You can now do this online through the use of searchable databases of names on baby and parenting sites. The database can be searched by name, by the meaning of the name or browsed alphabetically. The site also contains name lists, including lists of the most popular names, a list of Shakespeare names and a list of soap opera names. BabyCenter's database of names can be searched by gender, number of syllables, starting and ending letter and by origin. Other great baby name resources are Parent Soup , Pregnancy Today , Popular Baby Names , The New Baby Name Index and Yahoo Baby Name Finder .
Genealogy websites contain many names, and are especially valuable for coming up with surnames.
Yahoo also contains links to webpages for researching names in its lineages and surnames section. Other Resources Other resources that might be used for character development are limited only by your imagination. Email mailing lists and newsletters can also be great resources for discovering more about different types of people. You can also find discussions and information about specific professions and personality types by visiting online communities devoted to the specialty you are researching. If your character is a programmer you might try and learn more about him from websites like slashdot.org .