Naming Characters

While fumbling with writing a few short stories over break I became aware that I rarely ever name the characters in my shorter pieces. I often distinguish them by a certain characteristic and let their stories speak for themselves. When I do decide to name a character in a story I spend a great deal of time researching the origins and meanings of names.

In my book, I tried to find names that would go well together as well as stand out on their own. I looked through pages and pages of names to find meanings that would fit together and sound well in each other's company. The process was exhausting but I knew it would be important in the long run whereas in a short story names never seemed as dire. 

The problem I usually have with naming characters is the stereotypes that come along with certain identities. For example, a friend of mine told me that the name Hilary to him implies the attitude of a wealthy brat. Unfortunately, many people have preconceived notions of the behaviors of people with certain names. For this reason, I try to stay clear of any common names. I think characters are more interesting when they have unusual names anyway. Part of the reason I like the Hunger Games is because Suzanne Collins broke the boundaries of character naming while keeping the names cohesive. I've strived to have the same result.