Make a Good Last Name for Characters in a Book

Writing a book can be challenging enough on its own. Coming up with last names for your characters can also be surprisingly tricky. You may find that last names come easily or you might struggle to match an appropriate last name with your characters' first names. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to creatively come up with convincing last names.

Steps

Sample Last Names

Doc:Character Last Names,International Last Names

Finding Last Names

1. Skim through other books. Pick up a book in the same genre as the one you're writing. Glance through character or place names in the book to get some ideas. It can also help to compare last names from your characters to the story you're skimming. Ask yourself whether or not your character's last name would fit or stand out in a book with similar themes.
   • Avoid simply copying last names. Use other books for inspiration. For example, if you're writing a classic children's story, thumb through another classic tale. You might see a name like Jenny Parker. You can then compare names you're considering. You might realize that Ignez Brumwell is too hard for children to read or pronounce.
2. Look through phone books or a book of baby names. For truly random last names, pick up a phone book or book of baby names. The phone book will not only give you thousands of last names, but you can also read first names and get a feel for what names work well with each last name. While a baby book won't have last names, some first names could be used as last names. For example, these first names could be used as last names:
   • Brady
   • Coleman
   • Davis
   • Devlin
   • Duncan
   • Murphy
   • Quinn
3. Use an online name generator. If you're really stuck, search for online name generators. Some name generators are actually extensive lists of last names organized alphabetically. Others will have you put in a first name and will randomly select a last name. You can continue hitting the generate button to get different last names.
   • You can also use online name converters. These will convert a name into a foreign name or a name based on a different ethnicity. Some converters will let you select the decade your character was born and the characters sex to determine a name.
4. Research names and their meanings. Once you've found a few ideas for last names, research what the names mean. If you pick something really random, you may want to make sure that it's not offensive in another language. If you're having trouble coming up with last names, you could even start your search by looking for names that mean a certain thing.
   • For example, if you were looking for a last name meaning "strong" and "bold" you'd find that the name Trumbull fits that meaning.
5. Create your own last names. If you're feeling creative, you can make your own last names using random letters or by mixing around letters in a certain word. For example, to make a last name from an anagram, rearrange some or all of the letters until you find a name you like. For example, Pullman might become Lupan, Malpun, or Ullnam.
   • You can also find creative last names by using street or place names. Be sure to ask your friends or writer peers for feedback about the last names you've created.
6. Avoid popular or well-known last names. Most of the time, you'll want the last names of your characters to blend in and seem natural. To do this, you should avoid using names that are instantly recognized for whatever reason. For example, you probably don't want to use the last name:
   • Shakespeare
   • Heathcliff
   • Gandhi
   • Einstein

Matching a Last Name to Your Characters

1. Write a list of your character's personality traits. If you already know the first names of your characters, write down their names and list their personality traits next to the names. Ask yourself what kind of life the character has and how the character interacts with others. This will help you match a last name to the personality.
   • For example, if you have slightly obnoxious and well-off character, you might give her a fancy name. Instead of a last name of Smith or Jones, you could give her Fitzherbert or Errington.
2. Consider your character's origins. Think about the social context surrounding your character. If your character lives in a futuristic society, you can be more creative and daring wit your name choice. But if your character lived in the past, think about using a last name that explains what the character does.
   • For example, you could use Brewer, Cooper, Mason, or Cartwright to designate jobs. You could also name your character based on locations near where your book is set.
3. Match the name to the time period and setting. Regardless of if your book is set in the past, present, or future, the last names should reflect those of the time period. You should also make sure that the last name fits the geography of your book. To do this, look up name popularity lists based on the decades surrounding when your book is set. You should use name lists from the place where your book is set.
   • Try looking up the popularity of baby names as tracked by the Social Security Administration.
   • For example, a male farmer from the 19th century in North America probably wouldn't be named Ethan Forbes-Smyth. Instead, research would tell you that a common last name would be simply Smith or something like Brown or Williams.
4. Search for your character. Once you've found a few last names you like, use online search engines to see if anyone actually has your character's name. In some cases, you may want to change the name slightly. Or you could get ideas for a last name by searching the internet for a description of your character.
   • For example, you could search for a modern Japanese journalist to see what last names come up. You'd find names like Goto, Torigoe, and Yamamoto.
5. Check the last name with the first name. If your readers will be reading a characters full name several times, make sure it flows well. You don't want to jar your readers while they're in the middle of reading. Avoid names with glottal stops (like Alec Gibson). Choose something that uses similar sounds (like Shao Shing).
   • It's not as important that the name flows if the character is mainly addressed only by its first or last name.
   • Keep in mind that a name that flows will help listeners who may be following your story as a book on tape.
6. Offer a pronunciation guide. Have friends or peers read the names aloud to see if they have trouble pronouncing the last names. This is especially important for long, foreign, or futuristic last names. If your readers struggle with names, they may lose interest in your story. To prevent this, you can either choose simpler names or offer a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book.
   • To make it easier for your readers, consider only changing a few letters of a last name when creating a new name. This way your readers can probably guess that it sounds similar to how the name is currently pronounced.
7. Give your characters different last names. You may find yourself naming all of your characters with last names that start with the same letter of the alphabet. Or you may be giving very similar names to all of them. This can make it hard for your readers to distinguish between characters and may cause confusion. To prevent this, read your list of names and make sure they're unique from each other.
   • For example, you don't want the last names Buchanan, Beveridge, and Bridgewater. Not only do they all start with "B," but they also all have three syllables. Your readers would need to pay extra attention to keep the characters straight.

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Sources and Citations

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