Character Naming

Imperator

So, how do the fine folk here at BG forums name their characters? Do you have a list of names available for call, or do you just come up with them on the spot? Maybe it is a combination of profane arithmetics with the position of the planets and the stars?
Me, I use both, as I have (short) list of names for certain character types, and have to make new ones when the list fails me (the stress, THE STRESS!)
For a paladin (or possibly fighter) I use Thorgraine, as it such a bloody strong and masculine name, fit for a guy like me.
Sneaky characters usually go with Ahriman, after the personification of evil on Zoroastrianism.
Magic users are called Vanderghast. I didn't remember that D&D had a wizard named Vangerdahast before coming up with it, but I like my undead Dutchman too much to care.
A dwarf is always called Beorn Skullsplitter, because dwarves (duh).
A monk or otherwise eastern character is Xander Oda (nothing to do with Buffy).
A recent contestant for a permanent position in my name list is Caldeus Xers, occupation whatever-the-hell-he-wants, 'cos people with X's on their names are too cool for school.
Feel free to post your charnames so I can stea... I mean be inspired by them to create my own.
And yes, there probably already is a thread like this, but I didn't find it, so, here.

ChildofBhaal599

Well if I am male I usually use my own name. As a female I think to other games and stories. I am terrible at thinking of names.

EntropyXII

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/18404/whats-in-a-name#latest

You might be interested in this thread I started a month or so ago. Things on this forum are difficult to find/navigate for whatever reason - or so i'm told.

For inspiration try using EBoN's big book of names. It helps me!

atcDave

I'm a long time fan of mythology; Classical, Arthurian, Carolingian, so I used to always take mythic names that reminded me of the character I had just created. In recent years, I've started modifying those names some, just changing a letter or syllable.
Occasionally, I'll create a character inspired from some other source; book, movie, television. Then I'll just use or modify the name of the original.

Mathmick

1. Come up with a random bunch of syllables.
2. Append end of name with 'a' if female or 'n' if male.
3. Tidy up spelling etc.
4. Retry if you dislike.

mrdeluxe

When male, I use a variation of my own (Ricardo): Rikard.
When male, but evil, I do an ananym of the name (just like Koveras): Drakir.
When female, I use a variation of my girlfriend's.

Simple.

Lapa

My characters names are usually stupid and simple. My imagination is so poor that I like to name my characters Porridge, Wet Shit, Mightymage and so on... It doesn't bother me if the name is not elegant. Game is still the same.

ChildofBhaal599

Lapa said:

My characters names are usually stupid and simple. My imagination is so poor that I like to name my characters Porridge, Wet Shit, Mightymage and so on... It doesn't bother me if the name is not elegant. Game is still the same.

Lol I would kill myself if I was named wet shit

IkMarc

I personally, and probably many people, dig through Wikipedia for hours..

franco

I had a fantastic Abyssinian cat once who was much loved and his name was Taro (Japanese). He was impressive and resembled a much larger jungle cat. Sometimes I will take his name and use it as part of my male hero, like Tarozon.

mrdeluxe

franco said:

I had a fantastic Abyssinian cat once who was much loved and his name was Taro (Japanese). He was impressive and resembled a much larger jungle cat. Sometimes I will take his name and use it as part of my male hero, like Tarozon.

Yep, I use pets names as well: Nazka and Karkow, the name of my last two dogs. And before I played BG1 I actually used Khalid a lot, as well!

CoM_Solaufein

I use mythology also. I also use Germanic and Scandinavian names as well.

atcDave said:

I'm a long time fan of mythology; Classical, Arthurian, Carolingian, so I used to always take mythic names that reminded me of the character I had just created. In recent years, I've started modifying those names some, just changing a letter or syllable.
Occasionally, I'll create a character inspired from some other source; book, movie, television. Then I'll just use or modify the name of the original.

ZanathKariashi

I just use names from my book series. Roleplaying the characters in different settings helps create a more concrete portrait of their personality and level of ability, and makes it much easier to write them consistently without inadvertently resorting to as strong as they need to be, power as the plot demands, etc etc, a bunch of other tropes that I dislike unless they're handle VERY well.


(I tend to use the high customization of 3.5 to make exactly the character I want, then use it as a framework so that I can keep an accurate representation of what the character can do, relative to other characters in the series, and has worked quite well so far). (it's not actually a DnD series though, rather generic fantasy, I just like having believable and consistent results, which are easy to F up if you don't have a meter to judge them by).

HoboJoe0858

I have a set group of names that I use for characters that has been built up for a while. I made a character in BG2 way before I ever played BG1 named Alora, and when I went through BG1 with that character "Oh hey look, there is an Alora in this game whom is also a thief."

SwordsNotWords

I usually go on www.behindthename.com and search by meaning for a word I most associate with my character then pick the name I think suits them the best; I usually pick non-(modern)-English names to match the fantasy setting of BG.

Via this method my current Black Pits party consists of Ylva the shapeshifter, Aedelred the Dwarven Defender, Tien the Barbarian, Ninian the Priest of Helm, Pyrrhus the Dragon Disciple and Nimue the Illusionist/Thief.

Imperator

SwordsNotWords said:

Pyrrhus the Dragon Disciple

Ooh, I sense foreshadowing here.

And thanks for EBoN and behindthename.com, these should come in handy.

Klorox

I base names off of old PnP (and some other sources) characters:

Klorox Hillcleaver: dwarf fighter
Kilmor Kachata: dwarf berserker
Kilona Hillcleaver: F dwarf barbarian/cleric (I don't know how I'd recreate her in BG)
Jaq: elf F/M/T or bard (Jaq sounds like "Jack" as in, "of all trades...)
Beornhelm: big human warrior-type
Gnick O'Thyme: gnome F/Ill
Gnorman: gnome C/Ill
Gnancy: gnome C/T
Brother Maynard: half elf C/R
Shadowdancer: any elf with Thief in there
Silverleaf: elf ranger
Mythrandir: sorcerer
Dalamar: sorcerer
Reis: Dragon Disciple (FFT)
Ramza: human fighter with the ability to dual class, but I don't have a set plan for party yet (used in hardcore, no reload runs)
Agrias: F Paladin
Tetsui: Monk

Cheesebelly

I just toss in the letters and the names comes out, like for instance :

Aughbourne - Half Elven Fighter/Thief

CoM_Solaufein

In my mod that deals with dwarves you will find a lot of Norse and Germanic names for the characters. Also some Tolkien.

Awong124

I generally use my name or variations on my name by changing some of the letters.

Kaltzor

I suppose I could throw here the fact that most of my Dwarf PCs carry out the name Boozebeard.

Necdilzor

Please, I rarely make it out of the new character creation process. I just can't think of a name! And most of the names I think of don't sound right, to me, for my character. That's why sometimes I'm a lazy bastard and just use Necdilzor. (Took me time to get that nick too hehe)

Klorox

Almost forgot Knuckles the Halfling F/T!

LadyEibhilinRhett

I study names and their etymologies in my free time, both real world and from several fantasy settings. Sometimes I like to mix and match roots and come up with my own name, or just make up something that sounds good. But when I'm not feeling up to that I always have my huge list of names I've found that I really like to fall back on.

I think some of my favorite names I've used for characters before (some are made up, some are real names) are- Eibhilin, Xelian, Hildegard Cae, Adarsi, Miraen, Ellis, Keadyn, and Caladhel.