Do you know what your name means? Ever try looking it up? Take a quick trip to a site like babynames.com and you'll find a whole dictionary of names!
Names can be important to your stories when you're trying to name your characters. What does that character's name say about him or her? How does it reflect his or her personality? How does it reflect his or her background?
For example, maybe you name your main character Hope because she is a symbol of hope in your story. Maybe you name your leading man Romeo as an allusion to Shakespeare's romantic character.
Finding out the meanings and origins of names can be a fun and inspiring way to develop your characters. And, you can always create your own names and attach meanings to them.
Here's a quick exercise: Look up the meaning of your name, and write about how true it is. How does your name describe you? Where might it be right? Where might it be wrong? If you had the option, what would you rename yourself?
Happy writing!