Garth Nix explains that he dedicates a lot of time to choosing the names of his characters. He often experiments with different words to create unique and fitting names for each character, ensuring they reflect the story’s mood and themes.

For example, Sabriel's name was carefully crafted by combining elements to evoke a sense of darkness and mystery. Garth Nix states, "I spend lots of time on all the names in the books... Her name comes from trying to combine the heraldic term for black which is Sable, because I wanted something that felt dark and mysterious, with the iel ending that you find in angels' names."