I think it really works.
This is coming from a 27-year-old with one of the most popular little girl names at the moment. It was uncommon when I was born. People are always very surprised but delighted to meet me in the office and almost everyone knows a little girl with my name and they delight in telling me haha. It’s nice when I see the name, or others similar in style, used on 20-somethings or professionals in TV shows.
Oh I guess that makes sense. I’m from the other side in this, I’m 22 with a typical 60’s name.