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Prince Zahn
2017-02-22, 11:51 AM
Simple questions, answer any that apply - what names are you drawn to most as a gamer? what are some of the character names you like to use the most? what kind of names do you or your DM love to keep in your name repertoire? alternatively what are the names of your most recurring characters(if you have any)?

Alternatively, what are some names you saw or heard that you thought "I have to use this one for a character"?

some names I like to base my character names on are Timothy, Sieger, Claus, Seth, Miguel, or Raul. For girls I like Alice/ia, Penelope, Odette, Rosemary, Merriam, or Shianne. I like to fiddle with those names when I want to use a nonhuman race.

for less common NPC races I sometimes mix and match syllables or base it on character motifs - Lyandis, Venoma, N'nilus, Flickie, Kroff, Nuurp.

what are some of yours?:smallsmile: don't be shy.

Mastikator
2017-02-22, 01:05 PM
I don't think I've ever used a character name twice.

orbispelagium
2017-02-22, 01:37 PM
I have fond memories of an obnoxious Tiefling rogue named Akkad.

Someday, I really wanna make a Warforged Bard (resembling Daft Punk more than a little) named 808.

Alternatively, name someone Obshchak Delirium and act like that's the most normal name in the world.

lylsyly
2017-02-22, 02:27 PM
I've used Keera more than once (both times were sort of the same character though, different builds of a Female Half Orc Barbarian/Ranger type).
I've used Lylsyly several times for female fey characters (yeah, lil' silly).

Other than these, I can't ever remember using the same name twice (going all the way back to 1976) ... dang I'm getting old ;)

Prince Zahn
2017-02-22, 02:31 PM
those are good too :) the question is most about names you like/liked most than the rest of it. I'll clarify that in the OP now.

hymer
2017-02-22, 02:34 PM
dang I'm getting old ;)

Beats the alternative!

I've used the name 'Sunshine' for a druid character a few times (two or three times, I think), but then, those characters were virtually the same, just transplanted to different campaigns.
For NPCs I've used the name 'Vanariel' a few times, but always for quite minor characters.
I like the name 'Edl' for strict but reasonable nobles, and though I'd have to look it up, I must've used it more than once for NPCs over the years.

I guess in general I don't use the same names very often, unless it's a family name and several characters have it because they're related.

Stealth Marmot
2017-02-22, 03:45 PM
For a time I made some of my favorite characters with alliterative double D names. I had a Darius Daymont and temporarily had a character I completely stole the name Dominic Deegan for. I later kept the name Dominic and applied it as Dominic Daymont for another character.

I have a naming convention for my paladins: I name them after Roman Emperors. My first was named Julius, my second Augustus, and one I think I named either Claudius or Marcus, and I believe I had a one shot named Octavius.

theasl
2017-02-22, 04:21 PM
I've noticed that I tend to name female characters after place names, especially Eastern European ones. Not really sure why, but it works for me.

Honest Tiefling
2017-02-22, 04:38 PM
I don't think I've ever used a character name twice.

Same. What works in one setting isn't going to fly in another, especially if based on various fantasy counterpart cultures. I sometimes feel that the name must be chosen after character creation, to really give the thing a fresh start, even if it's my 50th time playing a wizard.

Sajiri
2017-02-22, 05:10 PM
I guess I must like my latest character's name, Novia. Was a name I used in several games and MMOs, often recreating the character's appearance as best I could, until I realised she'd be a perfect fit for the latest campaign we were preparing to play. In fact, it's who my current avatar is

Flickerdart
2017-02-22, 05:17 PM
Old Slavic names are some of the most metal proper nouns known to man, since they are easy to compound out of pretty great words.

For example, take Vladimir. It means world-ruler (from vladet' - to own, to possess, to rule - and mir - the world), and Vsevolod means much the same thing (vse - all, volod from the same root as vladet'). Mstislav (much less common name these days) means glorious avenger (from mest' - vengeance, and slava - fame, glory).

But then you can combine them and have Vladislav (fame-ruler) Some more words: Dobro- (good, right), Bori- or -bor (struggle), Brani- (cursing), Broni- or Gradi- (defender), Voi- (warrior), -mysl (thinker), -gnev (wrath), -polk (military leader).

There are a few of names that mean more famous/most famous/all-famous, in case you wanted to have a character who was a glory hound from birth - Vyacheslav, Vseslav, Boleslav, Vysheslav.

