 |  Making a Name For Yourself |
The Importance Of Names In RPGs
I once played in a game where one of the players, who regularly agonised over the naming of his characters, actually played a magic-user character for almost a year without a name. In the end the other players grew so fed up with referring to "the magic-user" that we named the character for him.
Now that is an extreme example, but there are many characters who begin life in similarly anonymous fashion, and are only named at a later date, when it becomes absolutely necessary. But names are important, if not crucial, to each and every character in a roleplaying game, just as they are to all of us. The object of this article is to examine the significance of names to characters, and the importance of using names appropriate to the style and genre of the game. Finally, I will suggest a number of ideas and sources of inspiration for those who continue to struggle in the search for the ideal name.
It is not enough to give your character the first name that comes into your head. A name is for life, and if your character has a stupid name, they're going to be stuck with it. A name is more than just a means of identification. It says something about the character, about the type of person they are, or at least the person they want to be.
Fictional characters have the advantage over us mere mortals in that they get to have a name that suits them. A charcater in a game is in much the same position as the hero of a movie; in order to be convincing they not only have to look and sound the part, but they need to have the right name. What if John Rambo's name had actually been Bartholomew Lilywhite? Or if the son of Darth Vader had been named Nigel Gimp? It wouldn't have been right. A name is an essential part of a character's identity, it helps to shape a picture of that character in the imaginations of players and GM. And you never know, one day your character could be famous.
Names are important because they are what announces us to the world; very often the first that future acquaintences hear about us is our name. You want to make a good first impression, don't you? Right then, let's set about giving your character a name people will want to remember.
It is not only necessary for a name to reflect the essential personality of a character, it must also be suited to the particular campaign you are playing. This applies both to the world setting and to the style and manner in which the game is played.
If you are playing a game with a humourous feel to it, whether it be a blatantly ludicrous game like Paranoia or Toon, or simply a light-hearted game of AD&D or Werewolf: The Apocalypse, you can get away with a joke name. If you want to play a character called Throbly Bumwiggle or Ophelia Aardvark, the Fastest Tongue in the West then so be it. After all, everyone else will no doubt have a similarly outrageous title.
But names like those simply wouldn't work in a gritty cyberpunk setting, or an authentic recreation of Tolkien's Middle Earth. It sounds obvious, but it is something that is easily overlooked. A funny name is only funny if everyone is prepared to play the game in a humorous way.
Something that usually requires more thought is the need to come up with a name that complements the campaign setting itself. Different genres, and games within those genres, have their own individual conventions with regard to naming. However, one thing that almost all have in common is a level of internal consistency. Characters from similar cultural or regional backgrounds should have names with common linguistic roots, so as to identify them as belonging to a particular group. Even if you decide that your character has a unique or unusual name, you need to be aware of what the conventions are that you are departing from, and what has influenced the ultimate choice of name. In short, there should always be a reason for choosing a particular name.
Most games have a set of unwritten rules to guide you in the choice of a suitable name. Warhammer's The Empire uses germanic language, while it's other regions are based on further European countries; Pendragon places great emphasis on authenticity, and thus includes extensive lists of suggestions for naming characters for each racial background; call-signs for Star Vikings in Traveller TNE must have two syllables, and generally relate to some notable incident in the character's past.
In all games it is important for a name to sound right. Street names in cyberpunk need to have style, yet be short and immediate; superheroes need to sound super; dwarfs have names that appear solid and resilient, while elven titles are elegant and poetic. Some roguish characters may have a number of identities to suit different countries, and consequently pseudonyms that are appropriate to those countries. Wherever you look there is linguistic consistency, the sense that a name belongs. If you wish to remain faithful to the game you are playing, you should try to fit within the framework provided; and if you want to break the rules, that's fine, but you first need to be aware of the rules before you can break them.
When creating your own campaign worlds, be aware of the need to capture that consistency. Choose some linguistic basis for naming not just characters but towns, cities, countries, geographical features, everything. One of the main reasons Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings has been so popular and influential is the strong linguistic basis for all of his work. Everything feels right. And while you may not be able to achieve quite the same results as Tolkien, you can at least create believable worlds populated by characters that sound and feel authentic. You might use as your basis Old English, Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Celtic, Norse, American Indian, or any number of modern languages.
Or you might try to create your own, such as a language with no vowels (which I once used in a story). Build up a culture around the language, and make sure characters adhere to the unwritten rules. By applying a little thought to character naming, you can add a lot to the feel and atmosphere of your game. If you want your setting to feel authentic, then you need a solid linguistic base that you and your players adhere to.
It is not easy to simply create appropriate names off the top of your head, yet you don't want to end up in the situation I mentioned at the start of this article, where your character goes unnamed for months because you can't think of anything suitable to call them. So, in an effort to alleviate the undoubted distress this dilemma can cause, here are a few suggestions for where to look when you need an idea for a name. In all of these cases you can use the name from the source directly, or you can tweak it a little to come up with something entirely original.
Fantasy - If your campaign setting draws its linguistic basis from an identifiable language, then the best source is in the form of works of history or mythology relating to that culture, obtainable from any library. Simply skim through the book, noting down anything that catches your eye as a potential name. It is generally best to use the names of lesser known figures, to avoid unnecessary confusion. You should find a wealth of ideas with very little effort.
Scandinavian and northern European legends provide many names suitable for dwarven or northern barbarian characters, such as Bornholm, Halfdan, Olrun or Aegir. Dwarven names should use hard sounds, with plenty of 'g's, 'd's and 'k's.
