Speaking from previous experience I've come to realise that a lot (not all) writers have difficulty choosing names for their characters. Those out there have no difficulty with names, I assume, may not place so much importance in them.

A name means a lot to me. A person owns nothing when they arrive here, though some already have a name. It's the same when they leave; a name is all they can truly call theirs.
A begger on the street may have the odd trinket in their pocket to call their own but the most important thing they have, in my opinion, is their name. Nobody else may ever get to know their name, but it's theirs all the same.

Therefore names are important to me as I see it as the only thing that will ever be mine. We may share that name with other people on this planet but it will always be our own that means so much to us in the end.

So, how do you go about selecting the right name for your character? Something like Fifi would seem a little weak for the sword wielding knight in armour. Or would it?

Answers on a postcard please ......................

Grouchy by name and grouchy by nature.

Either whatever comes first to my head, which usually turns out to be alright if I don't try too hard, or I use some variation of people I know who fit the character I'm writing about.

They're tricky though, sometimes I won't name a character simply because I can't think of a good one :/

Wanna go to the moon?

Once I have a vague idea of who and what the character is I just call to mind names that seem fitting of that person. I mean, I don't get all Charles Dickens about it, but I like names that in some way reflect the character they're attached to.

Can you think of any names you relate to ceratin characteristics off hand? I'm curious.

Some more obvious names that I feel meet certain characteristics and personalities.

Bullies:
Sid
Butch
Brick
Typically names with only one syllable

Old Folk:
Mortimer
Orville
Earl
Mertle
Margarette
Mildred

Authority:
Smith
Jones
Johnson

Watch The Matrix much lately?

Where do Jones and Johnson come into play?

EDIT: Did some research on Imdb. I didn't even realize there was an agent named Jones in the Matrix. Just goes to show how accurate I was.

LOL the main villain henchman's name was Agent Smith!

Wanna go to the moon?

I knew of him. Just not the other two patsies.

This picture accurately represents my memory.

I run through my internal rolodex of names until I hit upon one that clicks.
Though, of course, if none do, I simply search through different lists of names online, again waiting for one that jumps out at me as fitting.

Mm, names are important to me to, though I must say I've never had trouble with them. Though there was the occasion that I forgot to give someone a name, and so for the entirety of the book he was know as 'Captain', his rank.

Read 'Perfect Insanity' Do it! Do it now!!!
*cough* I'm ok now... *cough cough*