Tricks to choose good names for your literary characters

We all know who Harry Potter is if we name him ... Yes, it is true, that many know him only from his films, but almost everyone knows that he refers to a character from the great saga of fantastic youth literature created by the English writer JK Rowling.

But why do some literary character names stick better in our memory than others? Do you think that it is solely due to the success of the book or is it something else? I personally think it is due to everything a little: that the book is good, that it has been promoted enough and has reached the reader, that it has transmitted values ​​and feelings according to the reader and his stage of life at that time, that he is a well-known author, etc. But unfortunately, not all of us fulfill this last point. Not all of us are Arturo Pérez Reverte or Carlos Ruíz Zafón, just to put two current successful authors.

It is for this reason, that today we wanted to offer writers, in addition to regular readers of our blog, a series of tricks to choose good names for the literary characters of present and future writings.

How to name our literary characters?

1. The name you choose for your character has to go with the characteristics and the way of being of that character, that is, it must have coherence. It could be that a character born in Wales, for example, is called Antonio, but is it the most common? This is what we mean by giving it an appropriate and proper name.
2. You don't have to be too bizarre choosing a name… Yes, original names can attract more attention, it is true, but just because a name is simple, such as María, Juan or Alfonso, does not mean that it is easier to forget.
3. Some characters don't even need a name! In writing, we sometimes err on the side of being too detailed and formal, but why should all the characters have their own names? Some may be known for their Nickname or simply by some physical characteristic. Examples: "The lame", "The blonde", and so on.
4. Use their initials. Sometimes a simple letter, in this case the initial of your name, can be remembered even better and attract more attention than the name itself. Examples: M. de Magdalena, X. de Xavier, etc.
5. You can use of the dictionary of names, for both women and men, if they always come out the same and you want a creative and different name.

And you, what technique do you usually use to choose the name of your main character or secondary characters in a writing?