How do you come up with names for your characters?
I think of what they're good at and name them after their talent.
I look through the credits of something random for cool sounding names.
>>43977526
I start by choosing a letter.
Then I pick random sounds like "ho" "duul" and string them together until they sound good. For instance, I just smashed these two sounds together to make "Hoduul." Just sound it out.
>>43977526
I named a cop in a Shadowrun campaign Goto when Samurai Flamenco first came out.
It got cooler, then sad, than uncomfortable.
>>43977526
Didn't that scene only happen in Season 2?
As for your question, I figure out what culture their from and choose a name that's appropriate.
>>43977526
Depends on what kind of culture they come from in their setting. If they come from something that has a real world equivalent, I typically google translate some words into that language or look up names common to that language, then tweak the spelling or mash up some of them. I also like alliteration.
For example:
Verdier Malchanceux
Klauss Hundezahner
Kimberly Whitebitchinstein
>>43977526
I decide on a syllable I like. Maybe two. Something easy to remember, because names get shortened. Nobody remembers fucking Neresarilianirerndian the Elf. They remember Neres the pointy eared magic twat.
Basically I start with the nickname and make a full name based on that by adding syllables that sound nice.
>>43977526
I peer into the dark side of the force.
>>43977526
>>43977526
I have rudimentary creativity and a framework of fiction to guide me.
The last character I named is an alchemist who goes by Cornelio Aurelius Ysselian. The name references a historic healer, has a rhythm when uttered in full, invokes a Latin heritage but breaks it with medieval idiosyncrasies, and it has a nice vowel progression.
I usually jog around town and juggle the thought of a character in my head and then find a name
past results
"Jean Rockjaw"
"Sabertooth"
"mu'kus"
>>43977526
Either just having one that sounds good occur to me suddenly, or taking names from preexisting characters and alter/mash bits of them together
Sometimes I try for wordplay, like Scintillant for a hard-light user; sometimes I try for something thematically appropriate, like a Nordic character with "son" in the surname.
Once I got really meta with it, I had a shapeshifter whose initials were AKA.
Alliteration is always amusing and at times, goes above heads.
Sometimes, I look at the /type/ of character I'm making, seeing which established fiction they would also fit in, looking at the naming conventions of that media, and naming them similarly. I once played a medieval middle-eastern Assassin, so I combined Assassin's Creed protagonist name conventions (Their names frequently mean or translate to a type of bird) with Arabic naming, and usage of "Al" to designate "Son of"
Bearing in mind that I'm incredibly white, and I just punch stuff into google most of the time. So, take this with a grain of salt
http://www.behindthename.com/random/
3 random consonants
put in up to 5 vocals in between
cut name down to one or two syllables , depending on background
try out alternative writings and add letters/remove them
repeat until you are happy to have a unique , not snobby (or snobby , depends on tastes) sounding name
I like my names short and non-discriptive , descriptive names are handled as titles
maybe take a known name and change it to your tastes
examples:
kon
mun
nier
niera
io
cellim
calvin
maqiuel
allain ( pic related)
surnames: i mostly go with the hometown or clan , sometimes with titles
von lux
von haldr
seou
muan
"mutt"
backsplitter
startalker
and remember , more then 4 syllables per name make you look like a special snowflake
>>43977567
The optimal way. Helps to look common name syllables to, in languages that correlate to the character's irl equivalent homeland.
usually a generator or a list for either the first or last name, then take over from there
>>43977661
I knew I had seen that before.
I usually try and use words with extra meaning in them. I once had a merchant character named Aurum Vice. Aurum being the latin word for gold.
>>43977854
and Vice, of course, meaning "Gimmie gimmie gimmie"
>>43977526
You name your characters?
>>43977526
Depends on the context, but most of the time I just pick a biblical name, then string two words together.
>Seth Stoneriver
>Enoch Axelhelm
>Jairus Goldheart
>>43977596
This is exactly how I name elves, only I go with a nickname instead of an abreviation. My barbarian's true name is a long random string of Irish and Welsh places or liquor brands, but everyone calls him Dead Horse because the day he rode into town his horse immediately collapsed from exhaustion and arrow wounds from the mob that was following him.
>>43977567
>"ho" "duul"
>>43977526
I mash the keyboard a few times, then add some vowels to make one of them into a cool fantasy-sounding name.
>>43977645
Yeah there's a good way to get your character made fun of.
The key to a good name is that it's short, easy to remember, and has some personality to it. It doesn't even need to be a name, nicknames and titles can be just as effective. You can give them addons like Bob the Adjective to make them seem more personalized, but still keep the name common and easy for everyone to recall.
If you give your character some elaborate name that has the correct etymology for his ethnicity and actually means "he who slays dragons", no one will be able to remember it.
I actually knew a guy in a game name his elf wizard something really elfy, and I told him basically exactly this. He told me I was wrong, and his name was complicated at all. An hour later, after the tenth time he had to correct someone about his name, people just called him the wizard.
This is why the girl playing Rhavanie Faelwen the Elven ranger gets skeptical looks, and five minutes into the adventure, after everyone has tried and failed to pronounce it, she just becomes "the elf" for the rest of the game. But the girl who named her bard Handsome Tom gets called Handsome Tom the whole game. And five years later, when you're all around a table drinking and talking about the old days, everyone remembers the cool things Handsome Tom did, but can only vaguely remember that there was that elf who was a druid or a ranger or something, with the wolf pet.
