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DISCUSSION What's in a Name?

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Discussion' started by Eebit, Nov 6, 2014.

  1. A discussion that Rose had started back at Magnolia, which I found sort of interesting, was how the various roleplayers chose names for their characters. I want to raise that question here! What caused you to name your various characters in the way that you did? What does the name mean (look it up if it's a "real" name, or tell us what it means to you personally)? Does the meaning of their name resonate with that character's personality?
     
    #1 Eebit, Nov 6, 2014 at 12:18 AM
  2. Most of the time I bullshit names together or steal them from video games (see Azzan Dmitryus, first name stolen from the leader Oblivion's Anvil Fighters' Guild and last name entirely made up), and can often end up with names that sound like they could be or are real (Jack and Samuel "Sam" Evans). Recently though, since I've been developing a conlang of my own, I've come up with a few naming conventions.

    In my conlang, a character adopts both the father's and mother's surnames, in the order of Given-Mother-Father, and usually don't have given middle names. So, for instance, my main character's full name, Azzan Syphos Dmitryus, comes from the names of his mother (surname Syphos) and father (surname Dmitryus), which were anglicised from the ancient language used by Jude (or Eyyudza, traditionally) and his relatives.

    #ManaverseTidbits
     
    #2 Nebulon Ranger, Nov 6, 2014 at 12:25 AM
  3. Usually I take real names, steal names from books, or abuse Google Translate.

    I might also use a generator (this being my current favorite) until I find a name I like.

    In the same vein as Dark, I also name characters in my own conlang, but this is exclusive to Euthoran characters, usually dragons.
     
    #3 Keileon, Nov 6, 2014 at 1:35 AM
  4. Boop http://www.behindthename.com/themes.php
     
    #4 Gold Dullahan, Nov 6, 2014 at 2:21 AM
  5. My characters names usually mean something to me. in the case of Nikolae Blackthorn, Blackthorn is the family name of my Irish heritage, and Nikolae is the russian version of my own, so I honor both sides of my heritage with his name.

    With some of my others, I usually come up with something that sounds good, like Laboris Freyison, or steal variations of names from books like Joscelin Verrulai.

    I have a small army of characters I need to get up into my characters thread.....but...yeah...thats a lot of typing...*holds up limp wrists, making a pitiful face*
     
    #5 lordodonnel, Nov 6, 2014 at 3:13 PM
  6. When naming a character, be the medium RP or fiction, I always do research and find meaningful names to give the character. And by meaningful I don;t usually name them for what or who they may be, but rather for how I plan on them evolving and adapting as characters. So naming a character "Noir" ('black') might be because said character, in my mind's eye, would suck up any energy put into changing or evolving; his development would look bleak and difficult. Which doesn't mean the character won't evolve, but rather that it would be more subtle and inextensive.
     
    #6 Zygardia, Nov 8, 2014 at 12:04 PM
  7. Sometimes I'll pull random shit out of my ass.
    Sometimes I'll ask Addlez.
    Sometimes I'll do research and find names that mean something.
    Sometimes I'll be lazy and refuse to give a name at all.
     
    #7 Rose, Nov 17, 2014 at 4:48 AM
  8. I mimic styles of fantasy names, or use words from a different language.

    For example: Naeova Dest, mimics the style of Ulquiorra Cifer, from Bleach. Naeova also stems from the Portuguese word for rain. Daeyn Argarya, mimics the style of Targaryens from A Song of Ice and Fire. And finally, James Lucia, which means 'light' in latin, is a paladin.
     
    #8 CodasterTheDisaster, Nov 17, 2014 at 5:09 AM
  9. I almost always just wing it. When I'm writing one of my novels, the ideas just float on over like a beautiful butterfree into my mind and slowly consume it. The same thing happens with my roleplaying. Every so often I'll plan a name; like how Jane Brisbois in Flamezone's FE statplay that never was was purposefully named to reflect both her hidden royal background and the more "plain" mercenary role she wanted to play off of. Sometimes I'll have light guidelines, like naming Tomari Spalding was something that would reflect his Japanese/British mixed background. Mostly though, like with Austere and Rock, these things just come along out of nowhere.
     
    #9 Jonno, Dec 24, 2014 at 12:33 AM
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