Knaight
2017-02-22, 05:41 PM
Most names I use don't stand out - much the way most real names don't stand out, so it works out. Occasionally though the campaign has a tone where one can pick a name that's a bit odd but has some humor to it, and those tend to be more memorable. For instance, there was my fanatical anti-hero nature priest, Brother Hemlock. There was a player's monk from a bizarre order in a game I GMed, Silent Gecko Hunts Quietly. There was Qaelynaria, a name mostly notable because the name was picked to have an almost elven, elegant sound to it for a character who was very much not that and shortened it to "Nar".

lylsyly
2017-02-22, 06:58 PM
those are good too :) the question is most about names you like/liked most than the rest of it. I'll clarify that in the OP now.

Okay, and I'll clarify my answer ;)

Keera was 2 different builds of a Barbarian/Ranger type destined to be a Queen by Prophecy, one Gestalt/one Straight both used to amplify my reasoning on the protagonist of a fantasy novel I am working on.

Lylsyly (lil' silly), is my favorite fey personality for when I play a female fey, only twice with that name (you'll see why in a minute), whom I also have been toying with using for the novel. I have played the personality for a long time off and on, but have just decided recently to name it for what it is. When she went out scouting, she comes back and tells you about the flowers, animals she talked to, blah . blah . blech. All before telling you that there is a war party of ogres coming this way (usually instants before the ogres crest the hill :bigevilgrin:.

Last time I played Lylsyly she was a half pixie/half faerie dragon Gestalt with a very wrong number of Racial class on one side and Rogue alternating with Scout on the other, going into the swift ambusher role. She was the party scout and trap finder/breaker, and a pretty damn good archer as well. It was then that I fell in love with the name.

Next?:smallbiggrin:

thirdkingdom
2017-02-22, 07:05 PM
Yolo Swaggins, halfling.

Ninjaxenomorph
2017-02-23, 12:35 AM
One of my favorite names I've come up with for a PC has been Wreave, a human mercenary spellsword. I'm also sitting on an android character named Radius, after the character in R.U.R.

Potato_Priest
2017-02-23, 01:07 AM
My personal favorite was a paladin named Ho Lee, but the DM hated it. Most of my others are also pun names. The one exception to this rule was a charlatan monk named Emilio Aguinaldo (Aguinaldo was the leader of the Filipino army in the Philippine-american war. He has no thematic association with the monk, but I liked the name.)

Mastikator
2017-02-23, 01:37 AM
Same. What works in one setting isn't going to fly in another, especially if based on various fantasy counterpart cultures. I sometimes feel that the name must be chosen after character creation, to really give the thing a fresh start, even if it's my 50th time playing a wizard.

Same, and even if it is another wizard it's not gonna be a similar wizard to one I've done before. Character ideas are easy and cheap, chances to enact them are expensive.

2D8HP
2017-02-23, 01:53 AM
Years ago The Dragon Magazine had a list of names from different cultures, and from that list I'd usually pick Irish names like: Conall or Cormac, but I can remember omce picking the Slavic name of Andrik.

Now I pick Rolen d'Crits.

oudeis
2017-02-23, 02:12 AM
Some of my favorites:


Praxagos Eudaemeis, Paladin: I decided to go with pseudo-Greek instead of pseudo-Latin or pseudo-medieval. It's a combination of praxis (doing/action), agon (struggle/contest), and eudaemon (good/benevolent spirit) and was constructed to reflect his quest to redeem his terrible past through good deeds and become a better man.
Wolfhame, Ranger: born with amber-colored eyes and gray-shot hair that resembled a wolf's pelt.
Finieous Fingers, Thief: borrowed from the comic strip of the same name, which I loved as a teenage gamer.
Sidereon, Ranger/Druid: from the Latin word meaning 'of or belonging to the stars' to reflect his nocturnal ramblings. I first used the name for my Night Elf Hunter in WoW and liked it so much I reused for my first 5E character. A complete social dunce, but as friendly and good-hearted as they come. Spoke with an incredibly broad English country accent like Daniel Hagman from the Sharpe TV movies.

Rerem115
2017-02-23, 11:23 AM
I've always had a thing for Scandinavian names. Names that stand out include Lars, Baldur, Karl, Sigmund, and Rolf. For when they've had surnames, I've used '--son' and Norddahl a couple times.