Celtic names are often suitable for elves or woodland tribes - Ailill, Nancoel, Englynion, Cailidin, Luchair; their names tend to be light and rhythmic, and commonly use 'l's, 'r's and 'f's. Vowel combinatios like 'ae', 'ai' and 'oe' are also typically elvish. Flick through any book of tales and legends and you will be sure to find plenty of possibilities. They needn't all be actual names, any word that sounds appropriate is good for a character name.
Works of fiction are always a good source, again with the proviso that it's better to use minor characters, or to make subtle alterations to disguise the origin. Tolkien is particularly useful, and the History of Middle Earth series contains appendices and indexes overflowing with useful names, usually with some meaning attached to add that extra special touch. For example, the likes of Melinir, Rumil, Amras and Tirion would not be out of place in most high fantasy settings. They are strong, poetic, romantic names, and they are only a few of many. Quite a few modern fantasy writers - including Anne McCaffrey, Stephen Donaldson, and Janny Wurts - also include a glossary of names and terms which you might find helpful.
You can also find ideas by looking up in a dictionary or thesaurus words associated with the racial group to which your character belongs. For example, rock, stone, gold, beard or axe for dwarfs; tree, wood, leaf, green, spring or silver for elves. By combining various elements you have almost infinite possibilities.
SF/Cyberpunk - Call signs and street names need to be short and punchy, and possess a certain style and panache. Again, genre fiction can be a useful source, as can action movies where heroes tend to have tough and dynamic names. You can do worse than thinking of a word associated with your character, be it a skill, identifying feature, or notable habit, and looking up alternatives with similar meanings. If you stop to look around, you'll soon realise that there is inspiration everywhere.
Many nicknames are pretty much indistinguishable from superhero identities, such as Firebird, Lightning, or Mirage, while others could just be a regular surname that happens to sound right. Names like Thorn, Kruger, Ash and Schulz sound better than Smith or Brown or Wilkins. Characters named after famous historical figures are possible. You might base aspects of your character on someone like Cromwell, Einstein, Churchill, Drake, Shakespeare, Houdini, or Dickens; fictional characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Flash Gordon, Frodo, or Animal of the Muppets. Chambers Biographical Dictionary can give you endless ideas for characters and names, but any general history will do.
Contemporary - This should be the easiest setting in which to come up with the right name, yet often it causes most problems. Instead of trying to think one up on your own, make use of the bountiful sources at your disposal: the telephone book, newspaper reports, film and TV credits (they go on for hours, and nobody ever reads them; you could be the first!), and even baby naming guides. If you ever need a regular name, all you need to do is pick up a paper or switch on the TV, and you'll have one in no time. This method is particularly useful when naming minor NPCs in large numbers, when you're not too bothered about whether you really like the name or not.
Also, many of the sources mentioned for SF and street names could also be used, although be careful when selecting famous names, as it might be that your character can't be taken seriously if they're named after a dead politician, playwright, or glove puppet.
Superhero - This is probably the most diverse area, and therefore the one with the widest range of sources. A superhero's name is particularly important, and must sound right. Often it will be the name that provides the original character concept itself, so you need to sort out what you're going to call the hero right from the start.
A large number of well-known heroes and villains take their name and the basis for their powers from the animal kingdom, and any natural history book is full of ideas. A casual glance can reveal potential characers such as Kingfisher, Mongoose, The Lion, Mustang, Kestrel, Raven, Kodiak and Lynx. Or natural phenomena such as Sirocco, Cloud, Mistral, Zephyr, Shockwave, and Maelstrom.
Then there are characters from legends and mythology, such as Orion, Ulysses, Hyperion, Atlas, Calypso, Pandora, Galatea, Triton. Brewer's Myth and Legend is recommended. Scientific terms like Mainframe, Spectrum, Kaleidoscope, or Slipstream; elements, astronomical features, and computer jargon are bursting with possibilities. Sports teams, particularly in America, have nicknames which might suit a hero or villain; for example Buccaneer, Raider, Redwing, Timberwolf, or Bengal. And there is no reason why creatures and races of fantasy can't put in an appearance in a superhero campaign, though I would draw the line at hobbits.
I could go on listing possibilities, but the point is that ideas are everywhere. It is important that a superhero have a name that is dynamic and memorable, one that can generate excitement, and also be reflective of superhuman potential.
It should be noted that different levels of superhero require entirely different styles of name: cosmic hero names should be flashy and impressive, and try and capture the sense of awesome power that those heroes possess; street heroes and vigilantes are completely the opposite, and may well use a cyberpunk-style street name as a pseudonym.
As far as alter egoes and secret identities are concerned, the same sources you would use for any other contemporary setting are suitable.
Obviously it is not possible to list all of the options available to those looking for the source of a name, and certainly not to provide a comprehensive set of suggestions. What I have tried to do is give you some idea of where to look for ideas, and hopefully encouraged you to give a little extra thought to naming characters in the future. One last tip that GMs in particular might find useful is to compile lists of appropriate names for each game that you play, as and when you come across them. Set aside a few minutes every so often to search out possible names, and you will soon build up a file which you can refer to again and again. This can be invaluable not only for helping out players who are stuck for a name, but also when creating NPCs. Never again will you be stuck for a name, or have to put up with a player who insists 'I can't think of anything'.
