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News on how authors name their characters, and why adults may look to find new names for themselves. You also might want to browse our list of Names from the Arts and Pop Culture.
Aug 3, 2024
Girl names ending in a vowel sound may not be a new invention, but there is a big wide world of under-appreciated vowel-ending options far beyond the obvious Ava and Zoe. Check out our 100 top picks and browse our full lists here!
Jun 9, 2024
Grandpa names — the names that grandchildren call their grandfathers — are more creative than ever before. Bye-bye, Grandpa and hello, Biggie? Zippo? Grady? The choice is yours!
May 22, 2024
Bridgerton names are part of the Netflix series' enthralling fantasy, but may not represent real early 19th century naming practices.
May 5, 2024
Grandma names — the names that grandchildren call their grandmothers — are more creative than ever before. Bye-bye, Grandma and hello, Glamma? Zuzu? Honey? The choice is yours!
Apr 29, 2024
Most fiction authors get to name a whole world of characters — but getting it right is a fine art. Author Maria Frazer shares her top tips for choosing names that enhance your story and keep your readers on board.
Oct 7, 2023
Character names can be as difficult as baby names. Here are some tips from a writer on finding good ones.
Mar 27, 2023
We asked the Berries — what's the weirdest thing you've named? Their answers may surprise you!
Aug 20, 2022
What can we learn about names from a 2-year-old? They're complicated, but fun, and carry no baggage.
Sep 8, 2020
I may be the world’s only novelist who’s also a name expert, which makes it doubly ironic that I was compelled to change my own character names. But when Darren Star, creator of Sex & the City, made a television show based on my novel Younger, he changed the name of my heroine Alice to […]
Sep 30, 2019
For National Name Your Car Day, Sophie Kihm shares her auto-biography.
Mar 28, 2019
Great baby name inspiration for girls can be found in 21st century novels.
Jan 23, 2019
Nickname names in the news this week, plus animal names and the shift in name popularity.
Nov 28, 2018
Baby name news this week, from vintage to badass.
Feb 2, 2018
A fascinating look into the creative process behind the names in the already-acclaimed debut novel “Self-Portrait with Boy” by Rachel Lyon
Nov 21, 2017
For your baby born under the sign of Sagittarius, how about one of the cool names related to its symbol, the archer?
Nov 20, 2017
From out of the toy box and off the movie screen come lots of usable Lego-related names.
Nov 9, 2017
By Joe Satran Updated with names from Black Panther on March 5. At the movie theater, we’re living in the Age of Marvel. It only took Black Panther three weeks to hit $500 million at the U.S. box office — faster than almost any other movie in history. Thor: Ragnarok, the previous entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), […]
Oct 17, 2017
J. K. Rowling is back with two new Harry Potter projects–the perfect time to look to her clever inventions of character names.
Jun 27, 2017
If a character has a wonderful name, I’m already halfway in love. And if the names in the book feel discordant — out of time or place or literally out of character — I lose confidence in the author.
Feb 12, 2017
In her Names from Books series this month, Clare Bristow turns to Victor Hugo and the rich casts of characters in such works as ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ –and reveals a certifiable 19th century name nerd.
Jan 19, 2017
There’s lots of rhyme and reason behind J. K. Rowling’s character name choices, as Meredith Testa demonstrates here.
Jan 16, 2017
The Baudelaire triplets & Co are back, providing another look at their varied names.
Jan 12, 2017
Some of the names of Edith Wharton’s iconic characters follow the 100 Year Rule and others don’t. Here they are, from Abner to Ethan to Zeena.
Oct 23, 2016
Names from Young Adult books have been a big source of new names. Here are some possibilities from recent publications.
Oct 11, 2016
Celebrated author Toni Morrison is an inventive namer, and plenty of choices from her novels might make meaningful baby names. Clare Bristow rounds up some of the best in today’s post.