How do you come up with names?

[Cookiez_N_Potionz]

Sometimes I pick superhero names with the same initials, out of pocket names, colors, or names from old fables I like.

 

[Failnot]

I steal real people's names and mush them together

 

[Jet]

That might be lazy, but I often just searched for the popular names for the country/period, and picked the one I liked and found appropriate.

 

[blushiemagic]

I’ve gained almost a decade of experience randomly generating names because of all my headmates having to name ourselves

 

[lizzyrose]

I've been thick in the weeds with coming up with names for characters, places, etc. for my fantasy world Treyidal.

Just curious, how do y'all come up with names? Do you do what I do most of the time and just smash sounds together, do you assemble some underlying rules? Or do you go full Tolkienesque conlang and make a language with grammar and history?

I usually come up with names in a few different ways


Sometimes I pick a name based on how the character feels — like their personality or vibe in my head. Other times I’ll think about the world they’re in, and choose something that fits that tone.


For example, in my writing I tend to gravitate toward names that sound smooth and memorable. Some I use a lot are Damien, Rose, Sasha, and I seriously love names that end in -ella (like Isabella, Gabriella, or Marcella). They just feel soft, elegant, and easy to picture in a scene


Also, if I’m stuck, I’ll sometimes scroll through baby name lists and say names out loud until one clicks with the energy of the character.


What about you guys?