Last names and me, we don’t get along. I’ll often stumble upon a point when I need a last name for my character and throw in ‘Adams’ or ‘Smith’ as placeholders because the thought of tracking down a suitable surname seems like the biggest hassle ever. Behind the Names’ surname subdomain makes it easy to access lists of surnames and their meanings and history.
Surnames are tricky because not only do you need them to match your chosen first name, you also need them to make geographical and historical sense. Where is your character from and what is their family lineage? A last name can tell a lot about a character so you want to make sure it fits.
Behind the Name also has its main site used for first names which is another useful asset to have in your author toolkit.
Don’t see your favorite, go-to resource? Reach out to me using my contact form to have yours included. Happy character naming!