Step #1 - Naming Characters

Sep 15, 2013 20:54

Here is my process for naming my characters:


The first step of any story, for me, is to name the characters. I had originally named my characters Sayed and Samir Aziz. I needed Muslim names because they were created to appear in my QH fanfic series. I’d found their names in the phone book and liked the way they sounded.

Then I decided to make them original characters. It makes their names more important because I want to write a series. They’ll be with me for a long time so they have to be names I like and sound pleasing to the ear. I also want their names to have significance and a hint of their characters.

I turned to one of my QH fanfic betas for help. She’s the creative mind who gave me the names “Rohan Sexena” and “Kesavan Nair” so I knew she’d have great ideas. She asked me a very important question: what is the background of my characters? I wanted the boys to be open-minded and flexible, able to easily adapt to both the American and Indian lifestyles. They were also a blend of their parents’ culture and background. We decided they would be Christian and Muslim - Christian from their mother and Muslim from their father.

I went to an Indian baby-naming site and cross-referenced names I liked that were common to both religions. I wanted strong Indian first names to identify with their Indian heritage. My beta suggested familiar Christian middle names to emphasis their American upbringing. So, with that in mind, I choose these names:

Name Tarek generally means He who pounds at the door or Morning star or Warrior, is of English, Arabian, Indian origin, Name Tarek is a Masculine (or Boy) name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim by religion.

Name Cyrus generally means Like the Sun, is of Latin, English, Iranian (Persian), Indian origin, Name Cyrus is a Masculine (or Boy) name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim by religion.

Name Shan generally means God is gracious, is of English, Chinese, Indian origin, Name Shan is a Unisex name, which means both Boy and Girl can have this name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim or Hindu by religion.

Name Adam generally means Earth or Man or Red, is of Arabian, Russian, Hungarian, English, Hebrew, Ukrainian, Indian, Biblical origin, Name Adam is a Masculine (or Boy) name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim by religion.

My wonderful beta also gave me the boys’ last name:

Name Mirza generally means A Prince, is of Iranian (Persian), Arabian, Indian origin, Name Mirza is a Masculine (or Boy) name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Muslim or Hindu by religion.

Going by their name definitions, the older son, Tarek Cyrus Mirza, is my Warrior Prince, softened by also being the morning star that shines like the sun. The younger son, Shan Adam Mirza, is the Gracious Prince, who accepts that God’s will comes before man’s intentions.

I kept Sayed for their father:

Name Sayed generally means Leader, is of Indian origin, Name Sayed is a Masculine (or Boy) name. Person with name Sayed are mainly Muslim by religion.

Name Jaan generally means Life or Soul, is of Indian origin, Name Jaan is a Masculine (or Boy) name. Person with name Jaan are mainly Muslim by religion.

Sayed Jaan Mirza is a man who leads with his own actions and guides his sons with a strong hand and firm voice. He believes it’s God’s will that brought his family together and will lead them into their future.

Their mother is:

Name Farah generally means Joy, is of English, Iranian (Persian), Arabian, Indian origin, Name Farah is a Unisex name, which means both Boy and Girl can have this name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim by religion.

Name Mariam generally means Beloved, is of English, Iranian (Persian), Arabian, Indian origin, Name Mariam is a Feminine (or Girl) name. This name is shared across persons, who are either Christian or Muslim by religion.

Farah Mariam Mirza is a woman of faith, who believes her own positive attitude and ability to forgive those who have wronged her are her key strengths.  She’s managed setbacks and deep pain by tapping into her unending reserve of optimism.

My heroine is named Aasha Kaur Dale:

Name Aasha generally means Hope or Aspiration, is of Sanskrit, Indian origin, Name Aasha is a Feminine (or Girl) name. Person with name Aasha are mainly Hindu by religion but also shared across persons, who are either Muslim or Sikh or religion.

I named her “Hope” because that’s all that keeps Aasha going from day to day. She hopes that each day is brighter than the last and that her life is part of God’s great plan. She is Sikh so her middle name is Kaur. I choose Dale (valley dweller) for her last names as it is easy to pronounce and went well with Aasha.

Whew! All that hard work and I haven’t even started writing the book yet!
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