I’m going to share the names of my first characters ever written…remember I was a young teen…Samantha, Sabrina, Angel Starr, and Sapphire.
Sadly, sometimes the character had all the names because I couldn’t make up my mind. I wanted something completely different than the names I was around all day long. Wanted a character completely different than everyone around me.
Some names came from actresses or actors I liked at the time or their characters.
And names do bring certain personalities and characteristics to mind. I’m remembering the 80s show “Riptide” where the one character asks – how did her parents know she would grow up to be a Tiffany and not a Maude. Just remember some names were popular during certain decades and a Maude may have been their Tiffany. And today’s Tiffany maybe different than the one from the 80s.
Naming a character is more than naming your child. Your character already has a personality, traits, and a planned existence. You can take the time to match a name to these and have it paint a preconceived idea in your readers’ minds.
If your story starts with a character’s naming popping into your mind, well, have fun. I’m still trying to figure out why “Derrick” is bugging me.