Fantasy Names

[Darth K'Trava]

If she's a Heywood, then how about Patricia Capulet Heywood? (Patricia Heywood was the actress who played The Nurse in the Zeffirelli made "Romeo and Juliet".)

At least she won't have any of the names my wife saw people give their babies when she was a candystriper. Like Ophelia Rump, or Neva Seener.

Hey - also, you might want to look at the General RPG Discussion thread "Character Names from Popular Music" - it might be neat to have a name from a song.

I heard one time about the African American woman who named her daughter "Vagina".... She didn't know what the word meant and thought it sounded good..... :\ Hence, make sure you know what a name MEANS first!! Saves the embarrassment later on, especially when said child enters school and the rest of the class hears the name.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

A better transliteration would be Dike. Its not only a Kappa, its a hard "k" sound

Dike is the sister of Eunomia (good order) and Irene (Peace) and the daughter of Themis.

But it has negative slang connotations.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I heard one time about the African American woman who named her daughter "Vagina".... She didn't know what the word meant and thought it sounded good..... :\ Hence, make sure you know what a name MEANS first!! Saves the embarrassment later on, especially when said child enters school and the rest of the class hears the name.

Hey, that comes from the same list of racially offensive legends as the girl named FUH-MAH-LEE because the hospital picked the name (spelled Female). Unfortunately, Snopes has documented these Urban Legends to actually have occurred though

 

[Rystil Arden]

But it has negative slang connotations.

Really? Didn't know that. I thought it was like an earthen embankment? And anyway, that's pronounced DEYEK. The name Dike is appropriately pronounced DEYE-KEE

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Some generic advice (some from having read a lot of baby name books for character name ideas, others from having friends with children with oddly spelled names):

First, remember that a strange name or strange spelling will almost guarantee that your child will never find one of those items with standard names imprinted on them (e.g., mugs, refidgerator magnets, etc.) unless you pick a strange name that reduces to a common nickname that they'll use (e.g., Samwise -> Sam). In some ways, the common nickname with uncommon long name gives you the best of both words. Just make sure that the nickname is easy to derive from the unusual name (i.e., is based on the stressed syllable).

::raises hand:: The name I go by has NEVER been on one of those things! My first name is, but I don't go by that one at all (unless it's one coworker who can't pronounce my name at all and the district jackass manager).

Third, if you pick a name that isn't easy to spell or pronounce, your child is forever going to be having to tell people how to spell their name or pronounce it.

I'm so used to it that I'm automatically doing it whenever I give my name.... :\ It does get tiresome.

Fourth, we recently had a case where a database reverse a person's name because it wasn't clear which name was the person's last name. Pick a first name that sounds like a first name, not a last name, especially if the child will have a last name that sounds like a first name.

Don't pick one that can be made into something crude when a letter of each name is rearranged. I have a friend who's kindergarten teacher switched the first letter of her first name and last name: he came up with Pera Titts.... She dropped her last name rather quickly when she got married!

Fifth, picture your daughter having the name you give her as a 20 year-old, a 40 year-old, a 60 year-old, and and 80 year-old woman. Some names sound really cute on little girls but sound really odd on older women.

The best thing here is to pick a name that can go along with other surnames as most women usually drop their last name when they marry. I find it hard that if I get married, about how my name would sound with a different surname and have yet to found one that would "flow"...

Seventh, in the United States, the way the parent spells the name at the child's birth is the way the child's name will be spelled on their birth certificate and become their legal name. Since the mother is usually recovering from the birth, that spelling often falls on the father. I know of at least two cases where the father fumbled the spelling from what the mother intended. If that's the case where you are, then make sure that you write the name down and give a copy to the father or other relatives that are there for the birth, so if they are filling out the paperwork, you get the spelling that you want.

And I've heard of mistakes being made on the part of the person who types up the birth certificate...
And this is especially so in the case of unusual names. I've heard rather strange names from the African American community when they name their kids. Makes my naming characters look rather "normal".... And I have several people who have to ask for spelling as none are normal names that you'd find in the real world, or at least I've not heard of them...

 

[Darth K'Trava]

My nephew's name is from Arthurian legend; Tristan. Of course a year or so after he was born EVERYONE started naming their kids Tristan, even the girls.
For some reason everyone around here seems to automatically assume it's a girl's name. Possibly because it rhymes with Kristin, but more likely because this is sort of an intellectual dead zone around here...
My niece's name is Madison; also named before the 'girls-named-Madison craze'. My sister physically beats on anyone who attempts to call her "Maddie".

Eilonwy is a nice one. She's from the Black Cauldron (Chronicles of Prydain).

That'd be a kewl guy's name. I like "Tristan" and I've only heard it referring to guys. Another I like, and used for a character name (swiping from someone else's character), is Kendrik. (but not together with "Tristan". The character's name was Kendrik Larsen).

 

[Darth K'Trava]

If you want a simple, real-world name that has a bit of a fantasy sound to it, I doubt you could go wrong with Celeste. It sort of rolls off the tongue.

Or Celestine

But I'm hardly the person to speak with on this topic. I'm firmly in the, "GIVE THE KIDS A FRIGGIN NORMAL NAME ALREADY!!!" camp.

Being one with an unusual name and being around alot of people who name their kids weird names and naming my characters weird names, I'd say go for something interesting....


My characters (all female):
Rozhena (my fav and also the name I chose for our pirate group! )
Valsherina
Shadarra

Those would be ones that could be chosen for a kid's name real quick on my list!

For guys, I'd go for:

Wilhelm
Kendrik
I'd say "Richard" but I know waaay too many "Richards" right now....
Keldaren (a remote possibility, waaaay out there if I really ran outta ideas...)

Those are all names I'd chosen for characters I've played. Wilhelm was a backup character and brother to Kendrik. Their last name? Tallen'drel.

Most have rather "mundane" last names.

 

[Rystil Arden]

That'd be a kewl guy's name. I like "Tristan" and I've only heard it referring to guys. Another I like, and used for a character name (swiping from someone else's character), is Kendrik. (but not together with "Tristan". The character's name was Kendrik Larsen).

So when you hear Tristan and _____, do you think "Robyn!" instead of "Iseult!" ?

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Originally Posted by Gentlegamer
A friend has twin daughters named Blossom and Buttercup . . .

And is pregnant with Bubbles? I hope they never have a boy - neither Mojo Jojo or Neutronium strike me as names a kid should have to go through life with.

Maybe Dexter, though....

Hell with it! I'll just name a kid "Obi-Wan".... or "Mace Windu"... LONG before I'd name one "Buttercup" or "Blossom".....

Or DeeDee.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

So when you hear Tristan and _____, do you think "Robyn!" instead of "Iseult!" ?

Nope.

I think more along the line of the Kendrik Larsen character that a guy from Australia wrote up the story of his game campaign, which centered around this character. I've read about Tristan Kendrick" but not enough to associate it that much.