Character naming help!

[imamaryanne.livejournal.com]

It's that time of year when I start outlining my nanowrimo novel. I need some help naming my protagonist and his sister.

They are in their early thirties (guy is maybe 32, sister a year or two older), so they would have been born late seventies, very early eighties. Born in California to parents who were slightly hippie-ish and also surfers. I don't want any over the top Hippie names, but these are parents who definitely wouldhave bypassed Jessica and Michael.

I was thinking Brynn for the sister. Maybe Willow? I'm completely stumped for the guy. I keep coming back to Lance for some reason, but I just loathe that name.

I'm usually great at naming characters, just not this time.

Thanks!

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Comments

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

At first I read Brynn as Byron, which might be nice for your male character? Brynn sounds too modern for the late 70s/early 80s. Willow sounds like the cliche hippie name.

How about:

Jeremiah
Joel
Shane
Ian

Sonia
Julie
Lorena
Allison

You can check the popularity of names for each state by year on the SSA website (which I can't link because this community screens my comment?). That might be helpful for finding popular names in California in that time period.

[imamaryanne.livejournal.com]

Oh, I really like Jeremiah. I didn't realize I could go state by state on the ssa website. I will have to check it out!

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

For her, I really like Summer. It's not over-the-top hippie, but it's very 80s and also very surfer-ish. Good balance.

More in that line:
Autumn
Amber
Heather
Crystal
Sunny
Chelsea

For him, how about Sean, Jesse, Clay, Joel, Jordan, or Max?

[piperwest12.livejournal.com]

River and Willow
Rain and Summer

[jexia]

Skye? Jericho?