Âmesang
2017-02-27, 02:22 AM
I've mentioned this before but I've grown quite enamored towards the name of my current drow antipaladin/assassin, Variolus Baenre—her given name being taken from a species of black widow called the latrodectus variolus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus_variolus). To me it sounded sufficiently "elvish" and it fit their spider-themed matriarchy.

My favorite character, the human sorceress/archmage, Quintessa, was originally named after the Quintesson homeworld (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Transformers_planets#Quintessa) from the old Transformers cartoon—not very flattering to be named after a planet, but I thought it sounded elegant with a bit of mystery. As it turns out, the name also has a partial connection to alchemy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aether_(classical_element)#Quintessence) (of which she's trained in) as well as physics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintessence_(physics)), so that turned out to be an appropriate coincidence. Also thought the following quote was very fitting with regards to her vain, conceited, selfish, self-centered, egotistical personality:


"A pure or perfect example of a substance or entity."
…on a related note I find the name, "Mordenkainen," very fun to say. :smalltongue:

GungHo
2017-02-27, 01:22 PM
I merge the Car Talk and Dave Ryder name lists.

daniel_ream
2017-02-27, 01:34 PM
Same. What works in one setting isn't going to fly in another, especially if based on various fantasy counterpart cultures..

I have a player in my current campaign that uses the same character name for every character he plays in every campaign he plays. Regardless of setting, culture, time period.

theasl
2017-02-27, 03:52 PM
I guess I must like my latest character's name, Novia. Was a name I used in several games and MMOs, often recreating the character's appearance as best I could, until I realised she'd be a perfect fit for the latest campaign we were preparing to play. In fact, it's who my current avatar is

Novia means girlfriend in spanish :smalltongue:

oudeis
2017-02-27, 04:04 PM
I merge the Car Talk and Dave Ryder name lists.

The many names of Space Mutiny have particular utility if you are going to run a combat scene against a large band of mooks.

Sajiri
2017-02-27, 05:32 PM
Novia means girlfriend in spanish :smalltongue:

It does, and I have learned that multiple times in PSO2 when teenage boys come up to me and say that spanish phrase asking me to be their girlfriend and think they're oh so funny.

However, it's also a Latin name that means Young :p

Honest Tiefling
2017-02-27, 05:36 PM
If you have not played Dr. Novia, a deep voiced evil doctor from South America I am severely disappointed in you.

Astofel
2017-02-27, 08:43 PM
I often try to look at the suggested names for a race and try to make one that sounds like that, unless I have a name that is also a pun, like my evil monk named Antem Iyagi (anti Miyagi).

Of course, I will never top the name I once gave to a bard NPC, Fellarius Bombasto.

Sariel Vailo
2017-03-02, 10:05 AM
sophie uphelia moonscar. half elf
my own poster name as drow
victor/victoria aasimar
orc thok crash and TUMEME for tumeme dont care
human whatever i want.
dwarf ive never bee a dwarf. i had some names to try tho

Samzat
2017-03-02, 10:35 AM
Yrdonsygg syggtryggvyrsedd
Fake old english is simply the best

Red Fel
2017-03-02, 11:00 AM
For a long time, I had a naming convention. Almost all of my characters used some form of "Fel" in their name. Whether it was Felric, the chivalrous knight; Felnorg, the savage northern barbarian; Felrika, the gnomish tinker with a taste for needless bloodshed; Felress, the vile demon-master; and so forth. I could adapt it fairly easily to most settings or concepts; in an Asian setting, for example, I think I adjusted it to Feru-something.

Aside from this forum handle, though, I rarely use it anymore.

Stealth Marmot
2017-03-02, 11:07 AM
For a long time, I had a naming convention. Almost all of my characters used some form of "Fel" in their name. Whether it was Felric, the chivalrous knight; Felnorg, the savage northern barbarian; Felrika, the gnomish tinker with a taste for needless bloodshed; Felress, the vile demon-master; and so forth. I could adapt it fairly easily to most settings or concepts; in an Asian setting, for example, I think I adjusted it to Feru-something.

Aside from this forum handle, though, I rarely use it anymore.

So you could say it...FEL out of use?

Samzat
2017-03-02, 12:41 PM
So you could say it...FEL out of use?

That joke FEL flat

hymer
2017-03-02, 12:42 PM
That joke FEL flat

I FELt it was very successful.

Prince Zahn
2017-03-02, 02:41 PM
My god... All those puns... RoFEL.

