What Do You Name Your RPG Characters?

[Da Orky Man]

For a male, usually Alexander or Andrew, simply because I like the names. For a female, I usually go for Karan, in fond remembrance of Homeworld.
I have also been known to use the surname Highfall, again in remembrance of a space-sim that nobody else I have met in real-life has ever actually played, with only one IRL person I know having even heard of it.

 

[not_you]

I always name my RPG Characters Luyo...

Why?
Well, it was the main character of a story I wrote years back...

So what does that mean today?

Nothing...
absolutely nothing....

 

[saintdane05]

Usually, it is the default name. Sometimes I like to get jokey. Like when I named my Khajiit in Skrim Katia.

[http://postimage.org/]

[http://postimage.org/]
Mine is a little less badass, though.

 

[nat_401]

I just use Nat as my name, good thing Nat can apply to men and woman, yeah I have no imagination, naming all of my characters, male or female, after myself. It seems to work for me though, I can relate to my character better if I address them with my own name.

 

[Candidus]

Two female names. No others, and no male names at all.

Andine and Cindel.

In the event that I have to use a male character, I go with the default.

 

[freaper]

Usually, it is the default name. Sometimes I like to get jokey. Like when I named my Khajiit in Skrim Katia.

Spoiler

[http://postimage.org/]

[http://postimage.org/]

Mine is a little less badass, though.

Compared to the drawing, the Khajiit looks like a meth junky.

OT: It depends on the game and the class/race/gender I'm playing. Usually I try to make it fit the lore and feel of the game. I also generally dislike "Poopiebutts" or "LolIKILLUdeaD" names.

 

[KriticalKiwi]

The way I play my character in RPG's largely depends on how I name them. When I named my fallout char serenity, I played a neutral, mediator character, named my next Suffering and killed everything that moved. Currently playing Skyrim as Groetus, named after the God of End Times in the Pathfinder tabletop RPG, a werewolf/cavalier. Naming really helps me get into the character and "Roleplay," so it means a lot to me.

 

[saintdane05]

Usually, it is the default name. Sometimes I like to get jokey. Like when I named my Khajiit in Skrim Katia.

Spoiler

[http://postimage.org/]

[http://postimage.org/]

Mine is a little less badass, though.

Compared to the drawing, the Khajiit looks like a meth junky.

OT: It depends on the game and the class/race/gender I'm playing. Usually I try to make it fit the lore and feel of the game. I also generally dislike "Poopiebutts" or "LolIKILLUdeaD" names.

I tried my best to have a pure orange look. I think I failed.
CAPATCHA: STRIKE THREE

Oh, God, Sharon Miller! Don't kill me!
(lolthomasandfriendsjoke)

 

[Lliustril]

Lliustril. I find choosing a name stressful, so when I found one I liked I stuck with it. It works for almost anything, except in games where your a group/empire etc.

I began using it when I needed a name for, I think, Guild Wars 2. Its from a random name generator. Suffice to say I've never had an issue with the name already being taken.

 

[C4tt4nn4]

For some reason, I find myself using the name "Kosk" a lot. I don't know why I came up with it; it just randomly popped into my head one day, and I decided I liked the sound of it.

More recently, I've been using the name "Anomander", in reference to a character from the book series I'm currently reading. Even though the characters I make never match the awesomeness of their namesake, I still like to use it.

I'm also fond of the name "Pearl". I first used it in Pokemon Pearl, as a little joke. The protagonist of Pokemon Red was named "Red", so I thought I'd name the protagonist of Pokemon Pearl "Pearl". While the joke was admittedly unfunny and I should be ashamed of myself for thinking of it, I did come to like the way the word sounded when used as a name. It has a short, snappy nickname-ish sort of sound to it.

(Coincidentally, Pearl is also the name of another character from the book series I'm currently reading. Kind of funny, considering I first played Pokemon Pearl about five years ago, and only started reading that series a few months ago.)

you're reading the malazan book of the fallen, aren't you? I still haven't gotten over my residual grief from those books, and I read them over a year ago. its great stuff, in other words. I won't spoil it, but you are in for one hell of a ride.

