Many of the Star Wars aliens were not named by Lucas but by the good people at West End Games. When they created the star Wars role-playing game they wanted to incorporate these aliens and their races and came up with names and backgrounds for them. (In my opinion, most of the names and backgrounds are stupid - “Ponda Baba” is not a better name than “Walrusman”, and he will always be Walrusman to me). Lucas gave this undertaking his blessing, from what I understand, but didn’t really contribute to it. These names were further picked up in other games and eventually in the never-ending stream of crap that is the novels.
The characters of the prequel trilogy that George doesn’t name himself, are instead named by the production crew, be they designers or mask makers or whoever.
For example, there is a character, a tentacle-headed Jedi Knight, who was one of many background characters. But he was soon given a more prominent position in some scenes just because he looked so darn cool when he fought. So he was given a name: Kit Fisto. And just as my friend (who worked on the movie) predicted when he was talking to the actor in Kit Fisto’s suit, he has been made one of the initial release action figures 
So now someone of no initial importance is a ‘featured character’ who will be given comic book stories, or novella adventures, and be a biggeer part of the Star Wars universe - just by being officially named.
So, this Elan fellow… He’s a member of the Jedi High Council, right?
Or it could be a name he chose for himself. I mean, it’s no more ridiculous than someone renaming himself “P. Diddy” or… well… the fuckin’ symbol that the bonehead-formerly-known-as-Prince-who-is-once-again-known-as-Prince once used. And there are even weirder names floating around out there in real life.
Personally, I’d find it FAR weirder if Lucas named one of his characters something like, oh, “Steve”.
Well yesterday I bought the action figure of my favorite named AOTC character: Kit Fisto.
Oh, oh say, “Luke”?
That one I like…but it just sounds dirty. I wouldn’t want my (hypothetical) kids playing Star Wars and hear one of them yell “I get to be Fisto!”
Didn’t George Lucas’ kids have a hand in naming some of the characters in Phantom Menace? Or was that the Gungan race? Either way, we can blame those kids for the continuing horror of Jar Jar and co…
It’s TAFKATAFKAP:
The Artist Formerly Known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.
They weren’t action figures, but one of the Tusken Raiders is called Orr’UrRuuR’R, not to be confused with UrrOr’RuuR, who is a completely different character than UroRRuR’R’R.
Wasn’t that the name of Steve Martin’s character in The Man with Two Brains?
Yeah, I got a kick out of that, too. I also like Amanaman. Say that five times fast.
Surprised no-one’s yet mentioned Salacious Crumb.
“Luke” is a good old Testament name. A character named “Hillary” would be unusual.
Or “Melvin”.
Or “Bryan” (cough, cough).
How 'bout . . . Wedge?
Tee hee. Man, that cracks me up.
Sleazebaggano is my favorite character name, too, although I’m not used to hearing it out of the context from http://www.theforce.net, who always refer to him as “Elan Sleazebaggano - Unsavory Troublemaker.”
That sounds like the kind of thing that should be followed by “In Color! This fall, on UPN!”
And his wingmen . . . Lever, Pulley, and Ramp? Their visit to their Home Planet of the Simple Machines may have not made the final cut.
Hey, don’t you people go messin’ with Salicious Crumb. Or Wedge.
Hmph. Heretics, the lot o’ ya.
Or the fat guy, Porkins.