How to Find the Right Name for Your OC

This is part of our design series on How to make an OC!–the ultimate guide to character building.

Some consider naming characters the boss fight of character creation, but don’t worry; it can be easier than it seems. Whether it’s picking a name carefully based on culture and the time your OC was born, using a theme for your character’s name, or picking based on a perfect meaning, there are lots of ways to find something that suits your tastes. Let’s go over a few inspiration sources.

OC Names Based on Culture

The best way to start narrowing down name options is by looking at your character’s cultural background, meaning where they were born and what culture they were raised in. If your character comes from a specific culture and you’d like to make that an important piece of their character, using their name to represent that is always a great choice. If your character’s parents are from two different cultures, I’d suggest a name that has roots in both but has different meanings in each culture could fit your character.

Picking a name that matches the culture your OC grew up in (rather than was born in) is also a wonderful idea. Kids can be mean, and being picked on for your name is a common experience, so if your character’s parents wanted them to fit into their culture and not stand out with a unique or odd name, that might be worth considering; although, it’s not worth overthinking ultimately. Always pick the name that makes you happy and fits your character the best.

OC Names Based on Time Period

If you want to go even deeper into realism, I’d suggest looking up what names were in use or popular when your character was born. Some names come back into use again after many years because parents choose to name their child after a late family member, or because the name was used in popular media. This is true across the world, and you can make a character feel more realistic by referencing these trends.

Picking a name that sounds nice but is actually an equivalent to an old-fashioned name like Edwina or Bernice is always a hazard in picking names outside of your own culture, so it’s good to be careful if you want to avoid that! Of course though, this is all assuming that your character is from a world like ours and is from the current day. If you have an immortal character like a vampire, choosing an older name is a great way to foreshadow their real age.

OC Names Based on Fantasy Themes

If your character is from a fantasy world, I’d recommend using naming themes for your characters. Naming themes can break real life cultural consistency while still keeping a form of internal consistency that works in a fantastic world. For instance, the names Sumire, Garofano, and Coquelic all match because they’re all related to plants – even if they're in different languages. A couple categories to get you inspired:

• Gemstones: Ruby, Opal, Amber
• Clouds: Cirrus, Stratus, Nimbus
• Stars: Polaris, Antares, Vega
• Nature: Arden, Briar, Oakenhart

There are so many more categories of themes out there. They can give you a list to pick from, and potential hidden meanings behind the character’s name. Having a naming theme can show which characters come from the same family, country, or culture. You could even use naming themes to help you foreshadow a relationship between two OCs.

OC Names Based on Meaning

Most names have meanings behind them, and sometimes the meaning can vary based on how the name is written, such as with Japanese kanji. As an example, the name Alexander originates from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος, and means “defender of man”. If you’ve got an OC who’s a protector of others, but Alexander is too masculine, there are many variations like Alexandria, Alexa, Alex, Sandra, and more (as a general tip, a good name often has nickname potential).

You can also put a meaning into practice without being too obvious; I have a character named Rana who’s named after the first part of the Latin name for the buttercup flower. You might not guess the connection at first reading, but when you learn that the buttercup symbolizes sarcasm, ingratitude, childishness, riches and memories of childhood, you might find that it suits her perfectly when you read her backstory. 

When a Name's Meaning Doesn't Fit

Sometimes the name you chose has a meaning that doesn’t fit your character at all; this is actually a great chance to show off that irony! Maybe your OC was expected to turn out a certain way, but ended up being the opposite. Maybe your character or their parents just liked how the name sounded. Don’t worry about the deeper meanings of your character’s name if you’ve found a name you truly adore.

OC Names Based on Rhythm

Not all names have meanings, and some of the best names just sound good to say. Names have a natural rhythm to them based on syllables and sounds, like ‘Peter Parker’; it’s an alliteration with two syllables per name. When you’ve finally settled on some potential names, try saying them aloud. You might find that some work better than others when put with a potential last name. 

Finding OC Names With Unvale

Finding the right name for your OC comes down to a mix of research and instinct. Leaning into a character's cultural background can highlight their heritage, while pulling from popular names of a specific era can speak to their origins. If you're building out a fantasy world, a themed naming scheme can tie your characters together and reinforce that they belong to the same story. And once you've got some options on the table, digging into name meanings and sounding out different first-and-last-name pairings can help you land on the combination that actually fits.

Speaking of names, Unvale has a built-in name generator you can access through the New Character page. No matter your process, at the end of the day, the perfect name can come from anywhere. Sometimes, you just have to wait for it to arrive.