What’s In a Name?
Nevaeh? Jacqueline? Gary?
These names definitely reflect a certain time period, which is one of the first things to consider if you write fiction. They also point to a character’s class, ethnicity and background.
Take Gary. You may have heard the song “Gary” by Stephen Wilson, Jr., usually played on a country music station. Wilson sings “ain’t a lot of boys named Gary these days” and he’s right.
The name belongs in the mid 1900’s but it lost popularity around the 1970’s. From 1925 to 2024, Gary ranked 33rd in the list of American male names. (By the way, I recommend you listen to the song, especially while you’re writing a story set in the south. It’s exceptional.)
The history of Jacqueline is interesting. It has French origins and means “supplanter” or “may God protect”. I thought it would have been popular in America in the ‘60’s because of
Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy. I was wrong. The name was most popular in the 1980’s and ranked 58th in female names during that decade. Not all that popular even then, which kinda disappointed me. I have a thing for names that start with “J” for some reason.
Relative to the name of your character and their class or background, don’t make the mistake of thinking that relationship isn’t all that important. In my debut contemporary romantic comedy, I spent a bunch of time thinking about the name “Jack” for my male protagonist. I questioned whether Jack was really the best name for a wealthy equine veterinarian who cared for million-dollar Thoroughbred racehorses. He was from a prominent Lexington, Kentucky, family and it just didn’t seem like the right name for this man, until I expanded upon his full name, which was Jackson Beauregard Carter. In my opinion, it became the perfect name for him because it suited his class, background, personality, and even the southern setting. Equally, because the book’s trope was enemies to lovers, his name allowed my female protagonist the opportunity to give him the nickname “jackass”, which she used multiple times (smirk).
Another related point is the number of authors who use pseudonyms, because they believe their real names don’t fit the genre in which they write. Or, they use an author name that is simpler and maybe easier for readers to remember. If we use a different writer name, doesn’t the naming of characters as well as the name we choose as an author prove the importance of names in the world of writing?
Now, let’s revisit Nevaeh, the name that gained popularity in the early 2000’s. It is “heaven” spelled backwards, in case you didn’t notice. Whether it’s meant to promote a religious vibe or it was just chosen because it’s catchy, it’s a name I’d use for a teenage character. My husband, a former attorney who dealt with many juveniles in the county court system, often remarked on how many young women had the name, with some differences in the spelling. I don’t know if this indicates the name is only popular with teens who have problems, but I think it’s worth noting.
However you choose your character names, keep these things in mind:
1. Fit the names to your book’s tone.
2. Read some of the story aloud to test the sound of the names.
3. Keep the names distinctive. That means don’t have too many which start with the same letter or sound the same. Examples: Margaret, Marsha, Megan, Macy and so on.
4. Don’t name your book people after real, famous people. Lawsuits aren’t fun.
5. Be creative but watch the spelling. Do you want your reader to be taken out of the story because they are trying to decide how to pronounce “Eddye” or “Latisya”?
There are many other articles written on this topic. Read them. Also, go here if you need some help on deciding which American names were popular in certain time periods.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/index.html
Lastly, have fun!