What's in a name?

[Ulysses]

William Shakespeare was an idiot. Blabla, a rose would smell as sweet by any other name, blabla, whatever whatever, but names do actually matter! A lot! So how do you come up with names for your characters?

That's exactly the problem I always have, and it's one that's plaguing me pretty hard at the moment. I'm making a new character, and I'm halfway done with her profile and still...no name. I can continue using 'blank' instead of her name up until a certain point, but this is just getting ridiculous.

I guess I have an easier time naming characters that aren't in fantasy settings, and that is probably because I'm flat out terrible at inventing names. I've tried random name generators but I haven't been really pleased with the results. So is it a terrible faux pas if I just give my character a normal english name? On the other hand, she is a goblin, so that just sounds stupid. Gah!

Anyway, I'm just curious what people have to say on the subject of names in general, since this is giving me some trouble right now. Thoughts?

[Alydia Ettermire]

Well, in your case, I'd look through the Dungeons and Dragons guides for Orc names, maybe twist them a little bit. I think it would be more fitting for your character than an English name.

[Duffy]

Given the nature of the Innari, investigate combinations of Native American, Russian, or heavy consonant based names reflecting nature or the sky - the sea, too.

[Max Dirks]

Max Dirks was the name of a weather spotter in Scotch Grove, Iowa. I humbly stole the name.

[Ulysses]

I dunno if I really want a stereotypically evil-sounding name, though. I've been looking at Native American names, actually, so it's interesting that Duffy recommended that.

And LOL seriously? That is pretty weird. XD

[The International]

Every name in Vepsasian's family is of French origin or influence. I chose the last name Villeneuve because I wanted people to get a hint of 'villain' when they read the name. Despite all the good things they have done and will do, I want people to know that the family is completely amoral (not immoral. there's a difference), and that they have done (and will do) very bad things. They never do anything because it's right or wrong.

[Alydia Ettermire]

I recommended Orc names because they tend to have a harsher sound, much like I imagine a Goblin name would.

After all, I got the name Alydia from a Drow name generator, and I'd like to think it doesn't sound evil, despite the way the race is portrayed in literature. (Aly- "song" for Carmen (which means poem) and -dia "thief". I'd like to think Ettermire is self-explanatory.)

[Ulysses]

Vepsasian does sound vaguely villainous. I feel like names with a lot of S's tend to seem sneaky somehow, I don't know. But that's very interesting.

That's true, WitW, but I don't think I really want a harsh sounding name. I suppose that is stereotypically goblinesque, but I kind of want a prettier sounding name for this character, partially because it's not what you would expect. I don't know, does that make sense?

I was thinking maybe "Nayeli"? That has sort of a nice ring to it.

[Nayeli]

I decided on Nayeli after all :3 idk if that's a good name or not, I'm bad at picking names. But I think it fits...

[Duffy]

Annoyingly, despite me sending you the draft for the Innari, you appear to know my own race better then me!

Love the name too :D

[Golaz]

Name generators.

[Nayeli]

Name generators are good, but they don't come up with stuff I'm 100% happy with most of the time. Generally the name I pick from a generator will be OK, but then I'll regret it later when I think of a better, more fitting one. That's just my experience, though.

[Slavegirl]

I typically find a language that has a sound I like (Hungarian for harsh strange names for example) or that has a similar culture or climate to where my character is from. Natalya is from Berevar which made me think of Siberia so she has a Russian name (actually named after a girl I knew in college). All the names I came up with when I wrote Fallien were based off of Sanskrit and related languages.

[Haro Hailblade]

now I'm no expert on goblins or orcs, intact I'm better with angels and draconians, but I guess that Greshash would be a good name for a goblin that is not what you would expect.