Character Names

To me, this is one of the most fun aspects of writing. There's so much depth involved in a character's name: direct meanings, connotations, historical associations; I can spend hours on sites like Behind the Name simply to brainstorm names. It also helps with understanding my existing characters' personalities better (e.g. how they react to their names).

Also, coming up with non-Anglophone names is quite educational, since by doing so, you learn about the different naming conventions of various cultures. Asian names are particularly fun, not just because I'm Asian-Canadian myself, but because their meanings change depending on which characters are used (so you can't tell the meaning from the Romanized name alone).

What are everyone else's experiences? Anyone feel like sharing examples of their characters' names and their significance? I may contribute myself in a later response.