How much thought do you give names?

[STARP_Social_Officer]

OK, here's another one.
When you're naming your PCs or your NPCs, how much thought do you put into the name? Do you pick something that sounds good, do you try to make it culturally appropriate, do you reference popular culture, do you make the name 'mean' something?

I tend to give a little bit of thought to it depending on what character I'm making. Often times I pick a name that's appropriately "RPG-ey" but is obviously a reference to something else. In a recent Steampunk campaign, I played a gunslinger with the name "Lauden of the East Wood". I also played him with a very Spaghetti Western Clint attitude (and voice), but it worked. My current character in our cops campaign is called Ricky Weismueller. I chose it because it sounded vaguely TV Cop. Of course, for some reason I started doing a Southern accent (Southern USA, that is) when I was running him, which caused hilarity. "From the 'ole Weismueller plantation," another player quipped.

I once played a halfling bard called Wilbert T. Slybones. I never revealed what the "T" stood for, but I had privately decided it stood for "Tiberius", referencing everybody's favourite Captain.

Of course, sometimes I pick names 'cos they sound good. It varies.

What about thee?

 

[Blood Jester]

It has to sound appropriate to the character, and I try to have it "mean" something significant to their backstory, personality, and "character"; as well as matching campaign world as much as I can.
Usually I use a single other language, but will mix languages when needed. (Which takes ample advantage of the internet as a research tool.)

P.S. - I am usually disappointed by how little interest others have in a character's full name.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I don't like coming up with names, but feel compelled to show regional consistency when doing so. It's... ugly.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I don't put a lot of effort into names, and rarely come up with last names unless the character is supposed to be minor nobility. The vast majority of the names I choose start with K... not sure why....

 

[Jeysie]

I love dreaming up names for characters. I usually either crack a baby names book and pick out names that have appropriate meanings and sound good (like Sophia Ayudant for the adventuring company's secretary I once played), or are a mix of relevant references (like Ada Babbage for an engineer I'm currently playing).

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[Doug McCrae]

Names are important to me, especially in superhero games. First and foremost they have to sound good. Unless they're deliberately created not to sound good.

I like superhero names to be appropriate to the era. For example -

Golden Age: Captain Atlantis, Nitroman, The Skull, Johnny Satan
Silver Age: Herculad, Superhero X, Stellarina, ESP Maiden
Iron Age: Syanide, Organik, Totem, Venus Deluxe

 

[Graybeard]

The names I come up with are appropriate for the country/kingdom they are from and must sound good. If they are minor NPCs then I'm not as careful with naming them.

 

[Desdichado]

I care a lot about names, although I'm not above a poorly disguised pun on occasion. When DMing I take it very seriously for the NPCs to give them regional consistency and stuff like that. I also despise ---DESPISE--- kennings for names. Especially if they're really bad ones. A rogue with a last name of Stickyfingers or something. Why the heck isn't everyone in town keeping their eye on Stickyfingers after all?

 

[krissbeth]

I've been on a names-with-meaning kick lately.

Kali Merritt Llyr -- First name: Death & destruction (most of her loved ones have died). Middle: Boundary gate (has to do with her "Don't touch me!" personality). Last name: Welsh god of the sea (her moods and personality are all over the place). Undercover alias: Branwen (Daughter of Llyr).

Maeve oFaolain -- First name: Intoxicating, also the name of a Celtic goddess and queen in the Ulster Cycle who would change into the form of a wolf to protect her people (my character is a druid). Last name: Wolf (duh).

Dior Ava Schafer -- First name: Golden or present (she's a bard, it had to be flashy). Middle name: From different origins, it has meanings of "sound," "desired" and "to breathe" (bard). Last name: Shepard (her family was a bunch of sheep herders).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As the DM, I give a lot of thought to names. I create charts of ethnic surnames and guidelines on given names, and use those when it comes time to create a new character. You can find one such list -- of Prustan surnames -- at the Delver's Square Web site.