fantasy names - Writers Forum

muchhiker526 · 02-24-2006, 06:18 PM

Here's a tip when tryng to find non-traditional fantasy names . Look in an an atlas or encyclopedia and reverse interesting words.

example: angola-Alogan ( I didnt reverse it exactly but it turns out a fair name)

suggestions and critiqus are welcome!

Thanks!

TSMaloy · 02-24-2006, 06:44 PM

Here's a tip:
Take "normal" names and substitute some letters.
Examples:
Samantha = Samentha
Nathen = Naihen

Sorry, those are the only examples you get, can't have my charecters' names showing up in other books!

Rob · 02-25-2006, 10:23 AM

Both are good tips, thanks.

Omni

Aztecsfinest · 02-26-2006, 07:46 AM

Take names from certain books and add a letter or more to make it sound and look like something you created!

bambie1984 · 02-27-2006, 06:47 PM

For me I, sometimes just say a word that looks like it's from another language. Example; Enik. She started out as Enok, then E'nk, before I settled on Enik. And by the way, that's MY character

Anteresi · 03-02-2006, 09:34 AM

http://rinkworks.com/namegen/ Try that link. It's more fun than actually a writing advice, but if you REALLY lack inspiration...

Straylight · 03-02-2006, 09:41 AM

I always wondered... what's wrong with using actual names in a fantasy novel? I mean, there are enough cultures out there to find a name that matches what you're looking for, so why make something up?

Mind you, I write fantasy, so this isn't completely a hypothetical/rhetorical question ;p.

~SL

Anteresi · 03-02-2006, 10:10 AM

Funnily enough, I never asked myself that question.

Personally I don't make my fantasy names up (cause I'm writing a fantasy novel too), but I search Gaelic and/or Greek names...which exist.

But create names...

Inspiration ? Freedom ? Egocentrism ?

FloridaJay · 03-02-2006, 01:34 PM

I always liked using everyday household nouns for proper character names.

Josef Book studied the scroll, his hands shaking with excitement.

Fish of Floringale introduced me to her sister and her sister's sister.

Tyber Bowl snuck around the bustling market.

The man, or creature from the look of things,who was known as Table smiled and bowed.

I've seen that done plenty of times in books. Works for me.

Titania · 03-02-2006, 08:26 PM

Lol FloridaJay...

I always like using original or unusual names just because then a person doesn't have the same name as a character. My general rule is unusual, but easily pronouncable/spellable... and I've done the backwards thing before, but you sometimes have to alter the spelling a bit. One of the countries in my novel is Eremselle, which is Ellesmere backwards.

Oracle · 03-04-2006, 10:08 AM

I make my names up, but I always make sure they're easy to read and pronounce. I hate having to put up with long, ridiculous names.

I use common patterns of vowels and constenants, but I change the letters so it sounds pretty unique.

enigmaticuser · 03-04-2006, 08:44 PM

In the past I had a tendency to write really cool looking names that no one else could pronounce, so I wish I'd read a lot of this advice back then. For now though, I often use like latin or greek or otherwise removed from modern common usage words for names like Edax or Solamatorium. But one thing I try to do is look beyond just the name. Like if you were in germany you'd notice a lot of female names end in 'a' for example. So I try to make a rule early on that from this area (whether a town, or a country) that a name of a person from here will be like this like two of my characters are both from the same country and men so one is Ramas and the other is Tysis, where as two women from the same are Lilieana and Seona. But characters from other countries follow different rules.

asato ma sad gamaya

Phouka · 03-06-2006, 03:36 AM

I stick with real names, but those that are historical in nature and probably not used currently (at least not if you don't want your kid teased unmercifully at school). Names Through the Ages, Theresa Norman, has been a wonderful reference.

I also like ways of expressiing relationship (ap, mac, Mc, O', ibn) in names as a way to add information as well as interest.

Avairus · 03-06-2006, 11:31 AM

I mix most of those methods but I've got one I didn't see mentioned.

Take a defining attribute of the character or an aspect of whatever, and then add a few letters so it looks unique and weird but it sounds the same.

i.e. Fury ---> Fyureh

Beardedtroll · 03-06-2006, 12:07 PM

In my opinion, made-up fantasy names suffer from several large problems.

First of all, authors tend to be inconsistent when making them, which leads to either all names sounding alike, no matter what imaginary culture they're from, or to the names in an area sounding wildly different from each other.

Secondly, real names sound like names. Few imaginary ones does.

The second issue leads us directly to the third, and most important problem: the reader can tell that they're made up.

Yes, Tolkien created some of the names he used himself (but most he got from other sources,) but let us not forget that Tolkien was a professional linguist. He had the skills and understanding necessary to create fictional languages that were consistent and believable, at least to the untrained eye, and could base his names on those. Can you say the same? If you can't, be careful about making up words and names out of whole cloth. The result will most likely show ugly seams.

If you decide to use exotic names because of your setting (but remember that "modern" names such as "John", "Will", "Robert", "Alan" and "Richard" does not look out of place in the Robin Hood stories,) then make the effort to get hold of a list of foreign names or at the very least a foreign dictionary or two. (Spanish, French and German are probably all too widely known for plain dictionaries to be useful.)