Names?

Ithra

Ithra

Apprentice
i've always had issues with figuring out names for characters. so i was wondering if you guys had any good ideas on how to come up with good fantasy names or maybe a good site to look for some.

currently i'm trying to figure out a name for one of my ideas for a future character. and i want the name to start with a J, and preferably to not have the letter R in it (i have speech problems and have issues with the letter R, so i would like to be able to say my own name correctly) one idea i had was to use the name Jeeves but edit it alittle.
 
I like to pick my names to also somewhat suit the race and/or culture that I'm making the character from.

As a result, when I *do* pronounce my current main's name correctly, which I hardly ever do so as not to confuse all the pink skins :funny: , it actually sounds like something you'd expect to hear coming out of a cat's mouth.
 
I go old world names. Norse, Gaelic and Roman are good sources. The Pacific Islands have many great names. My character's name has Nordic origins. You can also go semi-tribal by combining 2 words. Like Fallenoak or Northwind (those two are taken). Race can play a heavy factor.
 
I went to a name generator, made my name, went in game, someone randomly called me something else, and it stuck. Actually I like the ig nicknames a lot of people get.
 
evi1r0n said:
I go old world names. Norse, Gaelic and Roman are good sources. The Pacific Islands have many great names. My character's name has Nordic origins. You can also go semi-tribal by combining 2 words. Like Fallenoak or Northwind (those two are taken). Race can play a heavy factor.
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I was going to go the same on my Wolf-kyn, Faelan (or Phaelan / Phelan) is Gaelic for 'Like a Wolf'.
Went more with a description instead with Snows-on-the-Wind, but going by the gaelic Sneachta-ar-Gaoth.
 
actually i just recently got an awesome idea, i want to give my character a really long name thats hard to remember, but have him start with the nick name Jitters, and see what other nick names people call me.

i'll have to work around with different stuff but so far i've come up with the first name Jintrilynnoralithin; we'll see if i stick with it.
 
If you aren't terribly concerned with your name sounding high fantasy, then you can use my strategy.

I had a Madden strategy guide that lists all of the players in the game in the back. I just opened to those pages, closed my eyes and pointed to the page. I disregarded obvious names, but there were plenty of options.

You could probably score an old Madden strategy guide at GameStop for peanuts nowadays.

Stephen
Chair
National Publicity Committee
 
Just don't use names from any kind of existing entertainment, no matter how obscure. Someone will have seen it. Trust me.
 
Wraith said:
Just don't use names from any kind of existing entertainment, no matter how obscure. Someone will have seen it. Trust me.
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And how. It really takes away from the game when every time you try to speak to someone you think about the movie/book their name came from.
 
Especially that guy Riddick.

Come on, man.

Even though it was terrible, tons of people saw that movie.

Half build time, buddy.
 
I do a lot of writing, and naming is always a problem. You want your name to be a believable name, but at the same time, you don't want it to sound normal and boring. One thing that I do, on occasion, is pick a set of random vowels and consonants, and arrange them in random orders until I find something I like. Here's an example:

e t g l i d a

Galteid
Detladi
Aedilgt
Taglide

and so on until you either give up on that set of letters, or you find the perfect name. If you want to make it really interesting, add in letters and sounds from other languages. Like the n +~ in Spanish, or tsu from Japanese. Adding in random accent marks can make the name more unique, too. Hope that helps! :D
 
I tend to name characters things that I think fit, well, the character.

I have a hawaiian-inspired barbarian who is generally pretty serene (unless you keep him awake way too late at night), and easy going. I went with hawaiian for "peaceful ocean" - Kai Malie.
I had a british retired adventurer who was fairly solid and forthright. I went with Eddard Hammond (Eddard inspired by the Fire and Ice series, Hammond as just a good solid English name).
My primary began as a boisterous gypsy. Gregor Orpheus Dimitris came from being gregarious and somewhat greek-inspired.
Whisper's real name was Hikaru Getsumei, roughly meaning "to shine moonlight", which had its own importance.
My current hobling tertiary is named Rollo Rigby, partly as a nod to an old friend of mine, partly as a nod to the Beatles and I just kinda dig alliteration from time to time, and partly because Rollo just sounded fitting for a guy who would show up to an epic battle with a bowl of guacamole in one hand and a sword in the other (you had to be there).

So I guess my trick would be to first identify your character's closest equivalent culture and think about the traits that get you most into playing that character, then try and find a word that has relates to that impression, or even some sounds that kinda get you going in that direction.
 
tieran said:
Especially that guy Riddick.

Come on, man.

Even though it was terrible, tons of people saw that movie.

Half build time, buddy.
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I hate you.
 
I always start with names i know and then change them a bit. like right now i'm playing final fantasy 9, so i see steiner, vivi, zidane, dagger, and freya all the time.

while these names i find acceptable, the fact that i would be ripping them straight from a game... well i don't like.

so i just change some letters. like for Freya, that's not a guy's name, and i'm a guy. so i would change it to Freyn, Flynn, Fain... etc. since there is a character in our chapter named Fern, one syllable F names that have a close enough name are not good. Fain is too close, and thus either I need a first consonant change or add another syllable. because there's a Z in one of the names, i'd grab that, Zynn or Zain. Zerain, Zairynn, and i just go until i get a name i like. coming up with a name on the fly is horrible because i never know if i'm going to like being called it. finding a name is a long process for me...

but because i play a lot of table top games, i have a repository of characters i have made, so drawing from that on the fly is how i go
magnus
Drake
Shren
Lynnwood stevens
Jack the wolf
Tex Zulinsky
blah blah blah

so that's my process. i take names i see, and screw with the letters and syllables until i like them. or find another name.

one of my buddies is named JJ, i think that would be a good name for a character. before i met him, if any of you played final fantasy legend (old school game boy) (before final fantasy legend 3), i would name a character JJ.
 
Ithra said:
actually i just recently got an awesome idea, i want to give my character a really long name thats hard to remember, but have him start with the nick name Jitters, and see what other nick names people call me.

i'll have to work around with different stuff but so far i've come up with the first name Jintrilynnoralithin; we'll see if i stick with it.
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i like this :)
 
Ithra said:
actually i just recently got an awesome idea, i want to give my character a really long name thats hard to remember, but have him start with the nick name Jitters, and see what other nick names people call me.

i'll have to work around with different stuff but so far i've come up with the first name Jintrilynnoralithin; we'll see if i stick with it.
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my unofficial nickname for him will be 'tah shay tanee' (he is thin or skinny)
 
Ithra said:
actually i just recently got an awesome idea, i want to give my character a really long name thats hard to remember, but have him start with the nick name Jitters, and see what other nick names people call me.

i'll have to work around with different stuff but so far i've come up with the first name Jintrilynnoralithin; we'll see if i stick with it.
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The fun part about this, is that occasionally you'll run into people playing very "proper" or "snooty" type characters who refuse to use nicknames and will insist on learning your real name and call you by it. Then most people will reply with "Who? Oh you mean Jitters." :roll:
 
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