Naming conventions... or something

[Wanderlust]

I was wondering if anyone here might be able to point me in the direction of a site where I could find medieval names. I think that I once found a link here for medieval names according to country, which would be amazinly wonderful to get my hands on if any of you fine people know where it is.

One more thing, can anyone tell me the meaning to van/von that can be found in German names? Or any other such thing that might have been attached to a name for a purpose or meaning...?



Farewell,
Wanderlust

 

[scarymonkey]

A quick search on Google turned this up-

http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/

It looks very comprehensive.

 

[MarauderX]

http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/names/default.htm

I have a different download that I use all of the time to name NPCs easily (elves = celtic, humans = germanic, dwarves = nordic) but I can't seem to find it. I'll let you know when I do.

 

[Ciaran]

Here's a good source for names, as long as you're not concerned with their meanings:

http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/

 

[Fayredeth]

One more thing, can anyone tell me the meaning to van/von that can be found in German names? Or any other such thing that might have been attached to a name for a purpose or meaning...?

It's "from" or "of," kinda like how the "d'" part is used in "Joan d'Arc." I'm pretty sure that the "van" in names is used like that also.

 

[Bjorn Doneerson]

Other last name things I know of are:

-sen, or -son = son of (Whatever the word before it is)

If I remember correctly, Mac- = son of (Name that's after it), and O'- = grandson of.

-sky, -ski, -ska, (and other similar endings) signify that the person cannot properly spell toboggan. Sorry, but I'm a Sky-er myself, so its self-insulting humor.

Just to clear up any confusion, Bjorn Doneerson's a false name.

 

[WayneLigon]

Midieval Jewish Names
Medieval Russia -- Names and Naming Practices
Medieval Names Archive
Character Naming Resources

And of course you can't beat NetSerf

Another fantasy-oriented Writer's Resource ... Especially the Language Construction Kit

Many SCA sites should have some naming resources or links.

http://www.flick.com/onomastikon/ was a good resource, and for some time I was able to access parts of it's archive at The Wayback Machine but they seem to have fixed that bug. Or not. Keep trying it, at least, or try another everything-on-the-Net archive (if there is one). I at least got the chunks of it I needed for the project I was working on at the time.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

I can't remember whether its Van or Von or both, but I believe that Van/Von is added to a german name to denote "nobility"; its kind of like "Sir" in Britain. Can't remember if it denotes a particular standing, or if its just all nobility.

Anyway, its a pretty cool facet for a game where the PCs become landed gentry; Erky Timbers gets to become Erky Van Timbers, etc. (works better with germanic sounding names, but there you go...)

Interestingly I discovered that the appelation "Mr" used to be reserved for certain levels of standing in Britain; it was literally whe you went from being just a man to being a Gentleman. Another nice touch IMO...

 

[Wanderlust]

Great stuff you guys. Thanks a bunch!