Regional Naming Conventions?

[NoteworthyFellow]

There are some tribes that have documented naming traditions, and I think that's pretty cool. What I wonder is: what about Allanak and Tuluk? Are naming trends different in those cities? Are some names more Allanaki and others more Tuluki?

Or how about parents naming children after local heroes? I'm not sure an Allanaki commoner would name her son Samos, no matter how famous the templar was, because something tells me naming a commoner after a templar would be seen as an insult; but what about naming a son Paryl, after the famous soldier?

[slipshod]

There are some tribes that have documented naming traditions, and I think that's pretty cool. What I wonder is: what about Allanak and Tuluk? Are naming trends different in those cities? Are some names more Allanaki and others more Tuluki?

Or how about parents naming children after local heroes? I'm not sure an Allanaki commoner would name her son Samos, no matter how famous the templar was, because something tells me naming a commoner after a templar would be seen as an insult; but what about naming a son Paryl, after the famous soldier?

Generally, northern names seem to be shorter than southern names.  Many figures in the histories of both city-states follow this pattern - 1 syllable names in Tuluk, 2+ syllable names in Allanak.
I can't think of any documented naming conventions for the two centers of civilization, but there are some other trends.  In Allanak, for example, it seems fashionable to give Highborn children three part names.  Allanak nobles seem to enjoy having long pretentious names to attach to their titles, like Lord Heir Antonulla Melophonios Oash or Lord Templar Balligulon Trapponiclus Borsail.  One does not see the middle names in Tuluki society.

I don't think there is anything at all wrong with naming children after local heroes.  That's been a pretty common method in various earth cultures.  But maybe it should be done in the Greek tradition, where you change the name a little bit each time you use it  (Aristocles was named after his father Ariston).  In this way, you might further avoid upsetting a Templar.  Name your kid Melet instead of Meleth, or Hathos instead of Hathor, or Tekton instead of Tektolnes.

[Saellyn]

There are some tribes that have documented naming traditions, and I think that's pretty cool. What I wonder is: what about Allanak and Tuluk? Are naming trends different in those cities? Are some names more Allanaki and others more Tuluki?

Or how about parents naming children after local heroes? I'm not sure an Allanaki commoner would name her son Samos, no matter how famous the templar was, because something tells me naming a commoner after a templar would be seen as an insult; but what about naming a son Paryl, after the famous soldier?

Generally, northern names seem to be shorter than southern names.  Many figures in the histories of both city-states follow this pattern - 1 syllable names in Tuluk, 2+ syllable names in Allanak.
I can't think of any documented naming conventions for the two centers of civilization, but there are some other trends.  In Allanak, for example, it seems fashionable to give Highborn children three part names.  Allanak nobles seem to enjoy having long pretentious names to attach to their titles, like Lord Heir Antonulla Melophonios Oash or Lord Templar Balligulon Trapponiclus Borsail.  One does not see the middle names in Tuluki society.

I don't think there is anything at all wrong with naming children after local heroes.  That's been a pretty common method in various earth cultures.  But maybe it should be done in the Greek tradition, where you change the name a little bit each time you use it  (Aristocles was named after his father Ariston).  In this way, you might further avoid upsetting a Templar.  Name your kid Melet instead of Meleth, or Hathos instead of Hathor, or Tekton instead of Tektolnes.

I'm sorry, but I would NEVER name my kid after Tektolnes - even if it is Tekton. SOME wiseguy Templar is gonna figure it out and you're gonna get blown up by the Sorcerer king.

[NoteworthyFellow]

I'd actually considered that--what it'd be like to name your kid Tektolnes or Muk Utep or something. I imagine it'd be a bit like a Christian naming their child "Yahweh." You just don't do it.

[slipshod]

It used to be common in earth history, at least for the aristocracy, to honor the king by naming your children after him.  I doubt Joe Sixpack could get away with naming his kid Tekton, but if some Valika wanted to honor the king by naming their son some variation of Tektolnes, I wouldn't be as scared of the consequences.  Well... maybe....

[NoteworthyFellow]

It used to be common in earth history, at least for the aristocracy, to honor the king by naming your children after him.  I doubt Joe Sixpack could get away with naming his kid Tekton, but if some Valika wanted to honor the king by naming their son some variation of Tektolnes, I wouldn't be as scared of the consequences.  Well... maybe....

I think a noble could probably get away with it, sure, but I don't think a commoner could.

[MarshallDFX]

South:  Amos (pronounced A-mos)
North:  Amos (pronounced A-mus)

[slipshod]

South: Amos
North: Malik


I think, taken on the whole and looking at historic personalities, northern names are more Egyptian/Persian sounding, while southern names are more Greek/Roman sounding.

Though, this is certainly not a hard and fast rule, and I can think of exceptions.

