Imagine meeting a person named Sofa. Not Sofia, Sofa. Or better yet, what if your name was Sofa and your parents chose your name because they own a furniture store. I, personally, find that absurd (though maybe that could start an interesting story). I would not like to be named Sofa. My name is Katherine, which is a very common girl's name, and there happen to be five 'Katie's in my grade.
When naming a character you do not need to name them after a noun. Ivy, Sky, and Rose happen to be nouns that can be used as real names. If, let's just say, you name your character Ivy, it is not necessary to spell it Eyevii. Or to spell Sky, 'Sqaii'. Your character is not a dog, unless of course it actually is, it's most likely you are writing about a person. Imagine being your character and having the name you thought was "perfect" for them.
Do not combine names. I don't know why you would even think of such a notion. Even if you adore the names Ann, Elizabeth, and Annabelle; your character does not need to be named 'Annalisabethabelle'.
Look at the top 10 names from their generation, and don't use them. There do not need to be any more 'Isabella's, 'Bella's, or any variation on that theme. You do not want your character to just blend in with all the other 'Bella's or 'Jacob's. Your character should be unique and it does take time to develop a name (last names are a pain). The Social Security Administration has a nice page with the top 10 baby names of both genders.
Tip 3: Exotic names are for romance novels, soap operas and strippers
Romance novels and soap operas and strippers all have one thing in common—they evoke a fantasy of romance... Characters in these genres tend to have names that are more exotic, like Chesapeake Divine or Rod Remington. If you are not writing a romance or soap opera, however, this kind of name can sound silly and out of place. --Character Names | BabyNames.com
Links
These might come in handy.
Fantasy Character Name Generator: http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/
A huge database of over 20,000 names: http://www.20000-names.com/
I hope this was at least of some help to you. If it wasn't, well, comment and tell me why. And no, I'm not some writing expert, but I do wish to express my opinions. Opinions concluded.
