Help re-naming some characters

[NeoFantasy]

So naming people has never been my forte and I don't think that's ever been more evident than with the names of the characters in my first game. Since most of them are bound to make reappearances in the sequel I think now's a better time than ever to give them better, less generic names, the problem is I can't come up with any decent names for them so I want to ask you guys what you would re-name them if they were characters in your game.


The names can either be Japanese in origins or western.

Spoiler

Current name "Kyle: He is a cowardly young man who strongly believes in the Gremlock way.


Current name Katie: A peppy cheerful young girl who always has something to say.


Current name: Blathly: Despite being born into royalty Blathly doesn't live in a castle, she doesn't have tons of maids or personal guard, instead she works as a cook for a group of mercenaries. 


Current name none: Ayami's only brother, he is a kind and gentle boy who is way too smart for his age.


Current name.....Gary: Gary is an airheaded cluts who means well but always seems to mess things up. He always seems to say the wrong things and the wrong times and can't use a sword if his life depended on it.


.Current name Nickolas: Once Mark's best friend, he wants to use his power to create the world that he feels is perfect, no crime, no corruption etc. Too bad he doesn't plan on doing this peacefully.

 

[Redeye]

Usually I tend to name characters based off of their Role in Battle, the Weapon they use, the Types of Abilities they use, or their role in the story. So I would name a King/Prince character Alexander or a Sword-User named Brand, Ice Mages would be named Celsius/Gelette/Khione/Nix etc. I could help you name a few characters if you could give me a tad bit more info on them. (Their job / weapon-of-choice / Battle Role / Abilities, etc.)

 

[Atlas Rose]

I do the same as Redeye, or just use a random name generator until you see something you like

 

[Alexander Amnell]

What's wrong with simple names? Better something simple like Kyle than something hard to read/pronounce like Krokatowa.


Anyway, first thoughts just reading bios and thinking of names off the top of my head. I usually just look up names that correlate to whatever a character's key personality trait is using a baby name generator, you get a ton of cool name ideas that way.(in order that they appear in your post): Kirin, Katil, Belinda, Ari, Keil and Balch.

 

[NeoFantasy]

Kyle: Is one of the main characters siblings, he is too afraid to voice his opinions and usually lets other people talk for him. He ends up beings manipulated into joining the bad guys. His weapon of choice is the sword. His role in battle would be the Swordsman.


Blathly: Was born into a royal family that lost it's kingdom, she never met her father and has been separated from her mother for years. She somehow ended up working as a cook for a group of mercenaries but was eventually hired by the main cast. She also has a knack for stealing things. While Blathly has a lot to say to she has little to no self-esteem and lets other people walk all over her. Her favorite weapon is the dagger and her role in battle would be the thief. Her special abilities are is plunder which allows her to steal gold from an enemy and cook which lets her stay out of battle for 3 turns to make food which can heal a party member. Her role in the story is to help the main characters find her mother as well as steal an important item for them later in the game.


Katie: is a peppy young girl who barely knows anything about the war destroying the world. She isn't all that important to the overall story and only exists for a certain side-quest. She doesn't use any weapons.


Blue haired kid: He isn't a playable character so he has no role in battle. He always has his nose in a book and is way too smart for his age. He is the younger brother of Ayami (another main character) and his role in the story is to keep her in check. His weapon of choice would be the tome.


Gary: Gary is of an ancient race known for their odd, wolf-like ears. He is a clumsy air headed young man who cannot seem to do anything right. Since he can't wield a sword, or any weapon for that matter he is often used as a decoy. His role is to act as a decoy during various events as well as to get the main cast into his species hidden villages.


Nickolas: At one point in his life he was funny, charming and caring, now he is a savage cold hearted man who will do anything in his power to achieve his dream of a perfect world, even sacrificing his daughter. He believes what he is doing is the right thing and that all sacrifices will be worth it once he achieves his dream. His weapon of choice is his personal flaming sword as well as fire magic. His role in battle is the spellblade. His ultimate ability is Inferno Slaughter. He is the main antagonist of act 1. In hidden flashback chapters he is often his old self.


