# How do you name your CRPG characters? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 25, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670 "2008-12-25T19:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/1 "2008-12-25T19:58:56Z")
For some inexplicable reason, my characters always end up with the name “Thongor”. Thongor the barbarian. Thongor the half-elf ranger. Thongor the vampire. Thongor the vault dweller. Thongor the Jedi. I keep telling myself that next time I really _will_ choose a name that’s more fitting to the milieu, but somehow it just never happens. Anybody else have quirks around character names? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/2 "2008-12-25T20:36:04Z")
Unless I’m just using “Grumman”, I like to give my characters appropriate names, like “Joseph Graves” in Urban Dead, “Kira Toran” in KOTOR, or some vaguely evil high fantasy name I can’t remember for my necromancer/elementalist in Guild Wars. Except for superheroes. Then I give them unsubtle superhero aliases like “Collateral Damage Man”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/3 "2008-12-25T20:57:32Z")
I rip off the names various Forgotten Realms characters, stealing names like Xhalph, Jeggred, Nobanion, Savras, Lathander and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/4 "2008-12-25T21:48:07Z")
Most of my character names are Bo + class Bomage Bocleric Borogue but then I just started using BO as the starting point so now I also have Bohemoth Borlock Boxershorts Bomalicious Bodhisatva Borborygmi a couple just have BO in the name somewhere Someday I’m going to break from tradition and name all my toons after nuts Pistachio Cashew Peanut Macadamia Hazelnut Filbert ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/5 "2008-12-25T21:53:00Z")
I’m on an obscure names of Egyptian mythology thing lately. All the good Greek ones were taken on my WoW server. ETA: breaking into Mayan and Aztec lately though. My upcoming DK will get something unpronounceable in Nahuatl with a billion "x"s in it. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/6 "2008-12-25T21:57:52Z")
i hit the wow random name generator a thousand times until it comes up a name i can edit into something clever or cool. my undead death knight is ghastliar. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/7 "2008-12-26T00:42:53Z")
Considering I usually play damage dealers or tanks, I tend to go for suitable viking names: Styrbjörn Styrmir Fleigir Egill Grettir Or whatever else in Norse mythos that catches my fancy at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/8 "2008-12-26T01:25:08Z")
A lot of the time I name them after the appropriate tabletop characters I’ve played - so I’ve had a Jesse, an Alferd, a Torin, a Kitsune… (Haven’t used Talia (although she, like Torin, Alf, and Kit has had a Soul Cal character based on her) due to it being difficult to find a CRPG in which naming a character after her would be appropriate (she’s winged…not usually allowed in CRPGs). I haven’t played a superhero CRPG, yet, but if I did (I want to play CoX, but can’t afford it), they’d be based on and named after my characters from superhero games, or stories I’ve written. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/9 "2008-12-26T04:34:30Z")
I’ve been recycling the same names forever. Baklava the Red (fighter-type) Sizzler or Krakkadoom (mage) Qua’lude Riker (everything else) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/10 "2008-12-26T05:12:01Z")
For Diablo II, I open up my D&D books and pick a name that I like. For WoW, I’ve just been using the random name generator. I also do variations on my own name. My human priest in WoW is named Rikkanuthe. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/11 "2008-12-26T07:18:14Z")
I usually take one of three approaches: (1) I pick a name from mythology, or popular fiction like Conan or Cuchulainn or Thor or Gandalf or whatever… (2) I pick the name of a dinosaur that approximates the character/feel that I’m going for (Tyrannosaurus, Velociraptor, Stygimoloch, etc) (3) I choose some ridiculous combination of words that makes me chuckle, like Nutpuncher (pronounced “Neu-poonshay”) or Gigglenuts. Of course if it’s a female character, I’d have to modify this to something like Giggletits. Still works for me. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/12 "2008-12-26T21:43:23Z")
I try to make what sort of sound like appropriate names for the cultures of my WoW characters. Right now, I have six characters running: Lowwnor - Tauren Druid Jalisse - Troll Priestess Korezahn - Blood Elf Rogue Castamir - Human Warrior Orionais - Night Elf Hunter Bozhemoira - Draenei Mage (Yes, this one has an element of joking) Usually, I’ll try to do Slavic(ish) names for the Draenei, since the accents are Russian. I’ll usually try to use Victorian English names for Forsaken, since a lot of the NPC names are of that sort of era and place. Then again, I’ve gone full-out joke, too. My lvl 61 Orc Shaman (on another server than the ones above) is named Khermut. It’s not easy being green. And I’ve had a Troll Frost Mage named Haagendasz. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/13 "2008-12-26T22:13:19Z")
