Name Inspiration

[Desdichado]

I usually use generators or namelists. Currently, I'm getting a lot of use out of Provencal, Catalan and Romanian first names for a certain region of my campaign setting. They sound just familiar enough to be familiar, but just different enough from the Spanish, French or Italian versions you'd expect that they come alive a bit.

 

[barsoomcore]

If I have a gift, it's for names. My campaigns may not make much sense, they may not have many thrills or chills, but damn I've got some cool names.

Yuek Man Chong
Essermane Varag
Ky'in
Tushan Kal Kabbar
The Slave Queen of the Ruined City
Kimiko Torokan
Sulekar Ben Azan
Isabella del Maraviez
Sarkoja Sakashita
Gedak Gan, the Tyrant's Shade
Pavairelle
Yshaka
Shan Kos
Itzpapolotl

The list goes on. I use all the methods listed above. Plus IMDB. IMDB is a GREAT source of names. Find a Spanish movie, grab Spanish names. Czech, Japanese, Sri Lankan... it's all there for you.

 

[Immak Antunel]

One Word: Anagrams. I won't give any away, except that my username here is one. I'll even give you a hint- I'm majoring in philosophy, and he's pretty much the smartest one we've read (in my opinion).

 

[Roman]

One Word: Anagrams. I won't give any away, except that my username here is one. I'll even give you a hint- I'm majoring in philosophy, and he's pretty much the smartest one we've read (in my opinion).

That's so cool! I would never have guessed your name is an anagram of Immanuel Kant, but once you gave the - anagram/philosophy - it just hit me.

As to myself, most of the time I make up names from scratch. My runner up method is taking names from words in languages other than English - sometimes from my own language.

 

[Impeesa]

I've picked names up all over, but in a pinch I've been known to resort to the appendices of Return of the King. As-is, or scrambled a bit. Lots of great names there.

One Word: Anagrams. I won't give any away, except that my username here is one. I'll even give you a hint- I'm majoring in philosophy, and he's pretty much the smartest one we've read (in my opinion).

I'm pretty sure I kant figure it out, but being a comp sci/physics major, at least I can accurately tell you just how very little time that took. Interestingly enough, I wasn't too sure, until I read your hint.. then I got it right away.

--Impeesa--

 

[Wombat]

I bought a very useful book several years ago: A World of Baby Names

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-5401592-8208946?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

This book has names by various regions (also subdivided by gender), along with various diminutive and nickname forms. One of my favourite rpg additions.

 

[Immak Antunel]

That's so cool! I would never have guessed your name is an anagram of Immanuel Kant, but once you gave the - anagram/philosophy - it just hit me.

As to myself, most of the time I make up names from scratch. My runner up method is taking names from words in languages other than English - sometimes from my own language.

Would that be french? There's certainly plenty possibilities there, as a quick glance through my french/english dictionary shows. Russian works too, though I have to work at deciphering the alphabet sometimes. And I don't seem to be the only one using anagrams, as your username is clearly an inversion of Namor, the Submariner

 

[Andor]

I like to watch movie credits. There is no way my imagination could generate names as good as some the things people get called in real life. Exotic, clever, funny. I have a friend who got a character name straight from a movie credit. The name?

Richard Biggerstaff.

 

[Greylock]

Medieval Welsh, twisted and transmogrified. That's my personal preference.

 

[yennico]

I use Rel´s and Crothian´s method.