Some more names I like... I Like to mix and match Ns, Rs, and Vs, and Ss sometimes, or similar letters. Sometimes I base it off of words that feel right with the theme, but not always.

Some of my favorites include Reltan, Sevain, Vamber, Veruna, Telvin, Lupé,

Here's another question for you guys - what are names you heard or saw once and felt like you had to use them? :3

Adding the question to the OP.

VincentTakeda
2017-03-02, 04:59 PM
My recent favorites are

Temnengar Onneton, which translates from one of the scandinavian languages to 'unlucky dice'
Nicknamed 'Tenningar One-Ton.' or 'Won-ton'

and my eidolon, whose name needed to sound both otherworldly and also vaguesly russian.

Jhdurievdrioshhka (жидуриевдриошка иль) aka 'Dree'

My longest running still active characters would be Miro and Masha... Miroku and Mashenka.

I also really like Edda Burber from 9 chickweed lane... So add Edda to my list.

Astofel
2017-03-02, 09:05 PM
Often for minor characters, I steal names from books I've read or shows I've watched. For example, the apprentice of one of my characters is named Gaidal, which I stole from Wheel of Time, and the character himself was trained by a green dragonborn named Raishan, who is a villain in Critical Role.

Recently I've taken a couple of names from Bionicle. I had to come up with a name for my quasit familiar on the fly, so I named it Teridax after Bionicle's big bad. I've also got plans to play a kobold arcane trickster named Nidhiki at some point.

Prince Zahn
2017-03-03, 07:30 AM
Often for minor characters, I steal names from books I've read or shows I've watched. For example, the apprentice of one of my characters is named Gaidal, which I stole from Wheel of Time, and the character himself was trained by a green dragonborn named Raishan, who is a villain in Critical Role.

Recently I've taken a couple of names from Bionicle. I had to come up with a name for my quasit familiar on the fly, so I named it Teridax after Bionicle's big bad. I've also got plans to play a kobold arcane trickster named Nidhiki at some point.

Oh my gosh I love Bionicle! and yes they do have some really good exotic names that oddly enough as a kid I couldn't care less about...:smallredface:

Jay R
2017-03-03, 12:40 PM
Simple questions, answer any that apply - what names are you drawn to most as a gamer?

I prefer to use names from known real cultures (real or fictional).

Names I've taken from fiction include Gwystyl, Gwydion, Nabonidus, Endora, Eiddileg, Pteppicymon, and others

Real names I've used include Jean-Louis, Cornelius, Romeo, Morgan, Catherine, etc.


Alternatively, what are some names you saw or heard that you thought "I have to use this one for a character"?

Someday I will run characters names Sredni Vashtar and Filboid Studge.

I named a tree-climbing elf Ornrandir ("tree-wanderer").

I once introduced a pair of dwarf brothers named Felix and Doli who wanted vengeance on the dragon who killed their five brothers. You'd have to think about other languages to recognize them as Happy and Grumpy.

I once invented a pure Shire-like name that was perfect for a hobbit thief. [Yes, hobbit. This was original D&D, before the Tolkien estate made them take out hobbits, ents, and balrogs.] He was Robin Banks.

I invented the name John MacAubrey, Ph.D., for my superhero Dr. MacAbre.

Van Zimmerman was the identity of my Superman-based hero. You need to know Silver Age comics to recognize the source for Van Z.

And I enjoyed the epithet I created for my Toon/D&D character - Ragnar Rabbit, the Hanna-Barbarian.

VincentTakeda
2017-03-03, 12:52 PM
Rhoshandiatelly Neshiauneveshenk
Astacus Artaxerxes Euctamon Naburimani

Arcane_Snowman
2017-03-03, 04:23 PM
Given that my games are primarily alternate universe historical fiction, I tend to draw most of the names that I use from history and historical records. I'm quite fond of a number of the old French names (whether norther or Occitan).

Though I rarely tend to use the same name for important NPCs (as I DM mostly) or my own characters, I think Ernest or some permutation thereof is probably one of the most reoccurring names in my pool.

Arkhios
2017-03-03, 04:38 PM
Just a few of the names that I can remember right now:

Harrock: I'm not sure when I invented this one, but it was immediate favorite for a dwarf name. Probably because the name came up from Hard Rock after I dropped "d" from the middle. Quite appropriate for a dwarf, right? :smalltongue:

Hawke: Used as a surname mainly, which is why I've had several of these - all have been related with each other.

