What's In a Name?
A name creates a relationship between the reader and the character. When a character reacts to their name, it provides the reader insight into the character's personality. When a character receives a nickname from another character or gives a character a nickname, the reader gets an insight into the thought process and personality of both characters involved. A nickname or lack of one can also establish the amount of intimacy or lack thereof between two characters. While a character's name rarely directly affects the plot, it can often allow the reader to understand motivations, see into a person's past and personality, and to identify with the character.
When writing my first novel, All She Ever Wanted, my main character's name came to me before anything else did. I walked around for about two weeks wondering why the name Victoria and then the sentence "Elegance exuded from Victoria as she stepped into the room." kept popping into my head. When I finally wrote it down, Victoria came alive to me and her story began to pour out of me so quickly I struggled to get it on paper. Victoria is a strong, ambitious, modern woman from a traditional family. Although she loves her name, when her best friend, Daryn, starts calling her Vic, she's elated because it feels right to her. She gives him the nickname Dare not only express affection, but as a way for me to show a less rigid side of her. Victoria's parents are always Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell to show their formality while Daryn 's parents are Mama and Papa York to create a feeling of intimacy. Mama York begins calling Victoria "Child" as a way to draw her into the family, break through her reserved nature and encourage her to allow herself to relax and not be so hard on herself. I used names and nicknames to create atmosphere and show relationship dynamics and growth throughout All She Ever Wanted.
Common writing wisdom states that using the same name for more than one character is taboo because it creates confusion in the story. The reader is repeatedly forced to figure out which character is which. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses the same two names for the male descendants in the family who make up the book's main characters. The deliberate use of these two names helps define Marquez's character and to determine the behaviors of the characters and people's reactions to the characters driving much of the storyline. Confusion still ensues even when the author uses the same name repeatedly as part of the plot.
Naming multiple characters in the same book or story with names beginning with the same letter sometimes creates confusion. Derivates of the same name or names that sound alike can also create confusion. There are times when it's impossible to avoid using derivate names, but they should be used judiciously.
Giving a character more than one name can also create confusion and can be used to further a plotline. In the case of nicknames, it's important to always make sure it is absolutely clear what is happening. In the case of a name change or obfuscation of a name, it is important that it further the plotline and not just be thrown in for the sake of confusing the reader for no reason.
There are times when a writer wants to leave a character nameless. The character is usually a minor player like the "woman in store" or "man with baby in park" often seen during movie credits. Main characters need names or at least a good reason to not have one. One reason to leave out a name might be to create confusion about sex, ethnicity, and/or other factors that could prejudice the reader about the character. Another reason for a nameless character is to mislead the reader to thicken the plot.
In the novel I'm currently writing, I used the character's names to create confusion about the characters, to draw links to a character's past, and to show changes in characters' lives. In the story, a female police detective, Azalea, overcompensates for feelings that people won't take her seriously because her name is flowery by resisting anything she worries will make her look too feminine for her job. Another character feels her identity both threatened and revealed by a name change. A gender neutral name and the childhood teasing that came with it left one character angry at the world.
So, what's in a name? A name identifies a character, provides clues to ethnicity, gender, and what kind of family the character has. A name creates a relationship between the reader and the character.
Name characters carefully. Characters should wear their names comfortably. Readers will surely notice characters names. Throughout the history of literature, it's a book's characters that are most often quoted and remembered. Make characters memorable beginning with their names!
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