How do you decide on the name of your character?

There are a few ways of going about this. Perhaps you simply use your own name, or an anagram of your name. You might just sit back and blurt out a few random syllables until you find something that sounds right.

My approach begins with simply thinking up a name and then going to Google to find it's meaning. Sometimes, as has happened today, the Google search might encourage a slight respelling of the name. Here is how it went.......

Ronan Kaal

Now this has nothing to do with my real name. Not even close. But it did sound cool, to me at least, and when I went to Google I realized I'd made a mistake with the spelling. Being the "masterless warrior" who is "unemployed" and "homeless" but refuses to commit suicide, my character was inspired by the Samurai.....

"Ronin"

Now I will be honest and say that "Kaal" was just something that came into my head. Never heard it before, that I'm consciously aware of, but thought I'd Google it to see what might come up. It seems that Kaal is Hindi for "the time of doom".

So my character is: "a masterless and homeless warrior who is fighting towards his inevitable time of doom".

Edit: Just had an epiphany! "Homeless" could mean my character comes from Alderaan.

How about your characters?

Guess nobody names their characters

It is possible that Ronin was a pilot in the Empire until the destruction of Alderaan, at which point he either defected to the Rebellion or, more likely, went independent. I'm leaning towards independent as he is meant to be "masterless". However, I'm not so sure I want to go pilot.

I picture my character as more of a Rambo/Riddick type.

Preferring to hide in the shadows, he is the sort to sneak up behind someone and snap a neck, slash a throat or grab a mouth while sliding the knife between ribs to pierce the heart. Rarely will he use his pistol, and those will likely be point-blank head shots from cover. Much of the damage he causes will be the result of traps he's set up, but he'll only use explosive traps if he needs to create a diversion.

Magnus Drake is my characters name

I might suggest waiting more than an hour before presuming that nobody's going to respond. Makes the original poster seem rather childish/petulant when they post not long after saying "why did nobody post to my thread?"

Kinda busy with other things at the moment (just doing a quick forum check), otherwise I'd post my thoughts on naming conventions for the various characters I've played.

I might suggest waiting more than an hour before presuming that nobody's going to respond. Makes the original poster seem rather childish/petulant when they post not long after saying "why did nobody post to my thread?"

Kinda busy with other things at the moment (just doing a quick forum check), otherwise I'd post my thoughts on naming conventions for the various characters I've played.

Gotta remember you can't see my face. Was being cheeky.

Vezu d'Klunn is the name in which Gand would like to go by some day.

I had several ideas for a character before I stuck with Gand. There was a thread similar to this and somebody took, Dex Vulen and played with it some. One of the many results was Vezu d'Klunn. Voila!

I tend to just take sounds as well and play with them until something sounds fitting for a name. Another approach that I have found works quickly is to play with a persons RL name and you can usually make a name that work. I used that today with somebody that I hope to be running the BB with and hit on the Chiss name, Jawrey. Sounds Chiss enough for me!

Magnus Drake is my characters name

Cool

I always like "Drake" as a name.

I've a bad feeling I'm about to suffer a fiery death when I hear that name.

I make something different up every time. Try to keep it themed if I can.

Vezu d'Klunn is the name in which Gand would like to go by some day.

I had several ideas for a character before I stuck with Gand. There was a thread similar to this and somebody took, Dex Vulen and played with it some. One of the many results was Vezu d'Klunn. Voila!

I tend to just take sounds as well and play with them until something sounds fitting for a name. Another approach that I have found works quickly is to play with a persons RL name and you can usually make a name that work. I used that today with somebody that I hope to be running the BB with and hit on the Chiss name, Jawrey. Sounds Chiss enough for me!

Actually, Gand sounds good to me.

Perhaps have both. Vezu d'Klunn is his real name but Gand is a nickname, or a cover.

When I did random sounds, the best I came up with was Izaak Von Striezenozovikh.

The best I can come up with from my real name are:

Mot Ostyron or, if using the full first name, Thamos Ostyron.

I make something different up every time. Try to keep it themed if I can.

Which themes?

I know it looks like a stupid question at first glance. How can I explain....

Does your character's specialization lead you to look for similar Mythical, Historical or Fictional names?

OR

Do you find a name and then pick an appropriate specialization?

That is, as simply as I can attempt to explain, what I meant by "which themes?"

I was thinking last night of some of my favourite characters from across the Sci-Fi and Superhero series and movies and thinking how I can adapt them into my own Star Wars games. Expect to see similar characters to Seven of Nine and Black Widow fighting side-by-side in the not too distant future.

I mainly have names just come to me.

I have 24 names that I took about an hour to come up with for an Age of Rebellion campaign.

Some other names i've come up with for Star Wars are:

Kavis Foon - a duros pilot.

Olim Kordo - a human mercenary

Ehnyr Sonje - a Klatooinian archeologist whose name is an anagram for Henry Jones.

I make something different up every time. Try to keep it themed if I can.

Which themes?