Aist(arkhios): this was actually a name I made up for the main character of a story I wrote when I was younger (probably around 15 years ago), probably after I had read Lord of the Rings for the first time and set out to create something equally awesome (you gotta have ambitions, right?! :smallbiggrin:) The name felt so unique that I even came to use it as my common nickname everywhere. Whenever I have a chance to play a human mage/wizard/whatever, Aistarkhios it is. If I ever play a human paladin (outside of World of Warcraft) it's likely called Arkhios, because of the WoW connection.

Arrakis: Yes, I know it's the name of the planet of the Movie: Dune, but it's also a name for a star in the real universe, in the constellation of Draco, IIRC. It's weirdly enticing, and I've used it a couple of times for a angelic/demonic character (one of my favorites: in pathfinder a Tiefling Paladin with Celestial blood).

SirBellias
2017-03-03, 05:23 PM
I as well tend not to repeat character names, but I do seem to use Sir Bellias quite a lot in other capacities. Strange, since I've only ever played two sessions with him....

Otherwise I tend towards short names for my PCs, and long names for vampires.

Jay R
2017-03-04, 09:47 AM
One name I have re-used is Lord Victor.

But I'm actually re-using the character. He has been included in every world I've created. While he's always in the game somewhere, only once, back in the 1980s, have the PCs found him and interacted with him.

He's the sovereign of a small country who has learned to combine magic and technology. Therefore he can be used in any game, although sometimes he's the only one with magic, and sometimes he's the only one with modern technology.

He always wears a green cloak over full plate armor. Nobody (alive) has seen his face since he became an adult.

And yes, he is Dr. Doom.

hymer
2017-03-04, 02:15 PM
Here's another question for you guys - what are names you heard or saw once and felt like you had to use them? :3

Tanis. Ironically from Indiane Jones, not Dragonlance.
Gorgoroth, in northwestern Mordor.
Proudmoore, from Warcraft.
Glaurung, the Father of Dragons.
Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Tom Lehrer (https://youtu.be/gXlfXirQF3A).
Nag and Nagaina.

Though I've seen/heard them all quite a lot more than once. But the first time I came across them, I knew they were something special.

JeenLeen
2017-03-07, 10:23 AM
I got the name Chenzion from some old SNES game, and have taken Chenzion Falquier d'lo Casva as a name I like when I want someone with a noble background. I've used that name in a few games. Otherwise, I generally don't reuse names. I think I've taken of late to having somewhat normal first names with somewhat thematic last names, especially for names set in modern times. Example: Charles Goodman for a paladin.

For a while I liked the name Jenounces (and for some reason thought Jeen would be a shortened form of that, hence my forum handle here), but I don't know if I ever used it for a character in a non-computer game.

oudeis
2017-03-07, 01:38 PM
Here's another question for you guys - what are names you heard or saw once and felt like you had to use them? :3.

Finieous Fingers (http://harrislab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/FinieousFingers.pdf) is my go-to when I'm playing a thief in online games, but perhaps my favorite name of all time is Zapranoth, the great demon-lord from Fred Saberhagen's The Empire of the East trilogy. I first read it decades ago but it still carries such a weight of majesty and might that it gives me chills.


Why should the sun seem dimmer, when there were no clouds? And Rolf had a feeling in his guts like that of being lost, alone, at night amid a host of enemies . . . and now, why should he think there might be something wrong with the mountain, that it might crumble and collapse beneath his feet? Loford, Thomas, all of them, were beginning to look at one another with dread. Gray said softly: "Zapranoth is coming."

...

Now there was light below, a pinkish glow, as well as sound. Chup could make no plan. As if seeking each other's humanity, by instinct he and Charmian put their arms around each other and crouched down on the narrow path. The sound was almost deafening now, a climbing clamor flying upward from the pit. With it came the aura of sickness that accompanied demonic power, an aura stronger than Chup had ever felt before. The brightening roseate light seemed to drive back the feebly growing glimmerings of the sun. He clenched his eyes shut, held his breath -and the rush, as of a multitude of beings, passed by them and was gone.

...