@Alexander Amnell: They just don't mix well with the rest of the names. (like Danthrophasothis or Lanisterov... ) 


I do like Kirin and Ari.

 

[Redeye]

Here's a few names for Kyle I made up on the fly:


Indico ~ Means "Betray" in Latin


Agne ~ Means "Edge of a Sword" in Scandinavian


Aldo ~ Means "Little Old Sword" in Italian


Salil ~ Means "Sword" in Arabic


Xiphos ~ The name of an Ancient Greek Sword


Gladius ~ The name of an Ancient Roman Sword


Judas ~ The name of the man who ratted out Jesus to the Romans (Fits the "Betrayer-to-Be" theme)


Miles ~ Means "Follower / Soldier" in Latin


I'll make up more names for the other characters tomorrow.

 

[Joewoof]

Oooh, I like making names! You mentioned Danthrophasothis and Lanisterov, so I assume you want longer, more unique names. Keeping that in mind, and building off what you already have, here're my suggestions.


Kyle - needs a more imposing name, yet aloof: Klaus, Kaizo, Koros, Kylin, Keis, Korondaras


Katie - same idea, but more unique: Katrina, Katana, Katis, Kara, Katara, Karifona


Blathly - just sounds awkward: Bathy, Byth, Bibbly, Lathly, Banakilly, Blaanfuri


Nameless Kid - needs Japanese name, maybe matching his blue hair: Sorata (sky field), Aoishiki (blue season), Mizutoro (water fishmeat)


Gary - epic non-human name for clutz: Garoon, Goora, Garion, Genroo, Girono, Genyo


Nikolas - evil character: Nighsensora, Nokontafalas, Nintaholos, Nikolatos, Natonra

 

[noctiluca]

Well, I'm not great at naming characters either, but I often name characters after references to various things, sometimes with a purpose and other times for my own amusement. I've noticed many authors do this (ex. Calvin and Hobbes). I often riff on the names as well, using diminutives, alternate languages or spellings. Probably would be best to not make references to other video games or anything too recent though.


Like in my current project there's a rather bourgeois family of 3 named Bradford, Jeanette, and their daughter Frances (though I don't think she'd like to be called Frank). Not everyone will get the joke and it has no deeper meaning behind it.


In another game I have on the backburner, the two main characters are Stella and Bianca (initially named after perfumes I own, but Bianca = Blanche). I've also had another character in another story, who goes by a couple names but his real name is Hal Bowman. no deep meaning there either; I just wanted to do it. Aaand in yet another story (yes I have many) I have a character named Cesare, after the somnambulist from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.


One of my personal favorite name resources is


http://www.behindthename.com


For Blathly, what about having a "princessy" name like Beatrice, but going by a simpler nickname like Bice? Or a similar, but more natural-sounding name like Blythe?

 

[Aoi Ninami]

Nameless Kid - needs Japanese name, maybe matching his blue hair: Sorata (sky field), Aoishiki (blue season), Mizutoro (water fishmeat)

Sorata, as a given name, would be more likely to be 空太 (sky, big). 田 (field) is only used in surnames. It would be a very unusual name, if that's what you want. Sora is much more common. Seiki (blue, season) is also a possible, unusual name. There are many other names containing 青 (blue). A good resource for Japanese names is http://nihongo.monash.edu/cgi-bin/wwwjdic?2X -- choose "Japanese Names" from the drop-down list of dictionaries when searching.


Please don't call him "fishmeat"


I like the suggestion of Beatrice -- she is worthy of a princessly name like that. Or, if you want a Japanese name, Kaguya

 

[Cvrtis]

Method 1. You can take a dictionary and give a name, focusing on the nature of the character. It works with Asian, Mild Asian, African, American Indian, Ancient (for example, Latin) names.


Method 2. You can take a Dictionnary Name.


Method 3. You can focusing on the nature of the character, and change the words: You can add or remove letters.