>>43977645
>Martian names section is completely blank
Am I missing something here?
Used to be i'd let my mind wonder and sort of let it all coalesce on its own. Found a thread similar to this though a month or so back and i have a MUCH better and faster way to get named.
I just use the football skits from key&peele for names.
http://youtu.be/gODZzSOelss
Currently working on one for Torque [Construction noise] Lewith and EEEEE EEEEEEEEE.
Stole a name from an old RPG
Used it for 99% of mage characters through the years.
Used it in MMOs
Ultima Online
Evercrap
FF11
Diablo 2
WoW
Age of Conan
D&D Online
Neverwinter
Dark Fall
Guild Wars 1
I get recognized from time to time by cross game players and guilds. Even helped quite a few people starting fresh when it happens.
Mfw I up and forum accounts on Shroud of the Avatar using names of gold sellers from the old UO days.
Sure enough was contacted by one of them planning to make Irl bank in that crap game.
Told him I might be persuaded to release it to him if I
A - had a legit game key gifted to me.
B - he sent me a picture of himself holding a sign saying Pwned by my characters name.
He opted not to do the photo.
Mfw he figured out exactly who I was really fast because I've trollscammed that guy at least a half dozen times in UO.
Even ransomed items back to him gained through game mechanics back in the day. It wasn't an isolated incident. I made this guy rage at every available chance.
Got jailed twice for "griefing" him.
There's a lot of power in a characters name.
I've got a big list of names I pick and choose from. The list is always getting bigger.
>>43977526
I usually just go with Randy.
I try to think of what historical real-world culture may be similar to whatever fantasy culture my character is from. Broad divisions like Nordic, Middle-Eastern, Asian or Native American usually do the trick.
Then I find a list of names from that culture on the incredible edible internet, and pick one that's short, sweet and memorable.
i use a reverse dictionary to find old archaic words relatong to my PC. Such as "assegai" for a spear user or "coop" for a person looking to overthrow a corrupt ruler because his name sounds like the coup in "coup d'etet"
>>43977526
>Find a random Youtube video
>Copy the url
>Insert/remove some sounds for ease of pronounciation
>Have a random name
I just go with Jormungond for all my characters, or simply Jogurt as me and everyone that know me call him.
>>43977526
If I think of a name off the cuff, or I like a particular name; and either method meld well with a concept for a character I have, I'll use that.
Examples:
Etris Sterling - Guardsman and all round professional
Avannia Rayzor - Rather sullen but witty psyker
Amy Lovelock - Autistic elf, medic, hacker, and driver
Otherwise I'll get a random name generator until it generates a nice name.
>roll 1d10
>roll that many d20s (consonants-y)
>roll 1d6
>roll that many d6s (vowels+y)
>put letters gained into a hat
>draw out one by one
That's my name.
>>43979768
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=character+name+generator
yields lots of good generators, all of which I've used to generate character names for those I've played, or NPCs whilst running a game.
>>43977526
The Chewbacca Method.
I take 'Chewbacca' and change one syllable. So, Slobacca. Then change another. Slonecca. Maybe drop a syllable. Slone. Add a new one? Delslone. Change one. Delslane. Add another on the end, change another. Meslanen. Maybe change the last one and first one? Melsanel. That sounds pretty damn elfy to me, maybe add one more syllable. Melthesanel. Goofy nickname she'll hate built in. Job's done.
>>43977526
Usually, I start with my character's culture. In most situations, that character's background is inspired a RL culture, so I try to emulate the phonetics of that RL-culture's names. Based on >>43977793, I kind of like to make the name have a history and random meaning that may or may not apply to my character's current profession or personality.
Alternatively, I pick a prominent feature of my character and translate it to a real-life language, then take that expression and twist it so it becomes a fantasy-esque name.
>>43977526
http://fantasynamegenerators.com/
All of the wizards I play are named after wizards in Heretic/Hexen.
>>43977526
Usually something that rhymes with the character's occupation.
>Neal McBeal
>>43979821
>Spongebob draws a circle
I have a few stock names that i always use if the character fits. If it's a character that don't fit with the other names i usually pick from the Les Luthiers plays like Mastropiero or Warren Sanchez.
In case of doubt i can always use a name generator until i like what it shows.
>>43979745
The Schwartz is strong with this post!
>>43978077
Shut up, Quark, your mom wears clothes.
Whenever I have to name a NPC really quickly, I look at my bookshelf.
>>43981170
>NECROMANCER, TELL US THE NAME OF YOUR GOD
>GM: uhhh, he tells you that.. his name is.. Shelfbok
>Steve, not again..
>>43977526
>stat up an archer ranger
>name him Bart Clinton
Find a fantasy name generator of the appropriate setting, find a name that works, and alter it until it is perfect.
I love coming up shit nicknames on the fly for gangers in shadowrun.
Two-shoes
Bright-eyes
two-names
new-shoes
Heel-hold
I really do not like the NounNoun or NounVerb names.
I just look at Wrestling and TV shows for names.
Just steal a first name here and a last name there.
Behindthename or random inspiration
>>43977526
I rip them wholesale from Dwarf Fortress and King of Dragon Pass.
>>43977663
I'm using mu'kus as the next curse word in my game.It may or may not be a racial slur
>>43977526
I usually just go with Jake Spacerunner.
>>43977526
I look up lists of name from whatever nationality I want the character to be associated with. I will also use google translate to make names that mean something in another language.
>>43977526
I use a different or slightly changed version of my own name
