My daughter is named Tali'Zorah. I suppose I'm crazy : )

[Chemical Alia]

I was pretty embarrassed when I learned my middle name came from Dune, and I even liked that book. Personally, I wouldn't even name a pet after a video game or something similar...it's just too nerdy and you're not the one who has to live with it and explain it whenever someone asks. As someone with a first name that's also kind of unusual, people DO ask.

The only exception is "Thwomp." For a cat.

 

[Flutterguy]

You seem to be using the naming of your child as a gimmick for attention. Now it is daft of me to pass judgement on someone when I only know such a minor detail, but this sounds like irresponsible parenting. Studies have been done on peoples names, it does, to an extent, offer insight to their choices and careers. Girls given names like Cherry or Candy are more likely to be promiscuous or even land a job at a strip club. Not saying naming her Tali will make her a stripper, just consider the consequence.

All that being said I do agree with the people here, Tali is a pretty good name. Tali'Zorah on the other hand sounds an awful lot like life-long regret.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

b) Tali [http://www.ourbabynamer.com/baby-names-Tali.html] is a real name. Hebrew in origin, meaning "dew of heaven".

I've heard of Tali's before so it's not like it is a Mass Effect exclusive name. There is an alternate explanation that can be offered to avoid embarrassment in this case.

I will put my voice with the others and say Zorah is good as a middle name at best... I never really liked two word first names anyway and this one would be mocked methinks.

I'm not against people looking at video games for inspiration for names. I myself would name a son Issac after the Golden Son series protagonist. I just think we need to consider the fact that these are new people who may never play or enjoy the stuff we enjoy. I had to talk a friend out of naming her newborn Link...

It's all very subjective of course and ultimately it is up to you, the parent. I would personally look at names that may be associated with game characters I love but also could foreseeably be seen IRL

EDIT: Hello kotaku...

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I've got to go with the majority here: Tali good, Tali'Zorah bad.

The chances of kids her age recognising the reference will be slim. The chances of them being cruel regardless is rather high, I'd imagine. Kids can be very creative.

And yeah, it'll be even worse if she, or you, lets slip that her namesake is a video game character.

Edit: Besides, it's your fantasy, not your child's. It seems unfair to get her in on it. Have your wife change her name to Tali'Zorah if you want.

I mean they say this, but how many kids were named "isabella" "edward" and "Jacob" based off Twilight?

I say name the kid what you want. When they're young they won't put two and two together. By High school do you think anyones really going to be googling a decades old video game?

 

[soren7550]

Congrats first off.

Secondly, I wouldn't say that it's crazy. Maybe a little weird, but that may just be me, and mostly because you're also giving her Tali's last name as a part of her first.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I was pretty embarrassed when I learned my middle name came from Dune, and I even liked that book. Personally, I wouldn't even name a pet after a video game or something similar...it's just too nerdy and you're not the one who has to live with it and explain it whenever someone asks. As someone with a first name that's also kind of unusual, people DO ask.

The only exception is "Thwomp." For a cat.

Really? There isn't something neat to finding out the origin story to your name and finding out "Oh this is the character my parents thought very highly of to name me after"?

My own name was choosen at the whim of my mother upon seeing me the first time. It's a fine name, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish it had some sort of deeper meaning.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I mean they say this, but how many kids were named "isabella" "edward" and "Jacob" based off Twilight?

Those are perfectly normal names already in common use, though.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I mean they say this, but how many kids were named "isabella" "edward" and "Jacob" based off Twilight?

Those are perfectly normal names already in common use, though.

yeah but as it stands now, if a few years when I card people for beer I see those names pop up I'm so going to snicker at them.

...That said, I just said in a few years I'm still going to be a cashier at a grocery store, so it's not like my snickering will mean much.

...I've gotta go sit in the corner and think about my life...

In all seriousness, I got a dog named Noriko after the Battle Royale character. I see it in peoples faces when they ask me the mutts name, the look of confusion and disgust and I always feel like... Fuck you, it's my dog, I'll name it what I bloody well want. It's much better then the name my Sister wanted to name it, "Sweetie"

 

[Thaluikhain]

I mean they say this, but how many kids were named "isabella" "edward" and "Jacob" based off Twilight?

Those are perfectly normal names already in common use, though.

yeah but as it stands now, if a few years when I card people for beer I see those names pop up I'm so going to snicker at them.

Eh...those names have been used by royalty, could just as easily be named after them by someone who has forgotten all about Twilight.

Alternatively, they could be named after more obscure characters...Bella, the replacement mermaid from H2O: Just add Water comes to mind. (Who is unusual, in that her character has a normal name, but the actress doesn't...don't call your kids "Indiana")

 

[Caiphus]

yeah but as it stands now, if a few years when I card people for beer I see those names pop up I'm so going to snicker at them.

...

Fuck you, it's my dog, I'll name it what I bloody well want.

Does that not seem conflicting or self-centered to you?

 

[Lucem712]

I think Tali is fine, though I don't think people should think badly of you if you name her in full. Kids get teased constantly and having even a normal name or a surname can be used against you.


If you just use Tali, the kid probably won't know if you don't ever mention it. Sure, someday she'll probably google it or something and find Mass Effect. But, hey, I share a name with a Sonic character, and that's much worse.

 

[[REDACTED]]

Dude. You're naming a person. Give them a person name. It's not complicated.

Tali would be. Tali'Zorah would not be fine. It would be very, very bad.

