Best fantasy names in literature

[Sacrosanct]

I am currently reading Terry Brooks' Galaphile that just came out, and while the book itself isn't that great, it reminded me of something. How Terry Brooks is so good at coming up with fantasy names (Flick notwithstanding).

Panamon Creel, Stee Jans, Garet Jax, Keltset, Walker Boh, Meantwrog, Mwellret, Jachyra, etc.

To me, Tolkien's names all sound the same, making it harder to keep track of who was who. George Martin is even worse since he reused the same name over and over.

Who are some of your favorite authors in the context of their names?

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I actually like George RR Martin. Many of his names feels real and believable. There's often a consistency to me as they follow some loose patterns. It's true that in certain parts (namely the Targaryen family and the kings) the same name comes up often, just like they do in most real royal families. But the vast majority of the POV or main characters do not share a name with anyone.

The examples that you give (I haven't read Galaphile) fit Sci-fi universes in my mind, where I don't mind names being a little bit out there, or following no exact patterns. But they really do not feel fantasy to me. I have no real supporting points, it's really just a matter of feeling and preference.

My preference generally goes to naming that is rooted in real history, languages or cultures and slightly tweaked to have a hint of difference.

 

[Clint_L]

Big fan of some of William Gibson's names/nicknames: Molly Millions, Automatic Jack, Count Zero, etc.

 

[Dioltach]

Joe Abercrombie has some excellent names for the grimdark sword & sorcery genre. Names that you can actually imagine people being called as they scrape the dung from their boots. Logen Ninefingers, Caul Shivers, Shy South, Curnden Craw, Shev and Javre. Even Sand dan Glokta and Jezal dan Luthar.

I can usually get on board with most names, as long as they don't consists purely of As, AEs, Xs, THs and Ys. And no apostrophes. There was a time in the nineties when it seemed like every turd farmer had to be called Asthae'yala'aex or something. And there was a law against using Os and Us in names.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Glen Cook's The Black Company works with these bold names. Croaker, Raven, The Lady, Soulcatcher, Silent, The Limper, etc. Combined with the scant details you generally get about how the characters look, they still somehow manage to be so evocative.

I am currently reading Terry Brooks' Galaphile that just came out, and while the book itself isn't that great, it reminded me of something. How Terry Brooks is so good at coming up with fantasy names (Flick notwithstanding).

Panamon Creel, Stee Jans, Garet Jax, Keltset, Walker Boh, Meantwrog, Mwellret, Jachyra, etc.

To me, Tolkien's names all sound the same, making it harder to keep track of who was who. George Martin is even worse since he reused the same name over and over.

Who are some of your favorite authors in the context of their names?

Terry Brooks' names seem like they're just whatever sounds cool, as compared to Tolkien's deep linguistic grounding. But they do sound cool.

Big fan of some of William Gibson's names/nicknames: Molly Millions, Automatic Jack, Count Zero, etc.

The Finn is perhaps one of the greatest pairings of a character with a name.

 

[Clint_L]

Of course, no discussion of great names in English language literature can be complete without acknowledging the master, Charles Dickens:

Uriah Heep
Mr. Pumblechook
Mrs. Havisham
Oliver Twist
Martin Chuzzlewit
Charity Pecksniff
Ebenezer Scrooge
etc.

And while we're at it, Roald Dahl:
Augustus Gloop
Charlie Bucket
Willy Wonka
Violet Beauregard
Matilda Wormwood
Mrs. Trunchbull
Felicity Fox
etc.

Edit: and since I did Dickens, have to shout out Barbara Kingsolver's updated, Appalachian homage to the master in her characters for Demon Copperhead:
Damon "Demon Copperhead" Fields (obviously)
"Maggot" Peggot
"Hammerhead" Kelly
Coach Winfield
Agnes "Angus" Winfield
Murrel "Stoner" Stone
Nance Peggot
Fast Forward
Tommy Waddell
etc.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just using a Dickens name generator in your fantasy RPG games -- especially urban games -- does so much to set a certain tone.

 

[billd91]

Of course, no discussion of great names in English language literature can be complete without acknowledging the master, Charles Dickens:

Uriah Heep
Mr. Pumblechook
Mrs. Havisham
Oliver Twist
Martin Chuzzlewit
Charity Pecksniff
Ebenezer Scrooge
etc.

George Bernard Shaw is also a good namer. Examples include:
Mr. Sartoius
Lickcheese
Roebuck Ramsden
Mendoza
Bluntschli
Dr. Blenkinsop
Redpenny
Admiral Sir Bemrose Hotspot
Sir Dexter Rightside

 

[Sacrosanct]

Terry Brooks' names seem like they're just whatever sounds cool,

Which makes sense, since he said that if he sees a cool word out in his travels, he adjusts it to put in a book as a name

 

[Joshua Randall]

E.R. Eddison alternates between amazing names and silly ones with almost no in between

Amazing:
Gorice XI and his immediate successor, Gorice XII
Koshtra Pivrarcha (a mountain peak)
Queen Sophonisba

Silly:
Brandoch Daha
Goldry Bluszco

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Jack Vance has way too many to list, but these are my favorites.

Rhialto
Skirl Hutsenreiter
Pandelume
Jubal Droad
Emphyrio
Attel Malagate