When it comes to naming a character, the first name is most likely going to be the most important thing for you to figure out. But if you look at your characters as if they were real people, then their first names really only make up part of what their full names should be. And if you want your character to feel like a real person, then he should have a last name.
Of course, last names usually won't be as important as figuring out the first name. It won't be used as often. Depending on the character, it may not be used at all. Every single character who pops up in your book doesn't necessarily need a last name. It would probably be distracting trying to keep track of all of them. Your minor characters probably don't need them, but it's probably a good idea to give last names to your main characters. It may come up, and it may not, but it's good to have it in the back of your mind.
You probably won't be as passionate about a character's last name as you will be about their first, and that's perfectly fine. It doesn't always make up a huge part of their identity like a first name does. It can be something common or generic and still not make the character seem boring. What it really does is make them feel like a real person. Even if you don't use the last name, it's a good idea to know it so they feel more real, more concrete in your mind. And if you need to sneak it in somewhere, then you already have the name on hand and don't have to spend a lot of time searching for one.
FUN TIP: Can't come up with a last name? If you've got a phone book lying around (yes, they still exist...), close your eyes, pick a random page, and point your finger somewhere on the page. If you like the last name you land on, use it!
So when will you actually use a last name within a story? Some people go by their last names more often than their first. At my last job, pretty much everyone called me Foster. So whether your character goes by his first or last name can depend on where he is and who he's with. His family will most likely use his first name (or his full name if he's getting yelled at, but more on that tomorrow...), but maybe some of his friends call him by his last name.
It can also come up when mentioning family members. If your MC's parents are constantly being referred to as Mr. and Mrs., then obviously you need to know your MC's last name. You'll want a last name that actually fits with the first. They shouldn't have similar letters or sounds, or both have a ridiculous amount of syllables. You'll really just want them to flow together, to actually sound like a name that someone would have.
WHAT I'VE DONE: I only gave the two main characters in Uneven Lines last names (plus the MC's mom, of course). One of Jordan's friends, Brian, pretty much always calls him by his last name, Palmer. I don't even know why. He's just one of those guys, I guess.
Do you give your characters last names? Has anyone ever called you by your last name?
I give my characters last names. It seems they need them the way I write. Thank goodness there are good websites with long lists of names. I usually know what letter I'd like the name to start with.
ReplyDeleteI think last names are so much harder to come up with than first names. I like your phone book idea! I think I still have an old one somewhere.
ReplyDeleteNobody has ever called me by just my last name, unless they want to be formal, and add in "Miss". My characters do get called by just their last names sometimes, especially boys. I guess it's more common with boys. Great post!
ReplyDeleteMy latest blogging A to Z challenge post.
I've only written three stories with last names in them, mainly since most of my fantasy has tended to go by first name basis only. Much like first names, last names have more to do with history and a sense of where the character came from. That's what I keep in mind when giving out last names. :)
ReplyDeleteIn Path of Angels, I didn't give Michael or his brothers last names, but the love interests in book 1,2, and 4 all got last names. I'm not sure why. Lately, I've been using last names to give info about a character's ethnicity or ancestors. One character I looked up Scandinavian names.
ReplyDeleteI use phone books for naming and last names are definitely my least favorite part of creating characters.
ReplyDeleteI get called by my full name, I know I'm in trouble.
ReplyDeleteMy first three books, none of the characters had last names. (They didn't have them in that world.) In my fourth, the last name was very important because of the military setting. You hear the last name as much if not more than the first.
I wrote about last names as well today! That's a pretty creative tip :)
ReplyDeleteGuys tend to call each other by their last names, anyway. Especially guys who went to Catholic high schools. I moved from a Catholic high school to a public one, and was shocked when a teacher called me by my first name. It just seemed out of place. And, of course, in the military it's very common, either by last name or rank. Sports, too. Anyway, where it might be less important for women and girls to know their last name, it's almost imperative to know it for men and boys.
ReplyDeleteI used the phone book trick as long as I had a phone book, then started using names of friends of mine. You can scramble them and mix and match first and last names. Works like a charm.
John Holton
Blogging from A to Z 2015 Cohost
The Sound of One Hand Typing
I sometimes have a hard time thinking of a good name to go with my character's first name. I have done that phone book trick. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have a tough time with last names. The terrible thing is . . . my character's last names are so forgettable that I forget them. I have to keep them on file at all times.
ReplyDeleteBut . . . sorry, just thought of this. A friend of a friend of mine was always referred to by his last name because his last name was Pepper and it suited his personality. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I find the last name is really important to the first name. Cleo Brown is one name that had significance in my story. Her parents are into antiquity, so because Brown is such a common last name, they named her Cleopatra. Now if that doesn't affect the character, I don't know what will. :-) I'm enjoying your naming theme.
ReplyDeleteLast names are important! I give them to my characters and just end up making them up as I go along. Sometimes I'll look them up, if I get stumped. Right now I'm reading Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger and she has the BEST last names in that book. Mrs. Barnaclegoose? Awesome. :D
ReplyDeleteScrivener is the ultimate naming-machine. There's a tool where you can input various cultures/countries, and if you want, you can input what letters you want it to start with, first and or last names, male/female. And it'll create a long list of names for you to choose form.
ReplyDeleteI give all my characters first and last names and my main characters middle names (even though I don't often use the middle name). It is hard for me to choose a name and I often change it after the first draft. I have to write with the named character for a while and most of the time I am content with the chosen name, but my recent protagonist began as Kate, and I'll continue using that name until I decide what to change her first name to, but I know I will change it. The more I write, the less the name Kate seems to fit her personality. I really like your theme. Not many people write about character names, but they are important and vital to a good story.
ReplyDeleteTo the best of my recollection, I've only given three of my characters last names, and they were all in my first book. One of the characters has a last name that is sort of tongue in check for the theme of the book. Other than that, first names are the rule.
ReplyDeleteAs for me only one person calls me by last name, and that is a staff member at the facility that I do payroll for.
Sometimes I call guys by their last name, usually when I'm telling them to suck it up. lol
ReplyDeleteI think last names are just as important as first names for many of the characters.
ReplyDeleteIt helps give them identity.
Heather