 

[Autumnflame]

Tali and Liara will be the names of my daughters.

i dont know about naming a son garrus . it would be cool and all but yeah you know

 

[The_Echo]

I like it a lot, I'm assuming she'll like it, and I don't think she'll get teased for it or anything like that.

She will be if people find out she was named after something from a game. Hell, it might happen anyway.

Tali could be a nice enough name, if a little unusual. Zorah, even, could be a good name.

But Tali'Zorah, I feel, is a bit... it's a bit much. A mouthful at the very least.

 

[Azkar Almsivi]

Sorry if this somehow belongs in gaming discussion.

Anyway, tomorrow my daughter is scheduled to be born. I'm freaking out and all that, but that's not why I'm here. Since day 1, her first name was always going to be Tali'Zorah. It's not necessarily "named after Mass Effect", but rather my wife fell in love with the name during our first playthrough of ME1 many years ago. Confused friends and relatives are told "we wanted a nice Quarian name" just because it's funny to see the confusion become worse.

All that aside, a couple of people have told me that we're nuts for giving a child that name. I like it a lot, I'm assuming she'll like it, and I don't think she'll get teased for it or anything like that. Out of curiosity, am I totally off base about that? For further discussion value, this thread can be about the entire concept of video games being used to inspire names.

Zorah is a tag that her family uses. Your child's name would just be Tali, unless you want to graft your last name onto her first one.

Either you call her Tali'smith Smith or Tali. Hopefully nobody points out that millions of people have virtually had sex with her name sake until weird bodily fluids came out of her face, including you and your wife if you played male Shepards and had any taste.

 

[Alarien]

Realistically, it's not a great idea. Naming your kid something as blatant as "Tali'Zorah," whether it's an homage or "we just liked the name" will result in excessive teasing and unnecessary drama.

That said, I don't think it is worse, per se, naming your kids after religious figures, movie characters or anything else. How many kids are named Jesus? (Jesus, Joshua, etc) Yes, the name pre-existed the figure, but what leads you to name your kid that?

Still, I do think it's about time our society ended it's love affair with about 20 overly recurring name per gender and stopped with "fad names." I never met a kid named <insert name here, left for various reasons> while I was growing up. My sister names her first kid that, and all the sudden they are coming out of my ears and all over different forms of media.

So... I say be different. At least it'll spark some amusing conversations among adults, and your kid might grow up with tougher skin.

Were you planning on getting her a tattoo somewhere that said "Emergency Induction Port?"

 

[wulf3n]

Wasn't there a ruling in America somewhere that set the precedent of certain[read: weird] child names being tantamount to child abuse? There's always that to think about.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

Well I named my parrot "Tali", it seems like a perfectly normal name. Not sure I'd name a child "Tali'Zorah" though...Seems a little too exotic.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Well, first off the whole apostrophe in a name is one of the worst and laziest naming tropes in RPG and SciFi writing so I would avoid EVER naming my kid with that hanging over their head. Beyond that I'd say that, like many others here, Tali Zorah is just fine. BTW, it may not be absolutely unique but it is a nice sounding name as long as it fits within the whole context of said name. A name should roll off the tongue without hitches or the odd twitch accompanying the "that doesn't fit" thought. So as long as the last name complements the first and middle, its cool. And for those who are making the "omg your kids gonna get teased" warnings, that may happen whatever you choose to name your kid and shouldn't be a huge priority as long as whatever you name the kid isn't way too far out there which Tali is not.
Also when the child gets to an age where you can explain the name origin, it may behoove you to do so and hopefully you're choosing that name because the character means something to you beyond the name "sounding cool". Naming a kid after a cool sounding video game name is akin to getting a tattoo that "looks badass" but has no meaning or has a meaning you're totally unaware of (e.g. a bunch of Chinese symbols you can't read and find out later means the Chinese equivalent of "douchebag").
So in closing, naming a child is a special thing and the name SHOULD have meaning to you and not just a "oh thats badass" thought. That shows just how little thought you actually put into this. Not saying you haven't, but those are my warnings, other than that congrats and good luck. But yeah definitely drop the apostrophe because its just stupid and useless... Hell as a DM/GM/Storyteller in any table-top RPG I will flat out refuse any characters with an apostrophe name unless they're Drow and only if it fits those naming conventions.

 

[Coakle]

What are the 2nd and 3rd options?

If you like how the name sounds, maybe name her talia and call her Tali as a nickname. That way your daughter has some more control over how her name is pronounced when she introduces herself or has a new class.

If you want her to have a unique name to encourage character growth, then Tali'Zorah is a good choice. Maybe it will help her deal with petty people in the long run. It could also make her more outgoing, since it takes a lot more guts to say your name is Tali'Zorah than Sarah. Maybe it won't change anything, who knows?


A lot people will know where the name comes from. Mass Effect has been going on for over 6 years, it would be like if you named your kid Kilgore or Vader back when Apocalypse Now or Star Wars came out. Mass effect won't leave the collective consciousness for a long while. This means people will know Tali'Zorah as a first name doesn't make sense.



Edit: Kilgore is a bad example, also I call dibs on that name.





Edit: Edit: There is nothing wrong with getting inspiration from a videogame while name searching. I prefer more subtle names.

I think Ivy, Rayne or Chell work well for girls. BloodRayne would be a really bad name, since it's not actually the character's first name and it's shallow.


I think the general rule for video game names is that