How should you name characters in a novel? Utsudo uses placeholders such as OOO or XXX, writes the story first, and replaces them all at once when she finds the right names. Chinese names should be neither too common nor too literary; for foreign names, check online name lists and meanings, and borrow surnames from famous people to test the combination. Whatever you choose, watch out for unfortunate homophones, and ask a native speaker when necessary.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

Honestly, this is one of my own struggles too.

Use placeholders first, replace them later

I rarely have a character’s name in mind from the start, so I usually give them placeholders like “OOO” or “XXX.” When I think of a fitting name later, I use Word’s built-in Replace function to swap it in.

How to choose Chinese character names

I agonize even more over Chinese names, because the names that pop into my head are either romance-novel style or extremely common. Since I’m not writing romance, a name that’s too literary breaks immersion, but one that’s too ordinary feels like a background extra…

So I started searching online for reference. There are lots of naming resources, even full lists. Besides looking good at a glance, you also need to watch out for homophones.

Foreign names: fantasy vs. realistic settings

For names from other countries, it depends on whether the story is set in an invented world, loosely based on reality, or completely realistic.

For invented worlds, I usually pick sounds that are pleasant to say aloud, then choose the characters. The given name is at most five characters, usually one to four. Surnames depend on the situation but usually aren’t long—otherwise I can’t remember them (X

For stories based in the real world, I ask the great Google. There are lists of English male and female names online, and some thoughtfully include each name’s original meaning, the personalities or looks it suits, or the impression it gives. Very handy.

For surnames, I search for a famous person and borrow a surname I like. Before settling on it, I pair it with the given name to see if they fit, and check for homophones. But I can only judge that from a Chinese perspective; foreign readers might still notice something. Then again, that’s only a worry once the book sells abroad XD

Japanese names and avoiding pitfalls

I’ve written Japanese characters too, so I’ve chosen Japanese-style names. The approach is basically the same as for English names, but sometimes I take surnames of people online, split them apart and recombine them into a new character’s name.

I think this is one way to avoid pitfalls while getting a pretty good name. You still need to check that the combination doesn’t turn into a joke, and a name is only truly safe once a native speaker has confirmed it. But as I said, worry about that when it sells abroad.

Even then, the publisher will check it, so don’t worry too much. Just go with what looks right to you for now.

I thought of this topic after seeing someone ask about it recently, and remembered that I used to struggle with it too. Later I realized I could just use placeholders. Get the story written first—names are easy to change.

At first, opening the manuscript and seeing a bunch of OOO and XXX is a bit jarring, but you get used to it. It’s only a stand-in and will be replaced later anyway.

This one’s for everyone else who agonizes over names. I hope it helps.

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Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #103: Hi, We’re Wage Slaves Fighting to Survive
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.