Author: Rey Muniz
Date:   11-20-09 13:58

I find the hardest part of writing to be inventing new and unique names that fit the timeset of my swords and arrows fantasy. Does anyone have a tried and true method of coming up with good names? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Author: Sam English
Date:   11-20-09 14:13

http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/

Author: Gary Kessler
Date:   11-20-09 15:07

For first names only, I google popular baby names (can even find them for specific decades) from whatever ethnic/geographic region I want their background to be. I've also used the telephone book--flipped open at random for a surname and then again for a given name. The names need to go with my concept of the character in my mind--and I have no formula for that. I do try to avoid having names that can be mistaken for another name in the work by the reader (unless doing so is part of a plot device).

Author: Rogue Mutt
Date:   11-20-09 16:46

A lot of times for last names I think of athletes. That's really helpful if you need some foreign names, like if you need a Russian gangster just think of hockey players. The last name for the main character in my book came from a player for the Red Wings/Maple Leafs. Of course if you don't watch sports the phone book isn't a bad way to go. Or even look at your bookshelf and put together a couple of names from there. You know, like if you have a book by Stephen King and one by Anne Rice you could call your guy Stephen Rice.

Author: Author Pendragin
Date:   11-20-09 17:14

Google, "Character name generator", you should be able to find something to help you with your names.

Author: Josh Lemay
Date:   11-20-09 19:33

I don't know why, but I usually have an idea of the first few letters/sounds of a characters name, even if I don't have the exact name planned out yet.

Going with that, I take a trip over to http://www.babynames.com/ and browse through their listing of names. They've got some basic backgrounds of what the names mean and it's easy to gloss through quickly. I pick something that sounds nice and go with it.

For surnames, there's a huge assortment of websites that deal with whatever ethnicity of a surname you could ever want. I've got a couple bookmarked, but finding new ones is as easy as doing a quick Google search.

Author: Johnny Carolina
Date:   11-21-09 04:21

I DO, What I do is go straight to google. Then do this Type names for different Cultures or Nationalities. It always sparks my creative side.

ex google.
Egyptian Baby Names
Italian Names
German Names
European Names
Ancient Greek Surnames
etc.

Author: Laura M
Date:   11-21-09 06:44

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm

Author: Rey Muniz
Date:   11-23-09 19:58

I have to say the links were enormously helpfull. Laura M and Sam English are currently my heros. The other techniques were also extremely helpful. I have an entire notebook filled with names already! Thank you very much