Choosing The Right Name by Vivienne Westlake

One of the first things I do when creating a story is to give a character their name. Usually, it's the first name, though in my Regencies and Victorian books, I often do think of the last name and title of my hero. I can't get into the book if I don't have a sense of the names and faces of my primary characters.

Occasionally, I make up a last name, but most of the time I like to look up a surname or title and see if it exists at House of Names. You can find many British, Irish, and French surnames listed here as well as their histories. I find it interesting to see the family crests, mottos, and origins of surnames. Sometimes reading these can spark an idea or give me confirmation about a sense of character. Most of the time, I use it to confirm that the name existed during the period I'm using it.

When looking up first names, I often consult several baby books. I prefer books that list the history of a name (some books will tell you famous people over the centuries who bore that name or tell you if the name originated from a book or play). But, there are two websites I do like to consult to look at the history of a name:

Behind the Name gives the etymology of first names and allows you to search by name or by the country of origin. It also includes names from the Bible and Ancient Mythology. This is useful for me when I want to find a name that a name fits a particular location or time period.

Baby Name Wizard has a fun tool that shows you the popularity of a name over different decades. While it only goes as far back as the 1880s, I find it useful to see whether a name is a more modern invention or whether a name would have been common in the 19th century.

I tend to pour through books and websites just to find the right name. Sometimes, I get a name right away and it sticks, such as Delphine Sharpe, the heroine in The Captain's Wicked Caress (and the sister to Lady Rowena Northam, the heroine in my first book). Other times, it takes me a day or two to figure out the right name.

I find I am drawn to names beginning with certain letters (A and E are my favorites). For some reason, in my Regency series, I keep choosing names that start with the letter R and I've had to rename some characters to avoid confusion.

What is your favorite name for a hero or heroine? Do you find you respond better to a hero if he has a strong sounding name? Would you be put off if the hero had a boring name like Chuck or Stanley? What about an antiquated one like Delbert?

Research Trips!

I love to travel, and part of the fun for me is visiting libraries, old historic homes and sites, and museums. I always research museums before I leave, even looking at exhibits on-line, signing up for special tours and timing the visit.

One of my favorite museums ever was in Bath, England. When my friend Saralynn, (Sheryl) Hoyt offered me a free companion fare to Europe, I promised to take her to Bath. I confess, she's a bigger Jane Austen fan than I am. I've seen the movies and read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" -- but otherwise, the books don't do it for me.

But, a deal is a deal. I bought the train tickets and said there was only one rule. I wanted to visit the Fashion Museum.

Now, you have to understand that Sheryl is not only my best friend, but she's my critique partner. So, she took the "architectural" tour of London and Paris, and I took the "fashion" tour. She loves historic sites just as much as I do, but the photos of the trip prove our diverse interests. Hers are of buildings and mine are of shoes and dresses.

I think that's what makes us such good critique partners. My weakness tends to be her strength. She loves introspection, my fingers fly through pages of dialogue and description. She understands emotion and I have to be reminded, "what is she/he feeling?"

But the important thing about our friendship is how we understand each other. When I beg to take a photo of boots on the Champs Elysee, she just laughs and helps me convince the saleswoman I'm not totally crazy. When she says we're going to the Tower of London for the "Ceremony of the Keys", I say "that sounds awesome!"

And we both agree that seeing "A Christmas Carol" in London just 12 days before Christmas is something we'll never forget.

Museums, houses, libraries and good friends. All the main ingredients for an incredible research trip.


Sibelle Stone (Deborah Schneider) is the author of historical romance and paranormal romance books.