Character Names - How Do You Come Up With Yours?

[smootrk]

Following a thread here on ENWorld, I started using names found in email spam messages. They are often quite appropriate for gaming... finally a use for all that crap in my inbox.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I actually like WotC's generators from the races books, but only as a jumping off point, never to randomly generate a name.

I also have lists made up for my campaign of common surnames and guidelines on first names, so making up NPCs works pretty well using that.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I'm surprised that this is only now an issue now that you're playing instead of DMing. As a player, I only need to come up with one name; as a DM, I need to come with dozens of new ones every few weeks, it seems.

For the most part, I don't have trouble coming up with names. On this particular occasion I was stumped. Also, a lot of the times when you have to come up with names for NPC's they are only in the campaign for a little bit so it doesn't matter if the name is average. For a PC I hope that they are going to stick around for a little bit so I want the name to be something that I think really suits the character.

Out of interest, I eventually came up with Terus Gemm as my human wizard's name. I got it from an online name generator that I came across. I generated a whole heap of useless names and was just about to give up on it when I came across a name that sounded similar to what I was after. I changed a couple of letters around and eventually ended up with Terus.

Olaf the Stout

 

[blargney the second]

I start by thinking of a horrible pun. The rest takes care of itself naturally.

 

[Lanefan]

Roll d30. First result is total number of letter rolls. Thereafter, use as follows;

Results 1-26 = Letters A - Z.

27 = Duplicate last letter.
28 = Culturally useful punctuation mark.
29-30 = End of word.

I have a similar, though somewhat more elaborate, table for the same thing. If stuck for a PC name, I use it.

For NPC's when DMing, I try to come up with something more fitting than the random table will give me...sometimes I get stuck and come up instead with things like Elnoc; this stands for Expendable Lawful Neutral Osiris Cleric, which is all he was.

Oh, and there's 30-sided dice out there (I *think* Advancing Hordes sells 'em) with 26 sides being A-Z and the other 4 being "wild", for just this sort of thing.

Lanefan

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I get names from books, movies, songs, legends, puns, and simply making them up from databases & spreadsheets containing all kinds of words like "thorn" "black" "steel" etc. Sometimes I try translating things into different languages, or anagrams. I use baby-name books, phone books, and other books of names as well (like the one by Paul Dickson http://www.pauldicksonbooks.com/ ).

I also find inspiration in product names, especially in food-supplements, vitamins & pharmaceuticals: Klor-con, a Potassium supplement, became "Klor Khan", Half-Orc Bounty Hunter (Ranger). Astelin would be perfect for a mage of some kind, and Claretin sounds like a city to me...and what about "Xanex the Destroyer?" All you need is a PDR (Physician's Desk Reference)- you should be able to find an older edition (containing thousands of meds) at a half-price book store.

I've even used mechanical randomizers to make names up, like a bag of Scrabble tiles.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Generally speaking, I use real names from historical cultures or mythology. Some of them sound weird, some of them sound like they could be names of people alive today.

Franklin Castle (I had not remembered the Punisher, and luckily no-one else did), Savard Ormorand, Kasimira Margolin, Nicolai Malaxa, Hafiz al-Tahir, Athasius Varrow.

The last genuinely made-up name I used for any length of time was made up by Ambrose Bierce, adopted by Robert W. Chambers, and made famous by H. P. Lovecraft and his circle: Carcosa.

When I create characters in games like World of Warcraft, too, I do the same: Ascanius, Catilina, Licinia, Osric, Tezcatlipoca, Coatlicue, Camaxtli, Nochaya.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I like to make my own, but I also like Gygax's book of names and the free Dragonsfoot Books of Names

 

[Monstrosity]

I use long words and cut off a few letters. Kazakhstan becomes Kazhan, good for some fancy wizard with a big hat. Dissimulate becomes Dimle, a fancy gnome with a big hat. Obstreperous becomes Ostros, a fancy... you get the idea.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Most PC names I got from films, comics and novels, although often the names are modified a bit. The only exception to that 'rule' was the name for my elven assassin (called Derxenatikellis) that was self-made.
For NPCs, I use a name generator, or, if it is an important NPC, I use the sources mentioned above.