Looking for a Steampunk character name

[Matchstick]

I'm looking for a name for a steampunk character I'm creating. I really want the name to scream steampunk. I want people that have only vaguely heard of steampunk to see the name and think "that's a steampunk character".

The charater is female and non-mechanical. She wears blades on her wrists to fight with. Trench coat, classic steampunk spikey hair with goggles on the forehead.

I've seen some of the character generators, and gotten some good ideas, but what it is that makes a STEAMPUNK name to you? Should I be looking at a title before the name (Miss, Mme, Lady, Baroness)? Something mechanical sounding (Gearwell, Cogsworthy)?

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Pbartender]

I'm looking for a name for a steampunk character I'm creating. I really want the name to scream steampunk. I want people that have only vaguely heard of steampunk to see the name and think "that's a steampunk character".

The charater is female and non-mechanical. She wears blades on her wrists to fight with. Trench coat, classic steampunk spikey hair with goggles on the forehead.

I've seen some of the character generators, and gotten some good ideas, but what it is that makes a STEAMPUNK name to you? Should I be looking at a title before the name (Miss, Mme, Lady, Baroness)? Something mechanical sounding (Gearwell, Cogsworthy)?

Thanks for any ideas!

It's more than just titles or mechanically sounding stuff, though...

For example, my wife recently made a pulp character (the naming conventions should be fairly similar for steampunk, since very often steampunk can be considered Victorian Age pulp) for a Spirit of the Century game. Together, we came up with the name Penelope Dreadful for her character. The character, of course, went by the nickname "Penny".

Penny Dreadful would be a perfectly suitable name for your character, I think.

Spirit of the Century has some good advice on naming characters:

Pulp names can be like any kind of name, but there is usually a particular cadence to them. The most common model is a short first name and a last name which is also a word (usually a noun or adjective, but sometimes a proper noun will be a good fit). This allows for simple, resonant names like “Drake Devlin”, “Maggie Honor”, “Jack Stone”, and so on.

More “normal” names are fine too, but in the world of Pulp, they suggest a bit of removal from the action. Such names are more appropriate if your character also has an alias (a la Lamont Cranston and The Shadow) or is intentionally cultivating an aristocratic air.​

It's that rolling off the tongue cadence that you're looking for, more than anything else.

 

[Umbran]

I've seen some of the character generators, and gotten some good ideas, but what it is that makes a STEAMPUNK name to you?

An emphasis on the Victorian time period and pulpiness.

 

[Deset Gled]

Steampunk Jane

Stormy McRatchet

Aqua Heattech

 

[Matchstick]

Good stuff!

So maybe one thing would be to go with Victoria as a first name. Not Vicky, Victoria. That would place the character pretty solidly in a Victorian time frame (through association if no other way). Doesn't hurt that I like that name!

So then we go to cadence, which I like as a concept. Victoria Blake has cadence, Victoria Smith has less. Victoria Tinker has none. Victoria Cogswell has cadence, Victoria Askew has a bit, Victoria Baker has none.

I can't think of any other "V" words that would work for that alliterative last name. What about some classic Victorian last names from lit? Victoria Holmes, Victoria Watson, Victoria Tesla? Victoria Fogg doesn't grab me, but Vicky Fogg has a good ring. Victorial Peel has a good sound, and might subtly bring to mind the redoubtable Emma.

Ooo, how about Victoria Swan? I like that. Miss Victoria Swan?

Lots to think about here!

 

[Mallus]

Lady Jane Dhalgren. Maybe the "Lady" part should be in scare quotes.

It's an obscure pun, BTW. In Samuel Delany's classic non-steampunk novel Dhalgren, the street punks wear wrist blades (nicknamed "orchids").

 

[Matchstick]

Lady Jane Dhalgren. Maybe the "Lady" part should be in scare quotes.

It's an obscure pun, BTW. In Samuel Delany's classic non-steampunk novel Dhalgren, the street punks wear wrist blades (nicknamed "orchids").

Oh, I'm all about obscure references! Maybe I could use Orchid as well? Maybe I should look up wrist blades and see if there's anything else like that!

I'm off on an "Amelia" kick. I love Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody character, so I'm working on possible surnames for an Amelia now.

Way too much time on my hands!

 

[Mallus]

I'm off on an "Amelia" kick.

If you're going with Amelia, consider swapping the wrist blades for a "Tesla Cannon in the 40W range".

That way her nickname could be "The Ameliorator".

Did I mention I like puns?

 

[Krensky]

The only female name that screams steampunk to me is Ada Lovelace. Other then that, any name appropriate to the Victorian, Old West, or Guilded Age.

Then again, I'm a traditionalist.

 

[Pbartender]

Here's another thought... Must the name be British-sounding?

What about something like Amélie L'Enfant?

Or Victoria Delafilo?