Character names are an essential part of any story. Not only to identify a particular person, place, or thing but also as a tool for giving tone to a character’s personality. In humour, the right name can take a character from boring to brilliant, adding an extra layer of comedy to any story. This article will give you a collection of famous funny character names and explore why they’re an important part of storytelling.
30+ Funny Character Names Based on Wordplay
Puns are a classic form of humour, and when it comes to character names, they can add an extra level of brightness to your story. By playing with words and their multiple meanings, funny character names can bring a smile to your reader’s face. Here, we give you some of the funny character names based on puns and dig into how they add to the humour of a story.
- Amanda Hugginkiss – A name based on the phrase “I demand a hug and a kiss.”
- April Showers
- Artie Choke – A name that puns on the word “artichoke.”
- Bart Ender – on the word “bartender.”
- Ben Dover – on the phrase “Bend over.”
- Candy Kane – A name that puns on the word “candy cane.”
- Claire Voyant – on the word “clairvoyant.”
- Corey Field – A name that puns on the word “cornfield.”
- Crystal Ball – on the phrase “looking into a crystal ball.”
- Debbie Downer – A name that references a pessimistic person
- Diana Spray – on the word “dispersal spray.”
- Don Key – A name that puns on the word “donkey.”
- Dustin T. Dust – on the phrase “dust to dust.”
- Frank N. Stein – on the character Frankenstein
- Harry Buttloaf – A name that puns on the word “meatloaf.”
- Howard Uppercrust – A name that puns on the phrase “upper crust.”
- Iris Glad – A name that puns on the word “iris” and the phrase “glad to see you.”
- Ivan O. Sofa – A name that puns on the word “Ivan” and the phrase “Ivan on a sofa.”
- Jack Frost – A name that puns on the phrase “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.”
- James Blonde – A name that puns on the James Bond character and the word “blonde.”
- Joe King – puns on the word “joking.”
- Katie Hopkins – on the phrase “catty Hopkins.”
- Kimmy Hed – A name that puns on the word “Kimmy’s head.”
- Lara Croft – on the phrase “lots of craft.”
- Lily Pad – A name that puns on the word “lily pad.”
- Mae West – on the phrase “my very best.”
- Mark De Spot – A name that puns on the phrase “mark the spot.”
- Matt Shatt – A name that puns on the word “matte.”
- Mike Oxlong – A name that puns on the phrase “my apologies.”
- Molly Cule – A name that puns on the word “molecule.”
- Pam Baked – A name that puns on the word “pan-baked.”
- Peggy Sue – A name that puns on the phrase “pay the fee.”
- Polly Ester – A name that puns on the word “polyester.”
- Rusty Nail – A name that puns on the word “rusty nail.”
- Sal A. Mander – A name that puns on the word “salamander”
- Sam Buca – A name that puns on the word “sambuca”.
Quirky Monikers: Unusual Names for Hilarious Characters
Not all funny character names need to be based on puns. An unusual name can add a touch of humour to a character. In this section, we gathered some character names that are unique and sure to make your reader laugh. You can see how you can use weird names to create funny and memorable characters, from strange spellings to unexpected combinations of words.
Pop Culture Parodies: Using Famous Names for a Laugh
Pop culture is a rich source of inspiration for funny character names. Whether you’re looking for fun at a well-known celebrity, a classic fictional character, or a recognizable brand, using pop culture references in your character names can help create humorous and memorable characters. Here are some example names for that!
- Barb Acue – A name that puns on the character Barb from Stranger Things and the word “barbecue.”
- Bond, James Bond – references the famous James Bond character
- Donnie Darko – the movie character Donnie Darko
- Elevenses – the character Eleven from Stranger Things
- Hermione Granger – references the character from the Harry Potter series
- Indiana Jones – from the movie character Indiana Jones
- Katniss Everdeen – A name that references the character from The Hunger Games series
- Leia Organa – A name that references the character from the Star Wars franchise
- Luke Sky Walker – the character from the Star Wars franchise
- Neo Matrix – A name that references the movie The Matrix
- Rachel Green – the character from the TV show Friends
- Rick Deckard – A name that references the character from the movie Blade Runner
- Roy Batty – references the character from the movie Blade Runner
- Sarah Connor – A name that references the character from the Terminator franchise
- Sherlock Holmes – A name that references the famous detective
- Tony Stark – character Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Tyrell Wellick – from the TV show Mr Robot
- Walter White – A name that references the character from the TV show Breaking Bad
- Xander Cage – references the character from the movie xXx
- Yoda – A name that references the character from the Star Wars franchise
- Agent Smith – from the movie The Matrix
- Aragorn – from The Lord of the Rings franchise
- Buffy Summers – from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Captain Kirk – A name that references the character from the Star Trek franchise
- Daenerys Targaryen – references the character from Game of Thrones
- Deadpool – A name that references the character from the Marvel Comics franchise
- Flash Gordon – from the comic and movie franchise
- Gandalf – from The Lord of the Rings franchise
- Han Solo – A name that references the character from the Star Wars franchise
- J.R.R. Tolkien – the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
- Jon Snow – references the character from Game of Thrones
- Katara – a character from the animated TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Leonardo DiCaprio – A name that references the famous actor
- Magneto – the character from the X-Men franchise
- Nathan Drake – from the Uncharted video game franchise
- Professor X – A name that references the character from the X-Men franchise.