OT; I usually end up naming my characters the first thing that comes to mind, which is usually the name of a character from somewhere else. for example, one of my shepards is called "delilah" because "hey there delilah" was playing on the radio (bad, I know). sometimes, i get more ambitious, such as naming Hawke from dragon age "Toma", but usually i dont deviate from this.

 

[omegaweopon]

I started with the name Zonata a few years back when playing a game of Secret of Mana, and I tried to name the main character "Zonathan" it was too large, and it just left the screen saying Zonata. Eventually Zonata was forced to take on a last name by many games, so Zonata Cale is now what is primarily her name. Though it's kinda gender neutral, so it goes both ways.

Backup name is Junou. No idea why I chose this name, but I did it when building an alt on Kingdom of Loathing.

Another name I use a lot is Adumbration, which means to fade out, and it is perfect for assassins and rogues.

Otherwise, I can get a bit lore specific with my names. Such as in Wakfu naming a character Codger because the character class was an old man, and the game had more of a humorous flair to it.

 

[stormeris]

I name myself "Juodvarnis" or "Juodas Varnas", which means Black Raven or just Raven... In Lithuanian.
I just like Ravens and Crows, beautiful birds.

Unless the character already has a preset surname, then I call him "Daniel" which is the English version of my actual name "Danielius". So yeah.

 

[Mareon]

I named my Shepard in Mass Effect "Cassandra". Seemed fitting.

 

[kommando367]

K + random number combo because I ain't got time to get creative with names.

 

[SonofaJohannes]

If there's a default name I go with that, otherwise I usually name them Nick. It's a good name, nice and short.

 

[Shinclone]

Well in Fallout I used the name Mr. Bond as it looked awesome when being spoken to by NPC's. Plus there's that but with the Bishop women in Fallout 2 where seeing "Mmmm, Mr. Bond" made me laugh a little more than I should have.
Otherwise I usually go with the name Cain for a guy or Imoen for a woman. Though not in Baldurs Gate of course.

 

[LadyTiamat]

It varies alot on my mood and how invested, it could be the name of some obscure god/goddess relating to what I role play in the game or something that sounds interesting - like my khajiit brawler was called L'yrin


but if its a female mage it will be called 'Akeldama'

First name I gave on my first play through on dragon age origins and got me into the D & D RPGs. It means field of blood and its the name of where Judas Iscariot was 'rewarded' of death for betraying Jesus. Tiamat is also a personal fav: Mesopotamian Mother dragon of the primordial ocean/chaos.

 

[Zeh Don]

I break all RPGs down into three groups: Bethesda RPGs, JRPGs and MMOs.

For MMOs, I usually research the Lore of the world prior, and pick something I like from some of languages included. For example, I used Durdaras in Lord of the Rings Online. I eventually gave him a surname, Whittlebark.

JRPGs, I stick with the default names. No exceptions.

For Bethesda RPGs, I always use Chubs McGee. A friend of mine and I used to love playing Bethesda's RPGs - we lived for the Elder Scrolls. My character was always Chester Van Dorn and his was always Chubs McGee. A few years ago he committed suicide, and I decided to use his character name whenever they released a new game. That way, in some way at least, he was getting to enjoy them a little bit. Silly, I know.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

For the elder scrolls, I usually use the Tamriel rebuilt name generator, then work from there.

For Fallout 3 and NV, I type the first name I think of.
For example my first character in Fallout 3 was called Jack. What I consider to be a rather unremarkable name, but I stuck with it and it oddly fit the character. Jack was a badass.

Of course these rules are not set in stone, I will occasionally make a new name up on the spot.

 

[Jon Solmundson]

Depends on the game, and on what books I've been reading.

Games I want to be emotionally invested in I'll usually leave default or - depending on thematic appropriateness - replace it with my own name.

Otherwise it's all jokes all the time. More recently I've been using "Valued Client" so the quest-givers all sound like socially awkward used car salesmen. Starting up Expiditions: Conquistador, I wanted to use my own name but it wasn't suitably hispanic. I modified it a bit, but it still sounded a little try-hard. So, taking a leaf from Shadows of the Damned I made it "Jonas Flaming Salamander"

It's pretty much the best thing when people talk about how much they respect Mr. Flaming Salamander.