When To Name Your Character's After Other Characters?

 If you look up tips about how to name characters and click on a link there is a 50%-30% chance that you'll land on this gem; "Don't chose names that are similar to other characters you already have." Sometimes you can get the even more extreme "Don't even use the same first letter that you've already used."

It's common advice that seems to make sense, but once you look beyond the scope of simple children's stories it tends to fall apart. In a single novel it's very easy to have far more than 26 named characters, and even then names should at least sound a little similar or they won't feel like they fit together.

However they do have a point. It is usually a good rule of thumb to have names be different enough so that they're clearly distinguishable at a glance. But when it comes to creative writing often actively breaking rules can be a good thing, if you know what you're doing. In some cases actively naming one character after another can be a rather clever decision. It can establish worldbuilding, personality, relationships and culture. The only issue is the 'when?' When should you name a character after another? When would it be a good idea? Well I'm here to answer that question today.

1. When they are royalty or nobility

In real life it is almost expected for a princess or prince to be named after their family. In England there were a total of eight king Henry's and in France there were 14 King Louis's. Your world building doesn't have to go that far but if a character of yours is nobility then naming them after a parent or grandparent would not be out of place. This works even better because it's uncommon for someone to call their parent by their first name, and those outside the family would use a title meaning confusion could easily be avoided.

2. When the character they're being named after is dead or distant 

If a character is named after someone who is already dead or someone out of the picture then there really won't be any confusion, as they're not involved in the narrative. At most they'll be a dark shadow over the main character that they'll have to learn to cast aside, encouraging character development. At least it will simply be a fun fact about the character you can slip into the story to add some world building.

3. To establish favoritism

Favoritism among siblings can be an interesting dynamic to play with. It can damage or form all the relationships of those involved and set up conflict for the future. There are several ways to establish favoritism, some more subtle than others. One of the most subtle yet blatant way to do that is to have one sibling named after a someone while the other isn't. Every time you hear or read their name it's a reminder of their place as the favorite, that they're the most loved. That can be a gut punch, depending on how much emphasis you place on it.

4. To show the personality's and values of the family/culture

Finally if you're character is named after another famous character, a religious figure, or a ruler it can show what the culture and parents value. If they're named after a God the parents are most likely religious. If they're named after a soldier it can establish a value in raw strength and a 'might makes right' mentality. If they're named after a ruler it means there's value in order. If they're named after a revolutionary then there is value in freedom. You can play around with this aspect of naming characters a lot more than the others but it is no less important than the other factors involved in naming characters.