Originally coined in 1994 in New Scientist magazine, the term “nominative determinism” is basically the idea that a person’s name affects their destiny. It can lead them to a career, such as Tito Beveridge who grew up to craft a vodka that is now a popular favorite. Or Usain Bolt, one of the fastest Olympic runners in history. Or maybe this guy:
The ancient Egyptians believed that your name was part of your soul and that your soul would survive as long as your name was spoken. The Puritans also knew the power of names. They named their children with personality traits they wanted them to have like Faith, Hope, Charity, Obediance, Abstinance, Constance, Rejoice, and even Silence.
With nominative determinism in mind, I named Forbes Pohle, the protagonist of The Applicant and The Break-in. He is named Forbes because the character comes from a background of wealth. The name is taken from the business magazine Forbes, which regularly posts about wealthy individuals. His last name is reminiscent of Frederick Pohl or Poul Anderson, both science fiction authors. As my book was also science fiction, I thought this was quite fitting.
So the next time you sit down to read a book, think about a character’s name and how that might reflect the story they inhabit. You might discover a little about how the author shaped the character!