For my alliance WoW characters the names are all related to women flyers, but I had to abbreviate most of the names. Aviatrix Pancho(barnes) Jeannay(aeger) Amelia(earhardt) Hannar(eitsch) A lot of my Horde characters start with “red” Redwarmwind Redcedar Redfoxxy With a few more continuing the color theme: Gildagreen Whitegold (a jeweler, natch) And the Forsaken… “gloomy” might be the connection: Nightlily Nightiris Crowheart I think I have too many alts. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/14 "2008-12-26T22:38:32Z")
I usually play a female character, and that character is almost always named Pinky or Cupcake. Just to bug people, mostly my family. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/15 "2008-12-26T23:23:04Z")
I have a bunch of characters that I have played as D&D characters at one time or another… so they have actual back stories, personalities, everything else. I usually just pick a name from one of those that seems appropriate for the class/gender/time period of whatever game I’m playing. Never any joke names; just not my style. ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/16 "2008-12-26T23:44:02Z")
A new name for every character. I usually play around with names from mediaeval northern Europe, old Norse, Sindarin or Arabic - or just make up syllables until it sounds right. I’m also strict about not referring to myself, the real world or previous characters unless they’re actually old characters being translated into the new system. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/17 "2008-12-28T08:30:38Z")
My male characters: Jsor Aladis Some permutation of Jragon (usually Jragonmiris, I’ve given up almost completely on that now since I’m more of an RPer and it was originally a cop-out on WC3 since I couldn’t register anything I wanted). Xavier (it came from not being able to come up with a name for my monk in a D&D adventure, so we moved on without a name and everyone called him “X,” so I used Xavier). Cleil - had nothing better Ophielenis - Not sure, but it sounds elfy Female: Tyger (This usage predates me knowing anyone else on a _ahem_ certain bored with something along the lines of Silver Tyger Girl as her name ;)) Sora - I probably got it form Digimon, but I don’t know. Suion - No clue, I also like “S” a lot with females. I’m creative but I generally like keeping character names the same as above, I only bother creating names when I’m naming NPCs for something. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/18 "2008-12-28T16:02:58Z")
My CRPG character vary widely in names, because I try to pick half-sensible names that fit the setting. Yes, I’m one of _those_ people. When I played WoW, however, I deiceded to pick the smallest name I could so that it would be easier for others to type. Thus was born Kallins (which is easy to type and was as short as I could find). When I played a much less crowded server of Everquest 2, I named by character Nips. I like playing sexy female characters, because I like looking at them. OK, it’s more because the male-version facial models in most games are hideously ugly, whereas they put more time into the females. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/19 "2008-12-28T17:13:23Z")
My Monks tend to be “Jahaziel”. I had a dictionary once that featured a section on Biblical names, it said “Jahaziel” meant “tower of God”. I started naming all my Bards “Lute” a while back. “Skywatcher” was added some time later, I think for my first Neverwinter Nights character. I first started adding last names for my [Dungeon Hack](http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/dungeon-hack) characters, last names tend to have some sort of connection to occupation (e.g.: a fighter named Marc Strongblade, a magic-user named Tasha Moonglow, etc.) Games with a strong backstory, like Diablo II and LOTRO, get characters with names that aren’t out of line for that particular race. My names in Diablo II were based on names that I read in the manual. For my Heroes and Villains in CoX, I start with a theme and try to work in a name from there, sometimes resorting to a language other than English. That’s how I ended up with an Electrical Blaster named “Phasenleitung” and an Electrical/Shield Brute named “Lo Dorato”. My latest is a Shield/Ice Tank named “Cerulean Cool”, a cop-turned-Hero. That wasn’t my first choice but all the others I could think of were already taken. This wasn’t and making him a former cop was obvious from there. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670/20 "2008-12-28T17:34:11Z")
Something that drives my wife to fits is that my first character in any game is named “Doomed” simply because I know I’ll screw up the build or get bored and abandon the character before the game is over. So it’s really a self fulfilling prophecy on how s/he’ll do in the campaign. After that I tend to just use whatever the default name is. In WOW however I have a bad tendency to use corny dual word combinations. Darkhold, Longstride, Searsong, Abysswalker, etc etc. I think you get the idea. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-name-your-crpg-characters/478670.md?page=2)