Naming Characters in Your Historical Novels

Have you ever read a fictional novel set in the 1700s where the main character is named Harper (22 on a current top girl’s name list) or Summer (76) or Sienna (20) for a woman? How about Jayden (67 on a top 100 boy’s name list) or Kai (85) or Dylan (43) for a man?

Using character names accurate for the novel’s time period lends another layer of authenticity for readers. So where can we find these names?

The easiest source for me is books written during my story’s time period. For instance, I write Civil War romances. Soldiers’ journals provide names of family and comrades. Nonfiction books about the war cite many names of officers and rank and file soldiers. At that time, many men had a family surname as their first name or middle name, such as Harrison or Carter. Often these names were from the mother’s side of the family, so this could be a fun aspect for a novel’s secondary character as well.

Many regiments published a short history. Included with battle details were the men who served in that regiment. Names of wives, children, siblings, and parents may also be listed, providing many ideas for first and last names.

If an author is stuck for names, reading about an event that took place near the time either gives some ideas or send the writer on a chase that leads to timely names.

If a novel is set in 1790, reading about the American Revolution will give plenty of period names. Is the location set in the New England area in 1645? Look at names found in the Salem Witch Trials.

Also consider the character’s surname. If the main character has Scottish parents, a German surname does not ring true. If the character has an Irish mother and an Italian father, a first name common to either country will work—and so will a name common to the novel’s location.

One source to find the history of names is Behind the Name,  where writers can search by name, gender, or country. Authors may also browse for names under Ancient & Medieval, Biblical, or Mythology categories. The site even has a section for “Logical Names for Twins.”

Another fun tool is NameTrends. Search the site by clicking on the first letter of a name. Each letter has a listing that show when it was popular in history, beginning in 1880. Even if your novel is set earlier than this, it may provide ideas.

There is a lot to consider when naming characters in historical novels. Hopefully these sources have sparked some ideas for that next novel.

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger On My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and 2018 Faith Hope and Love Reader’s Choice Award. A Musket in My Hands, where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, releases November of 2018. Watch for her novellas, Surprised by Love in “From the Lake to the River” releasing in September of 2018, and Trail’s End, in “Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys” releasing in August of 2019.

Find her on her blog, sandramervillehart.wordpress.com.