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Are you suffering from Lame Name Shame?

Chip Landmass?

Viva LeTruckstop?

How about Blunter “Golden Fists” Lighswallow, III?

Even though these are all clearly brilliant character names, drenched in dignity and depth…they may not be right for your current project. And you can only name so many characters Bill and Sarah. You want your characters to have the appropriate moniker, right? So, where can you turn for a little name inspiration?

Baby Names Plus by SchatzisoftFor years, I’ve turned to my trusty, pastel balloon covered Baby Name book. I can always flip a few pages and find something unique and evocative. I’ve been using the same book for the past 10 years, and it shows. The cover is torn, too many pages are earmarked and the binding is in shreds.

Thankfully, there are a ton of Baby Name apps ready for download. We found them ranging in price from Free to $4.99. Our favorite is Baby Names Plus. It’s got a nice interface, and good search options. You can save your favorites, and easily email them to your writing parter.

There are plenty of others including My Baby’s Name, Name Picker, and a new one from BabyNames.com, Baby Names Finder. Just do a search for “Baby Names” in the iTunes App Store and prepare to find an embarrassment of riches.

And for those of you who refuse to buy into all that App Store capitalistic nonsense, here’s a free web app that will cost nothing but patience during load times. The web app will only work when viewing on an iPhone.

How do you come up with character names? What’s your source of inspiration? Share in the comments.

More to explore

Mid-20th century black and white photograph of two young boys, one writing on a desk and the other standing behind him, with overlaid text "O.P.N.

O.P.N. for APRIL 11th, 2019

Taz Goldstein April 11, 2019

Welcome to another edition of Other People’s News. Here are a few of the more interesting info-nuggets I’ve recently spotted around the web-o-sphere:

An animated Apple character in a striped shirt, holding a lightbulb idea while surrounded by film production equipment, highlights the potential of filmmaking apps.

Apple Highlights Filmmaking Apps

Taz Goldstein March 4, 2018

The iOS App Store’s “Today Tab” just got a lot more interesting! Apple has highlighted a small collection of high-quality apps for

Man presenting on stage with a microphone and a projection screen in the background, focusing on Mobile Filmmaking.

Video: The HHH Mobile Filmmaking presentation at LACPUG

Taz Goldstein September 15, 2016

Just in case you missed my Mobile Filmmaking presentation at the Los Angeles Creative Pro User Group back in July, here’s a (low angle) video of the whole enchilada! It’s PACKED with apps and accessories you need to know! Check it out! And as always, if you dig it, share it!

One Response

Derric W. says:

September 22, 2009 at 6:08 pm

Great idea! I used a baby book during my college writing classes. It’s nice to see I wasn’t alone.

Keep up the great work!

About

Hand Held Hollywood explores how your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can aid in nearly every aspect of film and video production. From filmmaking apps and accessories, to time-saving workflows, this is a destination for those wishing to discuss and discover the latest mobile techniques and technology.