How do you name your character?

[Kratos Bandua]

Naming characters can be real tough sometimes, and I kinda wanted to know if people had specific methods or just said "This sounds cool/edgy/japanese/cowboy-y/Gammoreany" and left it at that.

For me personally, Google translate is my broski. My writer account character (Anzag) means "Doom" in Hebrew(or Yiddish I can't remember which). Kratos Bandua comes from two different gods of war.

Future characters will be translated as well. Bonus points if you can guess the language and whatnot

So how'd y'all get your characters' names? (Pls don't say random word generators)

 

[Cory Yazz]

Random Word Generators....I win right....
Nah, I makum up, idk just go with the feeling I guess lol
[member="Kratos Bandua"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

Matsu was the name of the Scorpion in Jailhouse and Female Prisoner played by Meiko Kaji.
Ike is just the last name of one of the cooler Girl Boss Actresses in the Pinky Violence genre

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Basically my character's name (Darth Vornskr / Kaine Zambrano) came from two different sources.

His first name: Kaine; is a variant spelling of Cain, and was directly influenced by the titular Biblical character who murdered his brother Abel and was condemned by God to wonder the Earth with the Mark of Cain.

His last name: Zambrano; is a surname of Basque origins, and comes from the Spanish word soberano which in English translate to sovereign. This fits in with the motif I had when developing Kaine as a tyrannical monarch who rules over a society of warriors.

And with his Sith name: Darth Vornskr; I went with the route of Darth Krayt, and basically just chose an animal I liked for his Sith name. It seemed to work out fine

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Jak was based off of the eponymous game, and Sandrow I just made up literally in 30 seconds, when I joined.

 

[Darth Metus]

Ishmael is a name of biblical origin.

Verd is Mandalorian for "Warrior", chosen in my nub days when I didn't know a damn thing about Star Wars Extended Lore.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Stole another character's name from a book for the first name, translation to Egyptian for the last name. All my other characters are generally just made-up names with the exception of Lisette and Lily.

 

[Amz]

Babynames.com

 

[Veino Garn]

Star Wars name generators and then modifications until the sound of the word looks right.

 

[Saran Drast]

A lot of my names came from either "That sounds about right for the species" or the Galactic Campaign guide for the Star Wars Role-playing game. It has these tables in the back with names and percentile rolls to make random names for the core rulebook species (Bothan, human, Zabrak, Twi'lek, and a few others). I mostly picked a few out of there. That said:

Strask Ak'lya; 'Strask' means scholarly or educated in Bothan. Figured that fit the spy. Ak'lya is a name I've used for a while on Bothan characters, based on one of my first characters in the table top game. Ak are birds of prey on Bothuwai, and 'lya is a clan suffix for clan Alya. I think I made them the street rats of Bothuwai, though.

Grace Darkson; This is one of those that just sounded good to me. 'Grace' Is kinda a silly name for a Sith, but it amused me, so that's her name. And Darkson sounded like a good enough compound last name.

Saran Drast: Saran sounded cool, and I didn't realize it was spelled like the Saran wrap brand (I just pronounced it like the ME villain). Drast is a changed form of Draay, the name of the Jedi master(s) responsible for thee Jedi Covenant (and the related disaster).

Dalansa: I started with Dal and just added letters until it worked.

Anarya Drast: Anarya is a name I happened to like at the time. Not sure why (Pretty name, though)

Barkt Melan: I think Barkt looked close enough to other Bothan names, and Melan.... Well, it's ripped off a Bothan spymaster in canon. He changed the last name and dropped the clan suffix until he could redeem his family honor. I liked the idea and ran with it.

 

[Van Rolark]

Honestly, I just make them up. I sometimes use Google translate to create a name, I usually use latin and use a mixture of words, such as my character: Gravi'gor'attaque.

For this character, I took the Van from Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula and just typed a bunch of letters together to get Rolark.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Ishmael is a name of biblical origin.

I sense you holding back from a much more involved explanation of etymology and symbolism.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Kratos Bandua"]

I think of a descriptive word that sums up/is an important part of my character. Then, I take that word and I look up names that mean "so and so". This is how I came up with the name Bhaltair Dhimani. Don't be afraid to make something up completely, like Mirrikh, for it will actually sound more Star Warsy the less natural it seems. The earth name John Crichton is not so Star Warsy, even for Star Wars humans. Wedge Antilles is not really a name you'd expect to be called in this world. Add one or two silent letters. Say it over and over. Yell it at the top of your lungs like you're seeking revenge.

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSnfiUI54

If you like it, then good. All the haters can keep hating as long as you're feeling fine.

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Yeah, but then you find those websites that give you names like "Assault Strike, Biological Dynamo, Computer Chiller, Death Falcon, Hound Master, Indestructible Sapphire, Malachite Chopping, Trans Glow, and....Tree Grenade....." Why can't I stop laughing?

FREAKING "Robo Sham" WAS A CHOICE!

 

[Triampheus]

I slam random syllables together until it sounds vaguely sci-fi-ish. Then I try to find a 'weirder' spelling of that syllable (Like Kor instead of Cor, or Dea instead of Dia). Occasionally I'll use a random name generator or try and make the name actually mean something. Once in a blue moon I'll 'make a name up' only to find out that it's an actual name.

Oddly enough, the main time I remember this happening is with Drapeam Nyx. While I've never seen Drapeam be a thing, Nyx is actually the name of a Greek Goddess/physical embodiment of the night. I found that interesting, because, well, Drapeam is a stealthy force-user with strong (though they don't often show) maternal instincts, and Nyx is both the Goddess of the night and the mother of other Gods.

Yay for ca-winky-dinks.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jack Mirrikh"]

The one I use actually really well, without any of those.

http://www.dimfuture.net/starwars/random/generate.php

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Triampheus"]

Three Stooges reference. I like you.

Is that the Task Master from Marvel Comics in your sig?

Spoiler

 

[Jack Mirrikh]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Guy Sixxkiller...huh. Interesting random name.

 

[Shawn Withers]

Shawn was actually a name of a dear friend of mine and I have used it for this character because she is almost exactly like him. only a girl instead of a guy. *her story is nothing like his, but they act the same way*

Withers is just a name I came up with randomly. Some people just have good inspiration, and others don't. It just matters on the day I guess.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Jack Mirrikh"]

Shh. That's my next character.