Notes On Symbolic Names

I’ve seen a lot of advice that suggests writers to steer clear of theme, or symbolic, names for their characters. I protest that, used correctly and judiciously, selecting a meaningful name to your character adds extra depth and interest to your piece. 

Let’s look at some things to consider when thinking about giving your character a name with extra meaning.

> Your name should almost always be an actual name. If you punch a phrase into google translate, chances are someone who speaks that language will find your made-up name rather silly. (And, as a general note: Whenever relevant, check the naming conventions of the culture of the language you are using. Ex. In America, it’s not unheard of for someone to have a name like Rainbow, but it has immediate connotations (hippie parentage?), and while people do have two middle names, it’s not terribly common. Likewise, if your character is Japanese, they’ll probably have their surname before their given name- unless, say, they are Japanese-American and switch it because we’re a little slow here). 

> Try not to smack a reader over the head with your symbolism. Most of the time, I like the symbolism to be an added bonus- that is, most audience members wouldn’t get the significance unless they googled a bit (indicating that they are interested. And I don’t mean a ‘quick google search’ as in ‘common knowledge’.). If you have a fanbase that cares, it’s like a nice easter egg for them, however. 

> Consider how names might add to your story in other ways. For example, in Lolita it is directly stated, and in Moby Dick implied, that the names of the characters have been changed. Because the narration in both is first person, if you consider the names they have selected, you can get added insight to the narrators’ views of the other characters, or foreshadowing (the narrator of Lolita changed the titular character’s name to Lolita, which means ‘pain’, and the narrator of Moby Dick asks that you call him Ishmael, a biblical name meaning ‘God has heard’ (he is a shipwreck survivor), and calls the captain Ahab- a biblical king who was prophesied to have dogs in the street lick his blood as he died).  
     > Also, consider who named your character, and what names your character might select. A theatre nerd might have a goldfish named Ophelia, and someone with devoutly religious parents may be more likely to have a name borrowed from scripture. I really enjoyed watching the people on a reality tv show about artists try to address a man who called himself ‘Sucklord’ in a normal way. Your character’s attitude towards their name is also worth thinking about.

> (Most of these can be ignored if you’re writing satire, in which case you intended the names to be amusing or silly)