For example, Kyle. He is a coward. Synonims: chicken, poltroon, craven, patsy, capon (I take it from Google)


And make names:


from chicken - Chen, Chin, Hen, Hin, Hiken, Nechi, Nihen, Niken, Ken


from poltroon - Pol, Polt, Polter, Palter, Teron, Teroon, Polotron, Polton


from craven - Rave, Crave, Aven, Arco


from patsy - Patsy (ahah, as is ), Pat, Sype


from capon - Nopa, Copa


from coward - Rowe, Roward, Verden, Dro, Arden


What are You risking here: you can randomly choose a word to be abusive in another language or do not have the meaning attributed to the name. So you should always check what the name means in a other language (for example Nechi, Hiken and others... - sad, they sounds nice, but we can not give that names to our character)


Method 4. My favorite method and the most difficult for other. Just a set of letters that come to mind. But You have to check it like in Method 3. Why it difficult? Because You have to feel sounds. For example "Z" - sharp, voiced sound. This sound for active, expressive character, it will not work for the lazy or slow character.


I use ALL methods at the same time, And selects by two important parameters:


1. I like how it sounds to the ear;


2. It represent the nature of the character or it may mean absoluthely nothing.


I think the first time You better use the first and second method.

 

[Redeye]

I made up some other names, too...


Blathly


---


Coco ("Cook" in Latin / Also a word derived from "Hot Cocoa")


Angelica (A Type of Herb)


Anise (A Type of Spice)


Clementine


Rosemary


Kukri (A type of Nepalese Knife)


Curtana (A Ceremonial Blade from the Middle Ages)


Sabina (A shortsword used in everyday life during the Middle Ages)


Carpette ("Doormat" in French)


Laverna (The Roman Goddess of Thieves)


Katie


---


Muchina ("Ignorant" in Japanese)


Jeune ("Youthful" in French)


Zesta (You could actually use the word "Zest" and make a name out of that)


Blue Hair Guy


---


Cliste ("Smart" in Irish)


Vivlio ("Book" in Greek)


Grimm (The last name of 2 German Brothers famously known for their Fairy Tales)


Thalamus (A Part of the Brain)


Gary


---


Yeager ("Hunter" in German)


Okami ("Wolf" in Japanese)


Lupus ("Wolf" in Latin)


Fenrir (The name of a Monstrous Wolf from Norse Mythology)


Lowell (English name derived from the Old Norman French name "Louvel" which meant "Little Wolf")


Nickolas


---


Caligo ("Gloom" in Latin)


Oneiro ("Dream" in Greek)


Flamberge (A type of sword with a Blade that resembles a Flame)


Vulcan (The Roman God of Fire)


Kresnik (The Slavic God of Fire)


Tyson (An alternate spelling of the word "Tison" which means "Firebrand" in Old French)

 

[Chrispy]

Blathly - Royalty, plus timid, plus a thief, plus a cook. Kind of a complicated character...One name that might fit most of those at once is Violet. using it as a color works for royalty and Its also an edible flower.


Katie - Abigail (Source of Joy), Felicia (Happy), 


Ayami's brother - Huey, Hugh, Euclid, Rei, Quin (all mean intelligent)


Gary - Crevan (Foxlike or Coward), Wrage (useless), Jacan (Trouble)


Nickolas - Aldway (Noble War), Apollos (One who Destroys)


....Can't think of any for Kyle.

 

[SLEEP]

heres the names for you: Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideo Kojima, Shigesato Itoi, Tetsuya Nomura, Akira Toriyama, Satoru Iwata. have fun using these names.

 

[Koulucky]

Kyle: Vance


Katie: Ayla


Blathly: Lisa


Ayami's bro: Jake


Gary: Zack


Nickolas: Dirios

 

[NarikoStudios]

I usually look up the names on google and find meanings that fit them

 

[NeoFantasy]

Thanks everyone these are all great names, now the only problem is which ones to chose lol

 

[txtk]

It's good that these names are short, simple and easy to remember. But it's also very common. You may want to come up with more unique names. There are a lot of name generators software, both online and offline available out there. Just Google it.