Awesome Name Ideas for Superheroes

Writing is one of my several hobbies, and lists like the one below help me with writer's block every now and again.

Amazing Superhero Names Wanted for Those Who Come When Police Need a Little Help

Naming a hero or heroine can be more complicated than you might think. Names for heroes need to inspire regular folks to be their best selves. It can be really tough to create a hero (even a flawed one) and even tougher to name one. This list of hero names is dedicated to those who come when the police need just a little bit of help or for when they can't get there in time.

The superhero name ideas found below can be used for heroes in a variety of settings, from comics and movies to TV shows, novels, and short stories. Feel free to use the examples from this article as inspiration to come up with your own awesome superhero name!

Superhero Nicknames for Both Men and Women

Meet the Hero

Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.

— Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn

Tips for Coming Up With Cool Hero Names

• It's better to come up with a complete origin and background story for your hero before naming them. Many superhero names often come out of a traumatic experience they've had.
• Heroic names don't always have to sound human as long as your character is deep enough for your audience to relate to. Coming up with good superhero name ideas is just as much about creating complex heroes as it is experimenting with clever wordplay.
• The type of costume you choose for your hero will heavily influence the name you give them. The name should somewhat match the mood of the costume.
• Funny hero names are fine if you are creating a comedic hero; just don't make them too funny, or your audience may lose interest. They are still heroes, after all.

Cool Hero Names for Girls

Why A Hero Has the Name That They Have

• Pit Stop: a race car technician who was horribly burned when a sabotaged car couldn't stop in time
• Retro: a hero that always felt like she was born in the wrong time period (the 70's are so cool!)
• Wizard of Odds: this name was given to our hero back during World War II as he was able to somehow overcome situations definitely not stacked in his favor

Odysseus inclines his head. "True. But fame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired in one generation is abhorred in another." He spread his broad hands. "We cannot say who will survive the holocaust of memory. Who knows?" He smiles. "Perhaps one day even I will be famous. Perhaps more famous than you."

— Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

Cool Hero Names for Guys

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Make Your Superhero Interesting

You should always try to give your heroes some vulnerabilities. If a villain can defeat (or even kill) your hero, it makes them seem far more realistic to your audience. One reason I was never that interested in Superman was that he couldn't be killed. If there's no risk to your character, the story can often be very dull. Remember that conflict equals story, and if your character has no weaknesses (either physical or mental), then there will be very little conflict. A cool hero name doesn't mean much if there is never any risk to your hero's life.

The training is nothing! The will is everything! The will to act.

— Ra's al Ghul, Batman Begins

Superhero Team Names That Kick Butt

Tips for Creating Cool Superhero Names

• Heroes don't have to be conventional. They can be strange, unusual, or even temporary, but they must come from a place of truth and sincerity. The public rarely embraces a superficial hero.
• If a superhero name doesn't seem to fit, adding a "the" in front of it can do wonders.
• You can change the sexual lean of a word by adding a word that indicates either male or female (Captain, Miss, Sir, Madame, etc.).
• Use caution when thinking about going outside the box when trying to come up with a name for your hero or heroine. Remember, people need to relate to them to believe in them. Far-out hero names are fine, but only if they fit the character and the story. Give your hero a name that is too ridiculous, and your audience may root for the bad guy instead.

More Superhero Names for Girls

The Vigilante: An Often-Hated Hero

Coming up with an origin story and name for someone who metes out vigilante justice (when they are right in doing so) is so much easier than doing it for a masked superhero.

Vigilantes are often the product of something terrible happening to them or to someone they love. They have no accidental powers, enormous amounts of money, or technical prowess. While some may do good things, they don't go out of their way to inspire or change the world.

Their names are often their given birth names, as they don't necessarily have the desire to put on a costume and become a symbol for good. Their motivation is simple, pure, and recognizable by all—revenge.

More Superhero Names for Guys

Where there are villains, there will be heroes. Just wait. They will come...

— Brandon Sanderson

Sometimes, the Hero Becomes the Villain

Staying on the path of the hero can be harder than you think, as it is much easier than most people realize to give in to anti-hero actions. In my opinion, it's even easier for a hero to become a villain because they already have the willpower to do things most other people won't.

Add in a little criticism from the press, and the thoughts will come; they may start out as a whisper, but the thoughts will come. "Why do I bust my butt to do good when no one appreciates it?"

Famous Superhero Names That Everyone Knows and Loves

© 2017 Don

Any Ideas on What to Call Your Hero or Heroine?

Nitro on June 06, 2018:

For a speedster!