Soon it began again, the noise far down below them, climbing fast. "It is Zapranoth," said Charmian. This time a bass quaver, that told of madness rampant in the foundation of the world; this time the whole world shuddered and sickened with the coming up, and the light it cast before was blue and horrible. Charmian began to scream: "Lord Z -" Chup grabbed her, stifling her mouth beneath his palm, and cast himself and her once more down upon the narrow curving ledge, this time at full length, with both their faces turned toward the wall of rock. With a twisting and a stretching of the universe, with impacts of great footfalls smiting air and rock, the blaring, glaring Lord of Demons trampled past them. If they were seen, they were ignored, as two ants might have been. Chup did not see the demon. His eyes had shut themselves, and at the moment of the demon's closest presence all his bones seemed turned to jelly. This must be Zapranoth. Against this, no use to think of showing bravery; compared to this, the demons rising earlier had been small. And the demon who, days ago, had entered his beggar's hovel to heal and threaten him -that one had been a nasty child making faces, nothing more.

...

Between the girl upon her building, and the High Lord Draffut, there now stood one who was the tallest of the three. Seemingly sprung from nowhere, this figure was covered in dark armor, even to segmented gauntlets and closed visor. In the reflections of this metal armor, silent lightnings seemed to come and go. The world around this Dark Lord seemed askew to Rolf, and Rolf had the impression that under the Dark Lord's feet the rocks had stretched, like taut canvas bearing weights.
*brrrrr*

JAL_1138
2017-03-07, 03:47 PM
A significant chunk of my character names are taken from side characters in the Matter of France and related chansons de geste (or occasionally main characters of less-famous chansons), with still others drawn from more-obscure characters of Arthurian legend, and occasionally a couple taken from the genealogy charts or minor characters in Tolkien.

Lord Torath
2017-03-07, 04:52 PM
Rohan. No, not from Tolkien. From a different fantasy series with dragons. (I've borrowed a number of names from this series, including one for my daughter. I suspect Segev is familiar with them as well.)
E'Chick (Thri-Kreen in multiple campaigns)
Railee (halfling thief and Praxian cyclone rider)

Cluedrew
2017-03-07, 06:20 PM
I also avoid reusing names... even when it would make sense I tend to go with a new name over one I have already used. Except Brenda for some reason. Anyways my favourite names are the ones that have an in world explanation for there existence. It makes it seem more alive and ties the character straight into the world already.

JBPuffin
2017-03-07, 09:05 PM
Based on Frequency: Tsaquin has become my go-to for dwarves (geode in the Dwarfish I'm developing atm), and I use a lot of variants of Jonathan/Johann (eg Joanna, Jochen, Nathan, Zhenatan). I've named more than a few characters Muellerstadt, Eichel, or Stutt (latter two are families; the Muellerstadts might be in a trans-dimensional mash-up).

Based on Pure Aesthetic: While I always use names that strike a chord with me - to the point that picking favorites is a lot like picking favorite children...
First Names: I'd use Kasumi, Chihiro, and Ketaru again the next time I'm working with (pseudo) Japanese characters; Vidald (aka Vivi, like my favorite FF black mage) for a Scandinavian; Mulfornic for a devilish sort; and Few-Teur or Sirenada (originally a banshee - eh? :smallbiggrin:) for more esoteric characters.
Last Names: Carpath, Nevar, Antioch, and Payadette are all on the recyclable list.

Lord Haart
2017-03-15, 08:49 AM
Whenever i need to quickly introduce a trio of mooks/henchmen/one-scene NPCs, i name them Alphred, Bruce and Clark to have easier time distinguishing between them (and giving them shades of personalities). If a fourth gets added, it's always a female named Diane.





Old Slavic names are some of the most metal proper nouns known to man (…) Brani- (cursing), Broni- or Gradi- (defender), Voi- (warrior), -mysl (thinker), -gnev (wrath), -polk (military leader).
A tiny correction: "Broni-" and "Gradi-" are respectively formed out of "bronya" (armour, literally) and "grad" (town, city). While the connotation of defending something is there, "bronislav" and "gradislav" (they don't really combine well with other endings*…) mean respectively "glorious armour-wearer"/"armoured and glorious" and /"glorious together with his town(s)"/"one who contributes to the glory of his town".

*Naming a character "Bronipolk" will make a Russian laugh heartily, though — it sounds exactly like the modern shortcut for "armoured infantry battalion", and that's a funny name to have.

RedMage125
2017-03-16, 12:54 AM
I don't think I've ever used a character name twice.

