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Need help naming a character
My character is a Congolese woman in her mid 20s. Her personality is kind and outspoken. I have other characters with names that start with the letters A, F, K, L, M, N, O, P, S, T, and Y that I'm avoiding to make each name easier for people to remember.Names with a similar feeling to what I'm looking for:- Zelda
- Aliyah
- Esther
- Kimiya
- Mayela
- Zolani
- Ingrid
- Athena
- Zahina

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Here is a list of common Congolese names https://studentsoftheworld.info/penpals/stats.php?Pays=COG
Names I like from that list:
Exaucée, Messie, Rosy, Lifeway, Prudence, France, Rose de Marie, Herverence, Merline, Prospère, Patrique, Nhobble, Noble, Kéké, Emmanuela, Bonheur, Gaëlle, Perside, Lourdes

This message was edited 3/27/2025, 10:52 AM

I think you should do some research and find out what Congolese people typicaly use for names. My limited understanding is that the Congo was once Belgian-controlled and that French is still spoken there, so I would expect a French name. Is the character Muslim or Christian or what, because that would play a role too.
I wouldn't worry about avoiding letters; readers can keep multiple people with the same letter beginning their names straight very easily.
Yes, French is widely used there. Many English names like Happiness, Promise, and Desire are popular names too.