The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon

5 stars

Genres: reference, writing, research

Format: Hardcover

486 pages

Published by Writer's Digest Books

Published May 21st 2005

ISBN: 1582972958

ISBN13: 9781582972954

Where to Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

View on Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Character Names

Back in print and better than ever, "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook" has been updated and expanded to help you find character names and their meanings quickly and easily

This one-of-a-kind resource was specifically designed with the writer in mind. Inside you'll find:

25,000+ first names and surnames, and their meanings, listed by origin
Names and surnames from more than 45 countries
A reverse lookup of names by meaning
An alphabetical index of names
An explanation of naming practices and historical context for each origin
A list of the top ten most popular names in the United States every year from 1880-2003
Instruction on how to create believable names that fit your characters and your story

This exciting new edition also includes advice from a number of best-selling authors, including Elizabeth George, Alexander McCall Smith, Homer Hickam, Marian Keyes, "Big Fish" author Daniel Wallace, and others. You'll get the inside scoop on their naming methods, plus the stories behind the names of their most famous characters.

So throw out your old telephone books and baby-naming guides - "The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook" meets all your naming needs.

My Review:

This book is extremely comprehensive and excellent for seasoned and aspiring writers.  The listing by ‘cultures’ is extremely helpful for reference by what writers are actually writing about.  It tells you where the names came from and their meanings making choosing a name all that much more fun and appealing.

AND you could also use it for potential baby names!

About the Author:

Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a life of extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a fixation on. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she's found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than ten million copies of her books in print in 26 countries, she certainly has many friends to play with.

Writing as Kinley MacGregor and Sherrilyn Kenyon, she is the author of several series, including The Dark-Hunters, Brotherhood of the Sword, Lords of Avalon, Nevermore, BAD (Bureau of American Defense), Sex Camp Diaries, The MacAllisters and Sea Wolves.

Her books have appeared in the top five of the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today lists.

Author’s website: http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com