I'm having trouble thinking of a male name (first and last) that would suit my bitter, selfish, antisocial protagonist
I often find myself browsing online baby name sites or name generators when stuck like this. Perhaps a name like Seth would work?
I use baby-name websites ALL THE TIME. I used to use a great site called 20000names.com but I've noticed that it's getting a little virus-ey. I would give him an old fuddy duddy English name, like Rutheford or something hoity toity like that.
Newt Gingrich? Um... sorry... couldn't resist. Whatever your politics (and you can probably guess mine), the name itself just sounds so, well, Scrooge meets the Grinch? Anyway. I like Seelifein69's suggestion of Rutherford. Or maybe Simon? Simon Finster? Simon Mead? I don't think it needs to be too overtly sinister. After awhile the name itself will be transformed by the character and take on whatever evil characteristics you care to bestow. Even an upstanding sort of name like Dave Smith can become evil on the shoulders of an evil character.
I configured this to produce some "scrooge-like" names. Just hit "Generate" to create a new one. http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/advanced.php?n%5B%5D=en&c%5B%5D=uk&gen=100&age-min=65&age-max=85
Yeah. I was about to post the same link: http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/ I suck at creating names for people so literally I just go to that website, pick an "ethnicity" and just keep clicking generate until I find something that fits.
I find villain names sound "villainous" when they include sharp or edgy sounds, like G or K or CH, maybe like Chuck McGlinker, something that just sounds annoying or abrasive. The problem is you run the risk of annoying your reader if the reader has to read a name that sounds ugly to his or her mind's ear. A thing to think about is if Scrooge is public domain. If so, hey, you could use that name and reference that Scrooge is actually a Scrooge in the story. If it isn't public domain, I'd not risk it: no one can copyright a name (like Scrooge), but you could get in trouble if you have a Scrooge who is way too similar to a certain Dickins character.
You can 'generate' your own names. Just think of synonyms and variations on the idea of Scrooge-like, 'parsimonious' 'niggardly' etc or go for sounds that are abrasive, like lostinwebspace suggests. I think 'Scrooge' can't be used really, since it just calls to mind the Dickens character--but hey, before Dickens what did we call someone who was Scrooge-like?
When I think "Scrooge-like," I think of an older English gentleman. (Or maybe I'm just influenced by the Muppets Christmas Carol.) So a name that would sound English... Edward something? Edward McGuller?
Generally such a person would be called a "Miser". One such example is John Elwes or "Elwes the Miser". In fact he is believed to have been the inspiration for the character of "Ebenezer Scrooge" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. That said I'll get back to the subject of names. Andrew Harper Christoper Martelle Maximilian Landsteiner Lord Percival Bartholomew Robinson Esq. III
Augustus Strain Mandolin Urwin Helmut Vanderberg Aristoph Muddsuckle Harland Showorth Silas Stoud Bernie Madoff
In order to find a name for this scrooge like gentleman, you have to have an age, ethnicity and character trait in mind. Tf he is from victorian times like the Dickensian character then a Victorian name would be appropriate. There is so much to think about when naming someone who is to be believable. Ernest Trubshaw Joshua Grubstrike Something like this is both imaginative and believable. it also gives a vision in the mind as to who this person may be. Just go with your heart and good luck. colin
