Q. Are direct quotes or the names of references (ie. in the body of essay) included in the word count?

Referencing styles including APA do not give guidelines on what is included in a word count. This is something that is set by those who have created the assessment task. It would therefore be best to direct your query to your lecturer or tutor. Direct quotes and in-text references are usually included in a word count but please check first with your lecturer or tutor.