Poll: How do you name your game characters?

[Telemachus]

I have 3 i re-use for each new game.
Telemachus (nick-name in school)
Faceown (cause it's awesome)
Squisgar (if you know where this is from, your metal)

 

[Nikolaj Bilgrau]

In everything but the Legend of Zelda (where Link is named Link, duh) series, I name him/her 'Stregen' ("The Line" in Danish).

 

[SleepyChan]

Well, since I've started playing Oblivion recently, I give some examples of my thought process.

1. Made a female Nord Warrior. I wanted her to be fierce, but noble. Since she was blonde to match her race's description, she reminded me of Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings. She's my own personal Shield-Maiden. So, I named her Eowyn.

2. Female Imperial. Small, pale and intelligent. Named her Elora Danaan after the little Princess from Willow. This was more an emotional naming, rather than practical.

3. Female Wood Elf. She's a murdering thief and an eternal bad-ass. Couldn't think of a name that felt small and deadly like I wanted her to be, so I looked up villain names on Google. The name Ursula popped up. Like it, chose it.

This is my standard procedure. I decide who my character will be and go from there.

 

[lovemyredguitar]

Gayfag is always good, if not that then BAMF works too

 

[DaMan1500]

I'm not very creative, so if a game has multiple entries, I'll name the first one after myself, the second one after my dog, and I'll let a friend name the rest. So, in the Zelda series, Link has my real name in Ocarina of Time, he's named Kojak in Wind Waker, and in Twilight Princess he's Twatzo Magoo.

 

[Laser Priest]

Usually I just combine names that I like and names of people I know.

 

[Rorigon]

With the exception of Zelda games(where I use my real name-just cause it's what I used to do when i was a kid), I have a couple of names that I use whenever playing a game. Rorigon's one of them. I also have a last name that I always use if the option's available("Cornicer").

They're hold overs from my time playing EQ. Rorigon came from the random name generator in that game, and Cornicer I just invented 'cause I like it.

 

[TFielding]

Male characters are Vincent. Males are usually the good character
Female Characters are Evelyn. Females are usually the evil character
I mostly do that because its easier to remember like that and I generally make characters in my image with "my" name first, so Vincent is good because I do good first.
If I am forced to name more, I choose random themes like ancient Romans or politics. I recall having a Pokemon game where I started with the theme of Sarah Palin and went on from there.

 

[SpaceCop]

I've just started re playing X-Com, and to track how long my hapless squaddies survive I've been naming them in themed waves; world leaders, famous painters, Victorian authors, Silent Hill characters, Boondocks characters, etcetera... Captain Gandhi was recently blown up by a Cyberdisc, leaving Sergeant Rembrandt as my current longest surviving member.

 

[ankensam]

always a girl always named FRANK it started in pokemon

 

[Logic 0]

I either use the default names or just come up with whatever is on the top of my head examples include cap-tin, annoyance or incoherent gibberish.

 

[Rule Britannia]

I always use either my name, a funny name (made a character in Oblivion who was meant to resemble Satan so I named him "Stan"), that or use a completely random name like "carl" or "mike".

 

[duowolf]

I usually name my characters after favourite characters from anime or books. Usually use Draco or Tabris at the moment.

 

[TheLoneBeet]

I go default most of the time, but if there isn't a default name I close my eyes and poke a random key on the keyboard and then make up something with whatever I hit as the first letter. If I'm not using a keyboard, it get's a little more difficult..

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

I use the default names in You Dont Know Jack because those are always funny. In Elder Scroll games I normally name my characters with the last name Natch so all my characters are related.
Any other games I name my characters "Phil Atio". cookie for figuring that one out

It's a reference to fillatio. I want that cookie.

Do you really want that cookie? Think about it :/

 

[DementedSheep]

I usually either use the defulat or just go to a name generator and keep clicking randomise until I find something that sounds decent and semi lore friendly.

 

[StormShaun]

I use a mixture of my name but make it sound good like a normal name in the surrounding lore, for Oblivion I used Shaun Stormeth. Was awesome.

 

[loc978]

Depending on the game...

Like some others, I tend to use the default names in RPGs where you play as established characters (most Final Fantasy games, et cetera)... I use lore-friendly names or funny names in online RPGs, depending on the theme of the character... and I use Referential or funny names in single-player RPGs with customizable or faceless characters.

So, every option except my actual name or ordinary names (except in online games where ordinary names are lore-friendly).

 

[Sacman]

Usually I throw a dart at my poster of U.S. Presidents... but sometimes I just use what I think picks... which is what I do for a girl character...<.<

 

[Susurrus]

I tend to use stock names I've created over the years, most of them either having classical or medieval origins, or having been created by the bastardization of the spelling of a certain virtue/characteristic/vice that I want to be a significant element of my character.