I will if the character is essentially the same. My elf wizard Tessrel Moonshadow, for example. Or elf bard Clain Windsong. Characters whose identities are functionally similar across incarnations (they're not all elves, I swear). Other times I use names I've used as NPC names when I DM as character names when I play.

One of my ideas for Pathfinder was a Kitsune who took Magical Tail once and was named Miles Prowers. Best part? Arcane blooded Sorcerer with a fox familiar...named Guy Fox.

Jerrykhor
2017-03-16, 01:31 AM
One of the Fighter in my party is called Titus Hardus Gaius.

indianawalsh
2017-03-16, 11:46 AM
The only name I can think of that I have used for two separate characters is Sheev. Sheev Bloomfentian Mayfield was an antagonist NPC I used for a Star Trek game (he was actually named by the player whose character's brother Sheev was). Sheev Harkonnen was a morbidly obese witch I played in a 20th level Pathfinder one-shot, whose mannerisms were naturally a cross between Sheev Palpatine and Vladimir Harkonnen.

In my early days there were a lot of puns. My first character was a halfling assassin named Bilbo Stabbins. For a 4th-edition game I had a pixie barbarian named Tinkerbrawl. My Magnaguard Wookiee nationalist character in a Star Wars game was named Arribecca but went by "Becky" for short. For a Deadlands game I had Mark Marshall, US Marshall, who spoke with an obnoxiously bad Boston accent (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTeyYNo2hA).

Prince Zahn
2017-03-20, 07:33 AM
I found I used the name Dizzy Desiree in my creative works quite a bit.

BWR
2017-03-20, 08:34 AM
With one notable exception I never reuse names for my characters (naming toons in computer games doesn't count). The exception was Gork the Orc Mks I-III (in three different systems and games, and obviously only one was an actual orc). I had a stupid dwarf fighter called Stonehead, and when he died I cloned him and made Bonehead, but that's it. A friend of mine makes virtually all his elf names end in -iel, to the point where I've joked that 'iel' means 'the elf' in elvish.

I have stolen names from characters in fiction and history, though. Too many to list all of them. I can't recall a favorite name, though. Favorite characters, sure, but their names are not really important.

Kitten Champion
2017-03-20, 08:55 AM
I've stolen a crap-ton of names from Harry Turtledove's fantasy novels whilst DMing. I change them slightly to suit my aesthetics, but I'm certain at this point in my gaming career that not a one in my group has touched a Turtledove novel in their lives or are particularly familiar with anyone who has and wouldn't notice if I just used them as-is.

I don't even like Turtledove, he just has so many names that mostly seem like actual names that it's a zero-effort thing for me.

As a player I usually focus on memorability for the sake of the table. I haven't reused any name because I'd find it personally confusing, but by virtue of shortening/pet names I've had two sets of characters referred to as Mari and Bel.

JenBurdoo
2017-03-24, 04:16 AM
I didn't think of Turtledove - he certainly has plenty of names for lizardmen! :smallwink: And the "punny" free-association naming style he used in his War Between the Provinces series isn't a bad way of converting real names into something more fantastical. James Longstreet becomes James of Broadpath, Bobby Lee becomes Robert, Duke of Arlington, William Tecumseh Sherman becomes Hesmucet, Rosecrans becomes Guildenstern... The locations are cringeworthy too - Georgia becomes Peachtree, New York becomes Nova Eboracum, Selma, Alabama becomes Hayek... :smallsigh: It's definitely one I wouldn't use if my players had background knowledge.

I use Grignr for barbarians and orcs, swiped from the infamous "Eye of Argon."

If it's a semi-modern game and a genteel female protagonist, I change my own name back to the original French - Genevieve Bordeaux. Bordelux for Warhammer or 40K games.

A wisecracking adventurer or cynical military man, or guy intended to have an Australian feel, will often have the name "Slim" in his moniker, after Field Marshal Bill Slim.

To indicate nobility, I often select a name and tack a "De" on the front of it to get the family surname.

Dappershire
2017-03-24, 05:08 AM
Oh, I am totes guilty of recycling names. Nikt especially gets reused a lot.
I've been fond of Lawk, Curryfavor, and Arnhart for my guys. Staek was a simple name for a very simple (low wis, low int) char, that still made me chuckle.
Niara was the only female name I ever came up with I think.
My favorite though is Wyrbender Dragonfodder. Great name. I could be biased though, since it was the first character I made.