Name Creation

[Vorena]

So does anyone have their own little way of figuring out a name when they need to create one? I feel like I go a bit too in-depth with it.

First off, I dislike simply choosing an everyday sort of word or name. There are always a list of common names like Mary, Mackenzie, Alyssa, etc. I prefer a name to be something rare and unique. Therefore, I even like entirely new created names that much more.

When picking a name I usually fall back on a couple of ideas. One, if it is a name I am addressing myself with I have to keep it short. If I make this incredibly long name no one will ever address me as such. Most people prefer to take long names and either make an acronym of it or shorten it up enough that people will know who is being addressed. Even short names only 6-7 letters long seem to be truncated to 3-4 letters if it fits. In that respect, I usually keep names to only about 5-8 letters long. If the name gets longer, I sort of have to imagine how people might make it shorter and would I like the way it sounds if it was truncated.

With that in mind, I usually start making a name by using a syllable or first letter I feel like I want to use. For whatever reason, I feel an affinity for the letters E, V, X, Y, U. Typically, I will try to throw in a couple of those into the name I am making. From there it is mix other letters to see if the word sounds nice when spoken. Sometimes a 20 minute process, but I get a name I am satisfied with. Taking so long on a name, I hate the start of new games because of it. Sometimes make a name for this, this and this. Do not forget about the dog you likely own or something and name that.

[eclipse]

I go with something basic, or I obey whatever the little voice in my head says.

[Freohr Datia]

1. Name meanings/translations

2. Pick one that has a translation that I would like and also looks cool XD

3. Preferably irish

For this one story I tried writing, I wanted to make all the characters' names irish and translate to some animal/plant thingy, like something to do with the woods for the most part because that would be what the village they grew up in would name their children after. And that's how I have always tried making my main characters' names be Eithne (if the character was female)

I ended up coming up with Eithne (kernel), Faolan (little wolf, which became my favorite male name), Crevan (fox since I love red foxes =3), Darach (oak), and Blaithin (little flower) were the siblings and the father was Oisin (little deer) and the mother would be a foreigner so I ended up giving her an italian name and a non-woods-natured name (I actually don't remember what I called her =3).

[Integrity]

Integrity.

If it's a girl, Integritina.

Otherwise, I try and fail to emulate Furetchen's signature Muscles McCool / Maximus Biceps / Killbro Murderdude style.

[uguu]

Most of the names I use for myself online are either just made up randomly or variations of names I've made up, excluding theme names. For most anything else, I use this. Generally, names for RPs and stuff are either based on my names or names of characters I've made up (who use names from the previous link). Also,

First off, I dislike simply choosing an everyday sort of word or name. There are always a list of common names like Mary, Mackenzie, Alyssa, etc. I prefer a name to be something rare and unique. Therefore, I even like entirely new created names that much more.

depending on what you're naming this is a horrible idea jegus fuck

[Integrity]

Oh, wait, this is actually for serious things.

If I'm trying to be serious, I name everybody Paul. If I already have a Paul, I think about having a second Paul because nobody does that. Following that, I tend to pick real actual names for things unless the theme is not real actual names in which case I generally corrupt a real actual name a few times so it barely resembles the original.

And when in doubt, obscure Old Testament names.

[buttmuncher.ops]

i definitely prefer name's to be unique and rare because i believe knowing a name holds power, plus i have a pretty unique first and last name myself (for american culture, at least)

for RPG's if i have a choice of which sex to play, it will almost always be female. i might use the names of greek / roman / pagan goddesses or unique names of (in)famous women from history. i named my unit myrmidon in fe12 domino after domino harvey, a female bounty hunter, just cause. if i am forced to use a male character, i try to name-o-nize a weapon or use something that's one syllable deadly like scythe or edge. if i know a little about the characters themselves beforehand though, i will look up their personality traits in a thesaurus for something unique. i did this for chrono trigger where i named everyone according to an alternate version of their corresponding element. using the visual thesaurus i came up with golem for robo which i liked a lot.

when it comes to addressing myself, however, especially since i play a lot of multiplayer games requiring you to create a profile of some sort, i have an infinite number of aliases depending on what i feel like representing at the time. these are more direct or can be subtle wordplay as well. current display name / member title + sig are examples but i have done other stuff up on the spot with a little inspiration. trik masta tak is a combination of my shortened nickname plus a salute to jam master jay, r.i.p. i remixed this a few years later to trikmastadon because of the infamous line from that power rangers parody (they call me the mastodon cause i got the junk in the front !) or whatever it was. sometimes i also create names based on the current clan or organization i'm with, as referenced by the sig. i created o.L|FLiP^TMT when i played CS competitively to represent the all asian / mostly Filipino clan i was in at the time. also created a character called Clutch for WoW a few years back when me and two friends (and eventually a few old school DnT members) basically put a guild of scrubs on our backs and carried them to top 50~100 worldwide when the xpac hit.

i also have a bunch of character names from writing stories which most people will never, ever read or hear of if i can help it. they're almost completely original and i can't put a finger on where i got the idea for those names as opposed to the names stated above which have a direct link to something else i've known of.

