What's the name of the game?

Now I often find I struggle to come up with a decent name for my characters. A name that embodies everything about them, fits perfectly and sounds just right? Impossible. Well for me at least. If a name doesn't come to me within the first stirrings of an idea then I often use sites for baby names, picking names based on how they sound or what they mean. Occasionally I even look at random name generators. Name Generators can come up with the funniest most random names though, for example behindthename.com came up with Hedwig Shaynah Agrippina Magda, and Abia Silvia Willy Malie.

Even if I can decide on a name I'm so uncertain that I'll often change the name repeatedly as I write it. For example In Cabin Fever my FMC's name had to begin with a 'C', don't ask why, and i decided on calling her Cassandra. Then mid-write I decided to call her Carina instead. Now I'm editing and changed it back to Cassandra because Carina doesn't quite sound right anymore. Am I weird? Or do you guys find it hard to decide on names for your characters?

I think the one name I was truly satisfied with was my male lead for Navigating Life Without Atlas, his name was Bennett Harlan. I liked it because I could get his friends to call him Ben but Maera could call him Harley. Harley just personified everything I wanted him to be. Rough, masculine, and just like the bike...well okay so he happened to have a motorbike as well.... But anyway that's besides the point. Calling him Bennett added depth to his character, admit it, you can practically see the primary school bullying with a name like that. Ans simplifying it to Ben or Harley added the masculine edge he needed. Besides allowing her to have her own pet name meant the relationship was special and when they had their major fight he could get angry at her and tell her not to call him it. Now I'm feeling kind of inspired to keep writing that story... i hate when things stall or get put on the back burner for better projects, don't you?

Well anyway i should probably try and get some sleep...will post a teaser later on tomorrow...any requests?