All Comments on 'How to Give Characters Random Names'

the amount of name sites that I have saved in my favorites. It's too bad I can't do that with my own computer.

I thought your ideas were very interesting, however, it seems needlessly hightech a much simpler solution is to grab the white pages open to a random page shut your eyes and take a name at random(if you are really concerened about someone being offended. take the first name from one listing and the last name from another)

When I read the title I thought... huh? But as I read the submission and then I saw... all I have to do is hit F9!!! I was thrilled and made sure to bookmark this so I can refer back to it a million times as I try to attempt to learn something new. Thanks ~ a good How to story. Good luck with the contest, Red

Now you make me wish I actually had "Excel"... dang! Great idea... :)

Story names have to fit.

Can't have a hero named Roosevelt Jenkens and a hot chick named Hortence Samuels now, can we? Loved your idea though.

Good idea - adds another "page" to my Excel skills. I was, however, turned off by so many exclamation marks. Too much of a good thing can detract - I found that out when a junior high english teacher of mine pointed out I was using too many commas. Good luck, and thanks for the great idea!

Has its drawbacks for some fiction as commented before - you do get some awful names. However, for those who still play RPG and fantasy sports games, it is a great way to get names for players especially if you add the last name database from the census as well. Anyone know if there is anything similar for other nations/regions such as Asia, S America, Ireland, etc.

Well I did what you said and apparently I just don't understand how it works. When I pressed f9 nothing happened.... oh well. I guess I will go back to picking out names the way that I was before.

I am not particularly good with computers, so this sounds quite complicated with me. So I guess I will stay with just making up names. But it is an interesting system anyway...

But since it is a contest and I dont' want to hurt your chances I voted 5.

this will always work very well. If you have a Japanese woman, for instance, you will need a name like Fumiko or Sachiko, etc. Many of my stories are written about female readers anyhow, so I use their names. Other times, I have a problem coming up with an appropriate name, but I don't think this will work any better than just racking my brain.

To the people who dismiss this idea because they want a name that 'fits' or the like, re-read the title of the article and perhaps the actual article. 'How to give characters random names.' Easy to modify for names of other nationalities if you so like - even if there is no national census site, there are plenty, for example, baby names websites.

I usually pick them out of my head. But, the names were interesting. Last names were a little weird, but good.

use the random name generator at behindthename.com

I did take it one step further.... I created a VLOOKUP for the male list and female list on the second page of my spreadsheet. Now when I hit the F9 key, I get a random paring.

It is great when you're writing a multiple party story and need some new/different names.

Thanks so much for this!!

Very ingenious use of technology. It won't work in all cases since sometimes you need a certain type of name. For example, a girl named Maria is more likely to have a brother named Felix than Reginald. However, if you need a generic name, this is a great technique.

Honestly, I would not advise you to use the Random Name Generator by behindthename.com to name your characters! Among the first options it gave me for a male first and middle name were "Rudolph Yasha", "Babur Buana" and "Catsquawk Dénes"... Now, I don't wanna offend anyone who's called that way but if such a name isn't a turn off I don't know what is... So maybe you had better stick to the method advised by this author....

Another place I found that was good for names, mainly first ones was baby name books as they have hundreds and all in alphabetical order. The book also gives you a meaning for the name which could help with your story.

I think most people conjure up certain images when they hear or see a certain name, so this method could also give a boost of inspiration to someone struggling to figure out their next story line. Also, these were well-written instructions and fairly easy to understand considering I had never played around on Excel before.

I put on a random dvd and go the credits, fast forward for a bit and use the first name I see

Thanks so much. This will be SO helpful.

awesome! now i don't have to worry about coming up with names!

the census link does not work, however.

settled with: http://names.mongabay.com/male_names.htm

and: http://names.mongabay.com/female_names.htm

Hare's a much Cheaper Version that I came up with myself in addition to coming up weird Alien Names. And I guess you could Apply it Locations as well, such as made up Story Names and Business and the Like.

1= On a Piece of Paper Assign A Name Next to a Playing Card a Section for Female Names and Another Section for Males Names, Max of 52. IN Both Sections Use Names that You Like even if it sounds Weird or Made Up In Fact it's Probably Best that it is But You Could Use Common Names As Well.

2= Shuffle And Draw and Pending on What Card It is that is what Name That You Would Us, For Example The Queen Of Hearts Could be the Name of 'Elsa' for the Female Name and 'David' could be the name that you would use for Male Name. With Jokers being Reshuffle.

3= Then as for the Weird Alien Names do the same thing but Instead Assign a Letter of the Alphabet to Each Playing Card in Chronical Order by Using Two Suits of the Playing Deck of your Choosing, for example 3 of Hearts or 5 of Clubs Etc..... Whiling Using The Other Two Suits as Stoppers and after when that Happens you could Arrange and Rearrange as Your Hearts Content until you are Sated that is the Perfect and Cool Alien Name or whatever that you are trying to approve.

4= Just like with the names Shuffle and Draw and if You Draw a 'Joker' you have to Start Over

Get a life