I've never had a problem naming my protagonists or main characters. If a name doesn't come to me, I'll scroll through a baby name website, click on "similars" and eventually find the "ah" moment. But it's harder for those peripheral characters. I want something memorable, but nothing that sounds too close to the main character, and it needs to be authentic.
When I started my work-in-progress, an MG contemporary fantasy with a cast of characters from around the world, I knew I needed help. What are some popular, but not too popular, Norwegian names? Chinese? And not just first names--I need surnames too. The baby name sites can be great in identifying a name's origin, but I need to make sure it's current. It's be great if there was a way to peruse a bunch of names quickly.
Behold the 2014 Olympics! With a click of a button, I can see the Norwegian ski team, Chinese speed skating team, Russian bobsled team, etc. Mixing and matching first names and last names, I assembled my cast, and I know they sound realistic. If you're looking for a resource, give it a shot!
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