[Freohr Datia]

Ooh that actually reminds me...

I also remember I used to make names up randomly before I started using real names xD But the only reason I did that back then was because I thought, if they're living in a made up world then the names probably shouldn't be the same as the names on earth. I wanted it to seem more realistic to me =D

And sometimes I'd use crossword puzzles.

Last time I did a story with made up names... Well first I gotta remember them. =o

Duran (although at the time I didn't know it was actually a name XD), Ihran (kinda looks like it's just Iran with a different spelling!), Sutemre, the siblings Kesaim and Kentraya with the parents being named Jirtrel and Lefelle (I had the parents' names start with J and L so they decided their kids would start with K since the letter was inbetween the letters of their names), Fellawyn, Larand, Canten, Cavor, Saehl...

Idk how many of the rest of those names really exist... I should google all the names I've made up because I've saved a big list of them.

[Strawman]

Well I used to just name everything Ace. Then once I started making accounts on like forums and stuff they all had to do with cheese and/or bacon. Now when naming a character I either go look up names on like babynames.com or I just use an FE name that I like.

[Thor Odinson]

Google/Behind The Name when I need to make characters for hacks/other projects and pick whatever sounds nice and doesn't clash with the overall feel of the project (e. g. no picking a Brynhildr in a game full of Joes and Janes, and no picking a Bob in a game with all nordic-sounding names). Otherwise l go with mythology and literature. I tend to submit a Camilla to most of those "submit a character" hacks, since I like to make a female physical unit, and Camilla's the name of an Amazon-esque female warrior in the Aeneid.

Luminescent Blade for display name only. Disregard my old ones from >3 years back they don't matter

Edited January 7, 2012 by Luminescent Blade

[Jack of the Dead]

Duran (although at the time I didn't know it was actually a name XD), Ihran (kinda looks like it's just Iran with a different spelling!), Sutemre, the siblings Kesaim and Kentraya with the parents being named Jirtrel and Lefelle (I had the parents' names start with J and L so they decided their kids would start with K since the letter was inbetween the letters of their names), Fellawyn, Larand, Canten, Cavor, Saehl...

.

I was thinking up random names while reading this thread. And I think, "what if I name someone like a part of a legendary weapon from a game or from something else.

durandal came to mind.

-dal=

Duran.

and I then I read this... I feel weirded out now.

[Freohr Datia]

Duran wasn't really too hard to come up with either XD Just random stuffs.

And I've tried looking other sites for more on the name but it's apparently not too common at all.

I feel pretty certain I read a book where somebody's name was Duran... I just don't remember though.

[Jack of the Dead]

Duran wasn't really too hard to come up with either XD Just random stuffs.

And I've tried looking other sites for more on the name but it's apparently not too common at all.

I feel pretty certain I read a book where somebody's name was Duran... I just don't remember though.

well, there was the berserker Durban...

[Freohr Datia]

I don't think I read a story about that XD

Whatever I read it was exact.

[Jack of the Dead]

I don't think I read a story about that XD

Whatever I read it was exact.

blazing sword is your favorite FE game and you don't know who durban is?

[Original Alear]

I don't think I read a story about that XD

Whatever I read it was exact.

It must have been a news story about Duran Duran.

[Freohr Datia]

blazing sword is your favorite FE game and you don't know who durban is?

I haven't played too far into the game. It's probably somewhere that I haven't reached yet.

I think our FE7 disappeared along with one of my brothers' ds a few months ago.

[Parrhesia]

Usually some common or foreign name, as long as it fits naming convention. When making up names, they tend to be short, usually two syllables.

[Jack of the Dead]

I haven't played too far into the game. It's probably somewhere that I haven't reached yet.

I think our FE7 disappeared along with one of my brothers' ds a few months ago.

emulate

you don't really find out about him until you play hector's mode.

and I'm so sorry. that's a tragedy. it really is.

[Freohr Datia]

Haven't gotten around to that because I'm really not all that into FE like I used to.

Yeah I haven't reached Hector.

[Fenrir]

I usually try and do something that has similar characteristics to what I am naming. (Same first letter of animal, rhymes with animal etc.)

[peener weener]

Spike/Stolypin

[Sync]

I usually put names from characters of games that I've played/watched the walkthrough, and liked. If it isn't there, I usually add a vowel at the end like an e or an a.

I was lucky to get this name

[shadowofchaos]

I tend to favor N's for some reason in a name.

But otherwise, I just look up mythological crap on Wikipedia and then go off that or something.

[Ein]

Short names are the best.