I know it looks like a stupid question at first glance. How can I explain....

Does your character's specialization lead you to look for similar Mythical, Historical or Fictional names?

OR

Do you find a name and then pick an appropriate specialization?

That is, as simply as I can attempt to explain, what I meant by "which themes?"

I was thinking last night of some of my favourite characters from across the Sci-Fi and Superhero series and movies and thinking how I can adapt them into my own Star Wars games. Expect to see similar characters to Seven of Nine and Black Widow fighting side-by-side in the not too distant future.

Sometimes that means more than others. Like any Dwarf I played was very traditional sounding, Ironshield, Stormheart, etc.

Sometimes it doesn't mean more than it simply sounds correct. Although sounding correct is keeping with theme in a way as well.

I find that the Galactic Campaign Guide from WotC is a great resource for naming characters of many species. All of the core book species aside from Gand are in there along with several others (like Duros, Ithorian, Mon Calamari, Sullustan, and others).

I make something different up every time. Try to keep it themed if I can.

Which themes?

I know it looks like a stupid question at first glance. How can I explain....

Does your character's specialization lead you to look for similar Mythical, Historical or Fictional names?

OR

Do you find a name and then pick an appropriate specialization?

That is, as simply as I can attempt to explain, what I meant by "which themes?"

I was thinking last night of some of my favourite characters from across the Sci-Fi and Superhero series and movies and thinking how I can adapt them into my own Star Wars games. Expect to see similar characters to Seven of Nine and Black Widow fighting side-by-side in the not too distant future.

Sometimes that means more than others. Like any Dwarf I played was very traditional sounding, Ironshield, Stormheart, etc.

Sometimes it doesn't mean more than it simply sounds correct. Although sounding correct is keeping with theme in a way as well.

Saw a player with a Dwarf that went by "The Stone" and was a shorter version of The Rock (eyebrow raise and all).

Kaal was a planet that first appeared in a West End Games' Adventure Journal scenario. Ronan's family might have been from Kaal.

For Star Wars, I like to take a name and cut off a part of it. So for instance, instead of Orlando, I would use Lando.

Mackenzie = Kensi

Sahara = Hera

Joseph = Seff

you get the picture.

For the surname, I usually pick something that gives the full name a very Star Wars cadence when I say it all together. I can't quite define what that means, but it works well for me.

I made a droid, 57-3V3, but you can call him Steve.

I made a droid, 57-3V3, but you can call him Steve.

Hi Steve.

Kaal was a planet that first appeared in a West End Games' Adventure Journal scenario. Ronan's family might have been from Kaal.

Thank you for that.

That is a creepy coincidence since I made that up off the top of my head, yet it exists in Star Wars as well as having a Hindi meaning.

So....

.....parents lived on, met and married on Kaal but then moved to Alderaan when they started having a family perhaps.

In our edge of the empire game my Corellian pilot is named Tanisander Fellswoop. I know it's quite long winded but I think it sounds like he belongs in the star wars universe.

For Star Wars, I like to take a name and cut off a part of it. So for instance, instead of Orlando, I would use Lando.

Mackenzie = Kensi

Sahara = Hera

Joseph = Seff

you get the picture.

For the surname, I usually pick something that gives the full name a very Star Wars cadence when I say it all together. I can't quite define what that means, but it works well for me.

Atric Ul Cenzo..........I like your system K.

Olim Kordo - a human mercenary

In other news, I think Latin could make a few good names (a pyro named Ignus would be hilarious). I've also used alphabetical, with a Corellian named Augustus Bertanim Cinellia. Other letters might make better orders, like maybe, oh, I dunno, Mathius Nathan Ordo, a Mandalorian merc (they're all mercs).

Sheesh. I'm starting to sound like some sort of Mandalorian obsessed fanboy... A Mandophile, maybe.

With Star Wars names, I generally like names where the first and last name begin with the same letter.

That being said, my character's name was inspired by Krassus Trelix--he has a cool name and I wanted one that sounded similar for my bounty hunter, so I ended up with Kriegiss Tarkorr. (from krieg, German for "war")

Olim Kordo - a human mercenary

Better be a Mandalorian, 'cause if Kordo ain't Mando, I don't know what is.

In other news, I think Latin could make a few good names (a pyro named Ignus would be hilarious). I've also used alphabetical, with a Corellian named Augustus Bertanim Cinellia. Other letters might make better orders, like maybe, oh, I dunno, Mathius Nathan Ordo, a Mandalorian merc (they're all mercs).

Sheesh. I'm starting to sound like some sort of Mandalorian obsessed fanboy... A Mandophile, maybe.

Fandelorian.

I'm playing a twilek. The only two examples I know are Oola and Aayla. So a -la ending seemed appropriate. I started with my own name and somehow evolved, adding sounds or changing them, until I got from Haleyla to Briaala (pronounced bree - AH - la).

She's the only character I ever named. The character from my short attempt at another game had a name before I played her. I can't really say I have a system other than to mutate real names.