Character Name Generator for Creative Writers

The simple automated character name generator below will help in your search for interesting and unique character names, male or female.

Have you struggled to imagine a suitable name for your story or novel character? Maybe you've checked in baby books or have flipped through the phonebook looking for the right combination of names, and still you can't find one you like? Follow these suggestions for naming fictional characters and then have fun choosing one at the bottom of the page with the random character name generator.

  1. First, decide whether you'll refer to your character by his or her full name, first name, surname, or a nickname.

  2. Remain consistent. Avoid sometimes using the nickname and sometimes using the full name, as this confuses readers.

  3. Only alter a name for a good reason. For example, a man called Ben by his friends might be Benedict to his starchy mother and Mr. Pierce to the babysitter. This makes sense according to their characterization, but don't have the babysitter calling him Mr. Pierce one minute and Ben the next.

  4. Aim for interesting name combinations, but don't get too weird. "Velvet" sounds more like a horse than a person, and Crystal Shanda Lear is just silly. Keep your characters real.

  5. Use the name generator to provide story characters with dissimilar names. If you have Polly and Paul in the same story, or even Robert and Rebecca, readers will have a difficult time remembering their names.

  6. Give your characters names that not only begin with different letters but that also sound as dissimilar as possible. Ben and Jacqueline will be easier to remember than Ben and Jennifer, for example.

  7. Aim to have the name suggest something about the character. Think of the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and that family of girls. Beth was the quiet, gentle daughter; Jo the strong, boisterous one; and Amy the baby of the family. The other names elude me at the moment, but those three stuck with me for forty years because they suit the characters.

Now play around with the character name generator below to quickly and easily generate alternatives, until you find one that suits your character.

In the dropdown menu below, choose whether you want a male or female name, and then click the 'Generate Name' button. It's that easy. Repeat as often as you like until the right combination appears.

First Name:
Last Name:

HAVE FUN!

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