My 20 Favorite Names for Female Characters

Me again! Today, I'll be discussing my favorite heroine names for your characters. I, myself, am trying to decide on a name for my leading lady in a story on Wattpad, I figured this might help not only you, but me too! So, in no particular order...

1. Amanda
The name Amanda is a Latin name. It means "Lovable" or "Worthy of love".
Possible Nicknames: Mandy, Amy
I think this name would be so cute for a redhead! Although, no matter what the hair color, it's a cute name on its own.

2. Katherine
This name is Greek. It means "Pure".
Possible Nicknames: Kathy, Kate, Katie, Kat 
The name of one of my favorite roles on the stage, Katherine Plumber from Newsies. It's a gentle name with a whole bunch of cute nicknames to use!

3. Amelia
The name Amelia is a Latin name. It means "Work".
Possible Nicknames: Amy, Millie (<my personal favorite),  Mia
Again, this would be such a cute name for a redhead, and not just because of Amelia Pond from Doctor Who! It just sounds like such a ginger name to me. And this is my favorite name for a girl nicknamed Millie.

4. Julia 
The name Julia is a Latin name. It means "Youthful".
Possible Nicknames: Jules, (<I love that one!)
This name is a classic in my opinion. It sounds so lovely and sophisticated.

5. Beth
The name Beth is English. It means "God is my oath"
Possible Nicknames: Bethy 
I know a girl named Beth, and she goes by Bethy. Also, my middle name is Beth, I might be a little biased. XD

6. Lucy 
The name Lucy is an English name. It means "Light".
Possible Nicknames: Lulu, Luce
Lucy is a cute name and a classic one, too. This name would suit a blonde, although some people think of Lucille Ball, who is a redhead.

7. Roxanne
This name is an English name. It means "Dawn"
Possible Nicknames: Roxy, Annie, Rocky, Ro 
This name would be very cute for a spunky and fiery character, I think. Maybe a redhead? ;)

8. Elizabeth
This name is Hebrew. Like Beth, it means "God is my oath"
Possible Nicknames: Lizzy, Liz, Beth, Eliza, Liza, Ellie, Betty
This name is definitely a favorite of mine. Plus, it comes with a lot of adorable nicknames! It's very classy. :)

9. Emily
The name Emily is an English name. It means "To strive" or "To excel" or "To rival".
Possible Nicknames: Emmy, Emma, Millie
I know a few girls named Emily and they are some of my favorite people. They're all so sweet!

10. Lauren/Laura
The name Lauren is American. It comes from the name Laurel, so that's its actual meaning.
The name Laura is Latin. It also means "Laurel"
Possible Nicknames: Laurie, Ren (for Lauren)
The name Laura is the name of one of my favorite actresses on Broadway, Laura Osnes. She is the perfect little cupcake with the best buttercream icing and she has a beautiful voice! And, I really just like the name Lauren.

11. Eve
The name Eve is Hebrew. It means "Life"
Possible Nicknames: Evie, Eevee, Evvy, Vi
Eevee is the name of the girl in my favorite book, Now That You're Here. It's sweet and innocent, and it has a nice ring to it. I just love it.

12. Audrey
The name Audrey is English. It means "Noble strength"
Possible Nicknames: Audie, Drew, Aud
This one might have something to do with Audrey Hepburn. Oooh! You could also call her Holly, or Gollightly! (Hahaha.)

13. Rose
This name is English. It means... Well... "Rose"
Possible Nicknames: Well, considering this is a nickname, here are some names you could use for her: Rosalyn, Rosemary, Roseanne, Rosemarie.
I really like this name because of Rose Tyler from Doctor Who, but it sounds lovely and sophisticated, too. Perfect for a blonde, I think!

14. Ava
Ava is a Latin name. It means "Like a bird"
Possible Nicknames: It is pretty short, but here's what I've gathered: Avy, Avi, V
I think this is such a sweet name. Though it is popular, it sounds unique and sophisticated.

15. Kelly/Kelley/Kelli/Kellie
Kelly is an Irish name. It means "Bright-headed"
Possible Nicknames: Kel, Kay
This is the name of my mother, and she'll probably hate me for putting this on my list, but I love this name! A lot of pretty middle names can go with this, too. (Lynn, Anne, etc.)

16. Noelle
Noelle is French. It means "Born on Christmas Day"
Possible Nicknames: Ellie, Elle, Nelly
I love this name so, so much! Perfect for a blonde in my opinion. If your character was born in December, this is the name for her!