Fun Names Inspired by the Animal Kingdom
The animal kingdom provides many options for funny character names, from species-based puns to silly animal behaviour. Whether you’re naming a weird person, a comically terrifying villain, or just adding a touch of humour to a supporting character, animal-inspired names can be a great choice. Here, we’ll give a few character names that are based on animals and discuss how they add humour and personality to a story.
- Beary McBearface
- Foxy McFoxface
- Hippo McHopalong
- Koala Krazy
- Leopard Lee
- Meownificent
- Opossum of Steel
- Penguin Pal
- Quokka Queen
- Rabbit Rocket
- Snail Sir
- Tiger Tiger
- Unicorn Umber
- Vulture Victory
- Wolf Wonder
- Xylophone X-Ray (inspired by the X-Ray fish)
- Yak Attack
- Zebra Zigzag
- Ant Antics
- Batty McBatface
- Cheetah Chase
- Dolphin Dash
- Elephant Elusive
- Frog Prince
- Giraffe Giggle
- Harp Seal Harmony
- Iguana Illusion
- Jellyfish Jazzy
- Kangaroo Kick
- Llama Leap
- Mongoose Mischief
- Numbat Noodle
- Octopus Outrageous
- Pelican Party
- Quail Quest
- Rhinoceros Ruckus
Fantastic Occupation Names: Adding Humor Through Career
A character’s occupation can be a great source of funny names, especially if the job title is a bit unusual or the character’s relationship to their work is funny. How do these character names inspired by careers add humour to a story? Check the below names!
- Chef Chompy
- Detective Daring
- Firefighter Blaze
- Gardener Giggle
- Hacker Hijinks
- Inventor Insight
- Journalist Jokester
- King Kooky
- Librarian Lark
- Magician Mischief
- Nurse Noodle
- Optometrist Ocular
- Pirate Prankster
- Queen Quirky
- Rockstar Ruckus
- Xenologist Xylo
- Yachtsman Yarns
- Zookeeper Zany
- Artist Artifice
- Scientist Silliness
- Teacher Tickle
- Undercover Uproar
- Veterinarian Vixen
- Waiter Witty
- Barber Brouhaha
- Carpenter Chaos
- Driver Dash
- Juggler Joy
- Kite-flyer Kaleidoscope
- Lawyer Laughter
- Electrician Electricity
- Firecracker Fun
- Guide Giggle
- Hydrologist Hilarity
- Illustrator Impression
The Fun of Fantasy: 30+ Magic and Myth-Inspired Funny Names
Fantasy stories offer many funny character names inspired by the fantastical elements of magic, mythology, and legend. You can use them to create hilarious and creative names. Whether you’re naming a mischievous fairy, a clumsy wizard, or a mythical hero, you can use fantasy elements to inspire your character names. It can add a touch of humour to your story. Here some magic and myth-inspired names can create funny and memorable characters.
- Chimera Chuckles
- Dragon Dazzle
- Elf Eccentric
- Fairy Frolic
- Gnome Glee
- Hydra Hilarity
- Impish Intrigue
- Joker Jester
- Kraken Kapers
- Mermaid Mischief
- Nymph Noodle
- Ogre Outrageous
- Phoenix Phunny
- Quest Quirky
- Sphinx Sarcasm
- Titan Tickle
- Unicorn Uproar
- Valkyrie Vixen
- Wizard Witty
- Xenophobia Xylo
- Yeti Yodel
- Zombie Zany
- Amazon Amusement
- Bogeyman Brouhaha
- Cyclops Chuckles
- Demigod Daring
- Enchanter Enchantment
- Fates Frolic
- Gorgon Glee
- Harpy Hilarity
- Intrepid Intrigue
- Jinn Jubilee
- Knight Kooky
- Lycanthrope Laughter
Choosing the Right Name for Your Character and Story
A funny character name is important for adding humour to a story. It’s equally important to ensure that the name is appropriate for the character and the story’s context. A name that might be hilarious in one situation could fall flat in another. So, choosing the wrong name can distract from the overall humour of the story. This article discusses the importance of choosing a funny character name and offers tips for selecting a name that fits your character and story.
Conclusion
Naming a character can be one of the most enjoyable parts of naming. Whether you choose a name based on wordplay, pop culture references, animal inspiration or fantasy mythology, the options are unlimited. The key is to pick a name that fits the character and the story you’re trying to tell. We hope this article helps you to think outside the box and create amazing and humorous character names. Don’t be afraid to have fun with it, and let your creativity run wild. We would love to hear from you, so feel free to share some of your funny character names in the comments below.
Premina Parker, is a parenting advisor. She is the author, most recently, parenting blog called Genbabycarrier.com. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards.