# In need of help naming a character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 29, 2025, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135 "2025-12-29T06:58:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![APackof19menthols](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apackof19menthols/32/20451_2.png) [@APackof19menthols](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APackof19menthols)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/41 "2025-12-30T21:58:28Z")
Ah excuse me, in the future i’ll use more clear terminology. In this case MC is an abbreviation for Main Character, where I also occasionally use SC in tandem for “Side Character” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/42 "2025-12-30T23:42:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > and most would find it unusual to know a bunch of people that all had different first names. I believe that the vast majority of readers would never notice this, and of those that do, very few would be bothered by it. Remember that in books, all we have is the name. In real life and in visual art, you can associate a name with a face, but in a book the only thing you see is the name, so you have to be sure that it’s unique. Otherwise it would be like casting the same actor in different roles, and not in a cool way. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/43 "2025-12-30T23:46:06Z")
Lisa Geary. Or Alison Geary. For my writing, the names often just come to me, and have to _feel right_. These names feel right to me – do they feel right to you? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/44 "2025-12-30T23:55:15Z")
Here’s one that feels right to me: **Sadie Pascoe** It also has some small amount of symbolism, but not enough to be annoying. “Sadie” is short for Sarah - the woman in question would be given an old-fashioned name, and then called by a diminutive. “Pascoe” is a Cornish name, meaning Easter, which leads to allusions of the Paschal Lamb and sacrifice. > [@Yllaria](#): > > It’s said to mean inheritance. It does, although like all J names, it starts with a Y in Hebrew. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/45 "2025-12-31T00:17:27Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It does, although like all J names, it starts with a Y in Hebrew. All the best names start with Y. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/46 "2025-12-31T05:21:37Z")
Also, in real life, i know hundreds of people. (And i find it mildly annoying to have two "Andy"s in the same social circle. And it was _really_ annoying and often confusing when there were two "Matt"s on my team at work.) A novel rarely has more than a few dozen characters, and honestly, fewer is usually better. In real life, many details are random and unimportant. In a novel, every detail is there for a reason. If two co-workers in a novel shared the same first name, that would mean something. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135/47 "2025-12-31T15:58:12Z")
Some thoughts: 1. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > 1. Angela Is this too on-the-nose? 2. I see an -ene/een name. Arlene, Maureen, etc. 3. Some sources to look at/swipe from for Midwestern names include Coen brothers movies, _A Prairie Home Companion_ radio show characters, and the movie _Drop Dead Gorgeous_. Although those last two are set in Minnesota (as is the Coen bros.’ _Fargo_). There must be some other things like this but I’m not thinking of any now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-need-of-help-naming-a-character/1026135.md?page=2)