Where did you get your WoW name?
Ippy on LJ has been thinking names of late. He asked for people to tell him how they came up with the names for their characters. Coming up with a character name is always a challenge for me. It's not that I don't have ideas, it's just that for the most part, when I start a new alt, they are a blank slate on that character selection screen, and I find it hard to pigeon-hole someone I barely know with a name that might only allow them to play a certain way or take certain talents.
As it turns out, there are all kinds of places that players get their names, from mythology to foreign languages to household pets. I currently tend to use two different types of naming conventions. I have those boring character names I have been toting from game to game with me over the years, and I have the "I should so name a druid Roflmeow" inspiration moments. Yes, I can be silly too on occasion.
In any case, I extend this question to you, the reader. Where do you glean your inspiration for naming your characters? Or are you the brave type to choose names from the randomizer and have done with?
As it turns out, there are all kinds of places that players get their names, from mythology to foreign languages to household pets. I currently tend to use two different types of naming conventions. I have those boring character names I have been toting from game to game with me over the years, and I have the "I should so name a druid Roflmeow" inspiration moments. Yes, I can be silly too on occasion.
In any case, I extend this question to you, the reader. Where do you glean your inspiration for naming your characters? Or are you the brave type to choose names from the randomizer and have done with?


















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
11-14-2007 @ 9:10AM
Brainwrap said...
My main and 1st alt are both inspired by my first job, working at a movie theater. They are projection booth issues, Brainwrap and Chemsplice. Some of my others are either from the randomizer or names of characters from Transformers that I could get through.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:11AM
sezmra said...
I generally use names I've used in all the other MMORPGs I've played... overall dating back to '97.
This name, the one I use most, was formed sometime in '98 from using random columns and rows of letters.
Says-mrah. Not Says Mr. A or Armzes backwards. :P
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11-14-2007 @ 9:12AM
Eildon said...
My main's name 'Eildon' comes from a group of hills in the borders in Scotland near where one side of my family comes from, so it has a personal touch to it plus I thought it sounded very LOTR'ish and honorable for my human pally. My alt gnome rogue's name is Ichabod (big Tim Burton fan) and it's just the funniest name I've ever heard. I plan to call my first born son that, the poor wee tyke :D.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:14AM
Belais said...
When I have to pick a name I try to use a native language from my country (Peru), its Quechua...
I got some alts named that way:
Chaska (flower)
Miska (sweet)
And my main is Laramiel (My real name whith some scrambled letters :P)
by the way... first??
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11-14-2007 @ 9:14AM
Drew said...
I typically use a noun involving the class/race of the character folled by a verb in its participle form. i.e. Skullbasher, Hoofstomper, Braindrainer
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11-14-2007 @ 9:16AM
zerorez said...
I was named something that some people decided was bad and they got together and reported me, I was pulled out of an instance and forced to change it right there. I was angry so I looked up anger in various languages really quick since I had to get back into the instance to help out.
I chose Colere since I am french.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:18AM
Dylan said...
My first character name came right out of the randomizer, just because I found it to be so funny.
My new main though, I took a bit of time with. I named her Stigma because she's a Draenei Shaman, which makes her a bit of an outcast among the alliance.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:21AM
Swarfy said...
Well my druid(First toon I made) is named 'Swarfette', My Significant other, gave me that. My priest came from the nickname my druid got. Instead of calling her swarfette, I was called 'Swarfy'. My pally is a name that I want to give my daughter(If i ever have one).
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11-14-2007 @ 9:22AM
Safety Dancer said...
HA HA HA...well if bliz found out they would probably be a little pissed but my wow name is Rearadmiral (Rogue). It's gotta be painfully obvious why I picked that name. From the shirts that say "Rogues do it from behind" to the fact that a lot of attacks a rogue has you need to be awkwardly positioned around the enemy's ass. Lucky enough for me a "Rear Admiral" is actually a position in of the the branches of Military
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11-14-2007 @ 9:24AM
Marcelo Abans said...
MAbans
Marcelo
Abans
All variations of my name (Marcelo Abans)
The only other name is Sakujo which is for my rogue which means Eliminate in Japanese.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:25AM
Vestras said...
My primary name comes from a short story I had published a long ways back. Other characters names are from various others in that same story, or corruptions of their names since they were taken on the server I was on. A few are reversals of existing words. Arahas for example.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:29AM
Nails said...
Nails - 70 undead rogue - inspired by the spikey hairstyle that i choose for him
Veyron - 41 BE priest - the name of the fastest and most powerful production car ever built
Xeo - 41 draenei priest - just made it up. i wanted something really short
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11-14-2007 @ 9:29AM
Laramiel said...
By the way... all my toon are sweet horde ladies...
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11-14-2007 @ 9:29AM
Metaphyzxx said...
My main's name comes from a contestant off of Americas Next Top Model (Toccara)
Most of my other alts get names from some of the more "obscure" biblical references (Jerubbaal, jechoram, Gehenna and Sheol - hunter team)
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11-14-2007 @ 9:33AM
Station said...
My main's name is from a book, Sandtiger. My alt's name is Ozymandias, from the King of Kings. I also have a rogue called Penzance (from the Pirates of). I have a mage named Nemmerle (from The Saga of Earthsea) and I also have a retadin named Retnoob.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:35AM
Todd Patterson said...
I got my name from the job I had in the Air Force
PMEL
Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory
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11-14-2007 @ 9:39AM
Omeprazole said...
Omeprazole is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease my two other Alts are Losec and Prilosec.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:39AM
Lykaon said...
I usually play female characters. So what I do is start with a female name and then see if I can stick a 'y' in it. That's my system. If no 'y' makes sense, the name is discarded.
I have:
Tabytha
Jynna
Symantha
Aryssa
Lorylai
Then I have my 70 warrior who is named after a Star Trek bit character:
Ziyal
My male character name is one I've used through many games and websites, including my current blog.
'Lykaon' was a greek character who served human flesh to Zeus and was subsequently turned into a wolf. It's also the root of the word lycanthropy. It's an especially good druid name, which is where I use it. Though I never play my poor druid.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:42AM
Ian said...
My backstabber, Epicurias, just came from a love of cooking.
My priest YoureHealed was pretty much self explanatory.
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11-14-2007 @ 9:42AM
Juwon said...
I give my character names because I see the names as funny or the roll the class I pick.
Troll priest called Jimmy Hendrix
Dwarf Paladin called CrusadaNight (could not fit it full name)
Dwarf hunter Dragtarious (combination of my star sign… dragon and Sagittarius)
Female Blood Elf called YoungandFit (cause after me, I am young and fit)
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