Naming Your Characters

[Vergil]

Do you put any thought into how your name your characters in RPGs? Do you just treat it as nothing more than a profile name? Is there a particular name you use in everything? Do you try to make it "lore friendly" and match whatever universe and race your character is?

[Xenich]

Completely random, often mixed of word plays and variations, sometimes I see a name used somewhere else that looks interesting and use that, nothing specific, nothing consistent.

[Oyster Sauce]

I always go for something lore friendly, even in MMOs. Basically every universe has appropriate random name generators online or wiki pages for race-specific naming schemes. It's uncivilized to do anything else.

[WhiteShark]

I'll try and match the setting if it's well thought out. Otherwise, for single characters I have a stable of names and types I reuse, and for parties I usually pick a theme, like all Greek names or all Japanese names.

[Lich]

Usually dumb joke names that describe something about the character
My last character was a dog-shaped ghoul named Dog Star because he's a serious dog

[Silver]

I try to match the setting, most of the time at least. Creating unique names for characters brings joy and helps to keep the memories of them for longer.
If it's something with multiplayer I'd go for fun names, or if group is having a theme I'll support it.

[WhiteShark]

I just remembered that when I was playing Horizon's Gate recently, I named the ships of my initial fleet after HQsers.

[Incognito]

Do you put any thought into how your name your characters in RPGs? Do you just treat it as nothing more than a profile name? Is there a particular name you use in everything? Do you try to make it "lore friendly" and match whatever universe and race your character is?

I have a list of about ten names I use according to character class/race.

[Acrux]

I have a bank of names I use, most of them are Celtic/Briton, classical, or from the Bible. For instance, my go-to bard name is Matthias Prochorus.

[GhostCow]

I mostly use the names of my old EverQuest characters. If none of them fit, I use my real name since it's a traditional European name that fits most fantasy settings

[Acrux]

I use my real name since it's a traditional European name

Don't tell me, it's pronounced "Oswiepe", right?

[Oldtimer]

Names with X, lore-friendly if possible - Xerxes, Alexander, Dexter, Artax (yeah, I stole that one from the web-comic)... There are actually more than one might think.

[Magick]

Usually the same name as here, lol. Prefer to self insert than generate something else.

For other NPCs I have a selection of names that I liked from other games (where you couldn't rename them) that I use.

[Vergil]

Prefer to self insert than generate something else.

For other NPCs

[Oyster Sauce]

I named the girl in Final Fantasy 3 after a girl in my class that I liked and then lent it to a friend before realizing what I'd done. He didn't play it because JRPGs are for ****.

[fkirenicus]

Do you put any thought into how your name your characters in RPGs? Do you just treat it as nothing more than a profile name? Is there a particular name you use in everything? Do you try to make it "lore friendly" and match whatever universe and race your character is?

Yes
No
Often, yes
Pretty much, yes

[Nemesis]

I saw this question asked on /v/rpg. The correct answer is using AAAAAA as your name.

[OnTilt]

When I played Wow was it always something that sounded appropriate but had some dumb joke to it. I had a warrior named Renedgar (An anagram of Nerd Rage), a mage named Culligan (because everyone asks them for water), and hunter named Irwin (R.I.P.), etc.

In single player games its always something lore friendly but otherwise completely random, there are no good ones to remember.

[Orvas Dren]

Do you put any thought into how your name your characters in RPGs? Do you just treat it as nothing more than a profile name? Is there a particular name you use in everything? Do you try to make it "lore friendly" and match whatever universe and race your character is?

I always make it lore-friendly when I can, though usually I end up going down a rabbit hole that ends with me wasting an hour or two researching. To make choosing easier I typically pick a name that is phonetically similar to my own or other characters I've made/written in the past.

[maidenhaver]

I like choosing a name based on their class or role, while trying to keep it close to a real sounding name.

[Irenaeus]

Yesterday I named my prophet in RPGHQ2 as "MAMALUIGI"
yes all caps

[Tweed]

It depends.

[Vergil]

It depends.

Like old folks pissin?

[Goldsnivy1]

Generally, I do try to keep the character names lore accurate, choosing something that fits the race I'm playing and world of the game. There isn't really a pattern to it with the exception of first playthroughs since when I first play through an RPG, I tend to self-insert and make decisions in the game that I would personally rather than role-playing as a different character. In that situation, my character's name will start with the same letter/sound as my own name.

There is an exception with games with a set protagonist that you can rename (mostly JRPGs), where I'll either use the default name or my own name, depending on how much the player is intended to self-insert onto the character/avatar.

[Breathe]

Depends entirely on what type of game I'm playing and whether it's multiplayer or not.

[rusty_shackleford]

Rusty
Rusford
Ruswellington
Rusford von Rustington the Third

[SpellSword]

If the characters are pre-built ones that are joining the player's party I'll usually use the default names. Otherwise I'll pick something custom that fits each character.

[Dorateen]

I name them after pen and paper, tabletop characters.

[n3IVI0]

All wizards are named Raistlin. Or Magus.

Half-elves are called Tanis.

The one time I played a Tiefling, I used a Tiefling name generator for that.

[Vergil]

Unless they're a gimmick character or meant to exist in the same universe as other characters I've made everyone is some variation of Vergil/Vergilius.