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how do y'all come up with names?

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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 15:00:41 GMT
local boogeyman
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sister ghoul
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they pull the axe out your face and say "was it the boogeyman?"
i was just talking to a friend about this, because we both feel as though we aren't very good at picking names. for myself personally, a lot of the names that i choose for my ocs are referential, often to bands and/or musicians. i've used over the course of my rp career, almost every single member of pink floyd at some point for an oc's last name. my very first permanent oc, i got from fullmetal alchemist bc i was 13 and a weeb.

i will often look at the fc i've chosen while i scroll through lists and see which ones resonate with me. i don't mind reusing names or parts of names i've used in the past if the character doesn't become a recurring one for me, but i feel like once an oc becomes "permanent" (meaning that i will reuse them over and over again) that i can no longer use that name. the same goes for my rp partners. if they have an oc who i interact with at all in any frequency, i feel like that name is off limits to me, bc i associate them with a partner's oc and not my own. 

i dunno how common these sentiments are though, which is why i'm curious how other people go about this. 
last edit on Apr 28, 2024 15:01:55 GMT by sister ghoul

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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 15:37:18 GMT
aliasJen, DeJener8
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I am generally a sucker for Meaningful Names, so I will usually look up a baby name site (like beyondthename dot com) and scroll through lists looking for names that match the character's cultural background, etymological roots that match the character's vibes, and stuff like that. Sometimes I'll go with a name because I tried out the sound of the syllables in my head and out of all the options it was the one that I liked the best, even if it isn't the one that most closely matches the character's background. And yes, sometimes a name will just be a pun or a pop-culture reference of some sort.

I try not to reuse names for my own characters, but I'm less worried about other people and their rosters. Sometimes you hit on a similar name completely by accident and as long as there aren't "one Steve limit" rules on the site in question, it doesn't bother me.
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 15:59:46 GMT
no angel
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I took a little piece of your heart, don't hate me.
i'm simple and corny and shameless so i just go with very blatant references to the character's character.

1. boy with white hair that can control fire = fiontan (white fire)
2. actual saint = valentine
3. woman with red hair and a rose motif = roza (russian for rose -- though in this case it was a fake name, and i wanted something suitably dramatic and silly i'm sorry to russians for calling your language silly and dramatic but the character was from like. arkansas and was lying about her identity anyway)
4. a cat boy = miette (the meme)
5. an evil lawyer in a theocratic state = ezra (god helps) justice (just guess)

oh but sometimes it's based on how the name sounds. isobel grisel for a butcher (because grisel is kind of a homophone for 'gristle' and i felt a cutesy/innocent-feeling first name would be funny against a kind of gross character)
last edit on Apr 28, 2024 16:06:00 GMT by ace.
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 18:46:34 GMT
aliasmori, manon, saki
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i know you see yourself as a fighter. well, i see myself as one, too.


if it's for a site, i generally check if there's a specific naming convention i have to follow and go from there, picking what i think sounds/flows nice. if i have more freedom, i try to take into account my characters heritage and things of that nature, because names are so important. i'll look up the meanings and conventions myself to try to ensure i am doing justice to it, bc even if it's just for funnies, i like somewhat authentic experiences.

generally, i love nature related names, gender neutral names, and good ol' bible names. are they common? yes. do i love them regardless? also yes. i will reuse names if the character they were originally for didn't get a lot of play time, but if they're Solid Fixtures i let the name be specifically theirs and go for something else. not wanting to mix up memories, y'know?

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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 18:59:38 GMT
Feline Overlord
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9/10 I google, but sometimes, my brain just... magically comes up with a good name for a character? I cannot explain it. Recently, since Pinterest has aesthetical name images, I have been saving a few of those when I like the ring of the name for later use.

Just adding- Honestly, I struggle more with surnames than first names myself. Usually I just end up using Behind The Surname and scrolling through until I find something that works or depending on the character's nationality I may look up names under specific regions.
last edit on Apr 28, 2024 19:00:57 GMT by Chibi Magician
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 19:39:49 GMT
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For the short story I wrote recently, I used "Aloetta" because it had "Aloe" in it (and the "tta" ending was similar to Violetta) and they were looking for greenery so it seemed to fit. "Mermot" just seemed like a name someone has when they're a pain in the butt.

When I go for real names, I typically just use a name that I like the sound of at that time, or where I feel like "This totally fits my idea of name x."

If I wrote someone who complained a lot, I'd probably call her Karen.
"You've grown soft, your dead friends can attest."
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 19:41:36 GMT
aliasvale
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"Hmm... Are you comfortable talking to me, Itsuki?"
i've been getting into rp by slowly reusing/reworking a lot of old ocs i'd love to play again, so a lot of my recent characters/character ideas i've had to come up with take loose inspiration from their names while not being the exact same...

eg. aspen (old percy jackson oc) -> penrose, & katsuo (old idol gacha game oc) -> twins, capriccio & clover... retain a bit of the same sound of their name while having something new. i think i use more fuckass noun and/or dying victorian orphan names than some people do re: ocs but i think it's because most of my characters change their names throughout their life anyways (gender, identity theft, sometimes both) so i don't really worry too much about names sounding weird and fantastical... for every steve of a name in real life, there's an adeline or an ocean or a december and i'm sure they're doing just fine

i do have a tendency to pick last names for characters that match the first letter of their surname, though... that's just an aesthetic choice i think the alliteration sounds nice lol
last edit on Apr 28, 2024 19:43:54 GMT by vale
"hello, i'm nazuna nito, a member of ra*bits!"
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 21:30:28 GMT
pronounsshe/any
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faster pussycat! kill kill!
so what i do is i inhale mysterious fumes from a hole in the ground and, like an oracle of old, god-given visions come to me. i intuit those visions in my mortal mind and from that remedial translation i devise character names for my pretend anime characters.
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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 21:43:45 GMT
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illidan mainearned bits
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"what culture is my character"

if from earth: go to behindthename.com or do some googling to find a name that's either meaningful or that I like for my new OC that fits their cultural background.

if from a fantasy setting: try to make names that sound like the conlang that the character uses, or use a rarer name or misspelled name from a human culture.

if trans: consider their character, personality, and what sort of media they consume. factor in a cultural background if that's relevant. pick a name appropriately. try to avoid common trans names. trans people from a diaspora that's important to them may pick names from their estranged culture. trans people who are more online might pick an online handle or a fictional character's name. it really just depends on the character. imho the hardest but most rewarding names to choose because you really have to consider the fact that this is very likely a name the character chose for themselves, so it's gotta fit their established motivations and personal background.

if kobold: pick an object.

if from pokemon: pick something really dorky and on-the-nose.
last edit on Apr 28, 2024 21:46:58 GMT by illidan main

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how do y'all come up with names? written Apr 28, 2024 22:34:46 GMT
praise the cats!
aliasthomas, breezescodes
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this is my murder mittens ^-^
helloo i love coming up with oc names because 9/10 i pulled them out of a magician's hat! i frequently also start with a name (whatever fun sounding syllables i feel like mashing together!!) and then elaborate a character from there <3
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