How do You Name Your Character?

I like my character’s name to be compatible with the time period. For instance, if my female character was born in the 1920s I’m inclined pick the name Evelyn or Doris. But if my female character was born in the 2010’s I’m more likely to pick Emily or Madison. So how do I select a time-appropriate name?

Historically Accurate

When writing in a different time period, my go-to website is SSA. The social security administration has compiled the 200 most common names for girls and boys from each decade starting in the 1880s. Generally speaking, when choosing a character’s name, I pick a number before I pull up the list of 200 most common names for the decade. I usually don’t pick from the top 10 to avoid multiple-year trends. By choosing farther down the list, in the teens, I can get an interesting name that is distinctive to the era.

Sometimes I want a less-common yet historically accurate name. Then I’ll reach down past the one hundredth name. Sandy was the one-hundred-sixty-seventh most common baby name in 1960. That name doesn’t quite fit my character, so I allow myself to “shop” the names nearby. Tanya and Belinda are two that come up. They are both more interesting than Sandy. (My apologies to any Sandys out there reading this).   

Regionally Accurate

The Social Security Administration also has webpages for most common names per year by state (from 1960 to present), and most common names per year in the US Territories (1998 to present). Let’s say your story takes place in Puerto Rico, and your character was born in 2000. Abdiel and Nashaly are the thirty-ninth most common baby names for boys and girls, respectively. I had never heard either of those names before. But by using those names, I give authenticity to my story. Or maybe your character was born in Maine in 2010. The names will be very different.

So, when selecting a character’s name from a different time period or specific region, visit the Social Security website. It’s good for more than retirement planning!