17. Kathleen
This name is Irish. It means "Pure"
Possible Nicknames: Kathy, Kat, Kate, Katie
I know a girl named Kathleen and she is probably the coolest, sweetest person I have ever met.

18. Fallon
The name Fallon is Irish. It means "Of a ruling family"
Possible Nicknames: Fal, Lynn
This name is perfect for a fierce or a sweet character. I'm actually using it right now in a story I'm writing! I'd imagine Fallon as a brunette.

19. Annabeth
This name is Hebrew. It means "God is my oath" or "God is gracious"
Possible Nicknames: Annie, A.B., Bethy, AnnaB
I would love to name a child or character Annabeth, but when I do, I'll only receive comments talking about Percy Jackson. But I still love this name!

20. Kara
The name Kara is an Italian name. It means "Dear"
Possible Nicknames: Kari, Kay, KK
Also a name of one of my favorite Broadway Actresses, Kara Lindsay. I'm using this name in a story of mine, and I think it's the cutest name!

Well, those are my 20 favorite female character names. I hope you like them as much as I do! But they're mine! Just kidding! :)

Happy writing!

Much Love, Hayden Beth ^-^

10 Tips for Picking Your Character's Name

As some of you may know, I am a writer. Whether it be stories on Wattpad, the script I'm writing, an assignment for school, or even just a shopping list, I'm always up for the task. ^-^

But one of the things that drives me CRAZY, (besides reading other peoples' work and finding 80,234 grammar mistakes), is picking a name for my character. It may sound easy, but it is probably one of the hardest things to do. So, I have come up with a few rules and guidelines to picking a name for your next character...

1. Make sure it goes with your character. 
For instance: this is Amelia. In my opinon, Amelia is the perfect name for a redhead. And not just because of Doctor Who. I imagine the name Alexandra to go to a brunette, or the names Emma or Rose to go to a blonde. But it also has to match her personality. See what I mean?


2. Get your era right! Very important. One of my characters is named Corinne, but she's in 1899. Good job, Hayden. But If your story is set in the 20s, you might pick a name like Millie, or Dorothy. 

3. Check your initials.
Honestly, I think it depends on what kind of story you write, but I find many names that are alliterative and many that are not. Usually it would be a fantasy story where you find names with alliteration. Example: Serverus Snape, Bilbo Baggins, etc. Amelia above is called Amelia Abney. I love that name, it just rolls off the tongue. And that is what you're looking for, right? 

4. Look it up.
It's always so cool to find out what a character's name means. It always makes so much sense. We all love the series, The Chronicles of Narnia, right? It includes our favorite lion, Aslan. Well, his name definitely gives him justice. Aslan means Lion. Cool right? C.S. Lewis never fails to blow my mind.


5. Be sure to make it age-appropriate.
His/her birth name can be whatever you want it to be, but as a child, did he/she have a nickname? Or do you have a little girl in the story? Instead of Elizabeth, why not call her Lizzie? One of my friends' names is so pretty, but she goes by her middle name instead, that is, until she gets older. (Hey, Grace!! :D) 



6. Pair one of your names with another.
If you're having trouble choosing between two names, try and pair it with your character's best friend, spouse, or boyfriend/girlfriend. 

Liza and Amelia v. Eevee and Amelia
Liza and Thomas v. Eevee and Thomas 

I don't know about you, but it helps me! 


7. Know the difference between a unique name and a common name.
You don't see a girl named Yuilsheozeagh walking around every day, do you? No! That's a weird name. But the thing is, you also don't want a name that's very common either, like Anna or Emma. Those are too famous. You'll need some thing right in between. Like maybe, Essa. That's a pretty name, and it's unique!


8. Avoid names of famous people or popular characters.
Example: I LOVE the name Annabeth, but if I name my character that, everyone would think of Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson series. Ugh. But if I name my character Hermione, my readers will automatically think of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. #thestruggleisreal

9. Help really helps. 
Whether it be on social media, or one of your roommates, it's always good to hear the names you've chosen, or ask for suggestions. All you need is a good description of your character and some really helpful and creative Facebook friends!

10. Open up.
Who knows? You could find your inspiration watching the ending credits on your TV screen, or maybe the waiter at your table? Or perhaps a name could catch your eye while you read a new book? Inspiration is everywhere. You just have to open your eyes.

I really hope this helped. Finding a name is really hard, but I know you can do it! 

QOTD: What's your favorite character name? 
AOTD: Annabeth (Percy Jackson) or Eevee (Now That You're Here)

While you're still here, why don't you look at my Wattpad profile? It's pretty cool!

Much Love, Hayden Beth ❤