[brytta.leofa]

I'd actually considered that--what it'd be like to name your kid Tektolnes or Muk Utep or something.

In real life, Jesús and Mohammed are very common names.

[Qzzrbl]

I'd actually considered that--what it'd be like to name your kid Tektolnes or Muk Utep or something.

In real life, Jesús and Mohammed are very common names.

But you never hear of any kids named "God", now do you? o:

[Akaramu]

But you never hear of any kids named "God", now do you? o:

There was a kid named 'Google'. According to new (not serious) religious theories, that's almost the same. 

[Xeran Van Houten]

I know of at least one person (female) named "Usnavy"... 

[IntuitiveApathy]

I know of at least one person (female) named "Usnavy"... 

[brytta.leofa]

I know of at least one person (female) named "Usnavy"... 

Giving your kid a name like that is just unsavvy.

[Niamh]

Generally, northern names seem to be shorter than southern names.  Many figures in the histories of both city-states follow this pattern - 1 syllable names in Tuluk, 2+ syllable names in Allanak.

That seems to be backward, if you look at the names of the noble Houses in both cities.

[Barzalene]

Generally, northern names seem to be shorter than southern names.  Many figures in the histories of both city-states follow this pattern - 1 syllable names in Tuluk, 2+ syllable names in Allanak.

That seems to be backward, if you look at the names of the noble Houses in both cities.

Maybe that's why. If if takes five minutes to say your last name, you would never get anywhere if you had a first name to match. It would take everyone till lunch to say good morning. Especially when you add in the titles.

[Winterless]

As a personal preference, I tend to name my PCs in a certain way according to where they are from.

Southern - Arabic
Northern - Indian
Tribal - Native American
etc.

[brytta.leofa]

I'm not always that careful, but I've several times taken Arabic or Czech names for my southerners and Iranian / Pakistani / tough hillfolk names for my tribal middlin'ers.

[Is Friday]

Wow dudes... I just smash letters together to make names.

[TOOL]

I usually pull mine from a list of masculine arabic names when making any character not traditionally from a city.

[Saellyn]

... Tool, your name was -not- masculine. It was ultimately the most feminine name -ever-.

And yeah, like Is Friday, I just kind of mash letters together and get names.

Like Moruveki. Who is not a char IG. But I did make that name up.

[Aaron Goulet]

Usually, I use this random name generator, hitting refresh many, many times until I find a name that "feels" right: http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/.  I cannot honestly say that I use an elaborate method to pick names based on region, but this thread has me starting to believe that I should.

[Jdr]

I make names that sound really cool to me, for example, 'I should make a stone elementalist girl! What's a cool name for her. Uh. Beryl! That sounds bumpkin enough.'

And then realizing later it's a name of a bloody stone. God, what a newb I felt like.

[Winterless]

Uh. Beryl!

And then realizing later it's a name of a bloody stone. God, what a newb I felt like.

I remember her... and I thought that was why you chose that name. lol I thought it fit well.

[Is Friday]

my sig .......... ----------v

[AmandaGreathouse]

I make names that sound really cool to me, for example, 'I should make a stone elementalist girl! What's a cool name for her. Uh. Beryl! That sounds bumpkin enough.'

And then realizing later it's a name of a bloody stone. God, what a newb I felt like.

Holy crap, I think I remember her, too.

[brytta.leofa]

I make names that sound really cool to me, for example, 'I should make a stone elementalist girl! What's a cool name for her. Uh. Beryl! That sounds bumpkin enough.'

And then realizing later it's a name of a bloody stone. God, what a newb I felt like.

Holy crap, I think I remember her, too.

As do I.  I only wish my PC at the time had survived long enough to find opportunities to boss her around.

[FantasyWriter]

I think, taken on the whole and looking at historic personalities, northern names are more Egyptian/Persian sounding, while southern names are more Greek/Roman sounding.

I'm in agreement with this.

[gfair]

I think, taken on the whole and looking at historic personalities, northern names are more Egyptian/Persian sounding, while southern names are more Greek/Roman sounding.

I don't see any strong correlation. The range of names present has never struck me as being from any region of our world, they have been myriad and diverse. As long as the name sounds tribal, and not contemporary or appearing near to fiction, it's a good name.

There is one naming convention in our world that follows naming children after the wealthy. The name "Tyrone" for example, is a very high-brow English name that poor families would give to their children. It's a bit like the whole Rude Boy concept of people dressing above their income / class level to present the image of a sharp, wealthy person. The name did that early on, but after heavy use it loses its luster.

[Bogre]

I think one thing that could show some regional differences would be people named after objects or nature:

Nak: Sid, Rat, Red, Sand, Spider

Tuluk: Horta, Thorn, Baobab, Shik

[FantasyWriter]

Egyptian Names: http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/pg1/Egyptian-names.asp
Persian Names: http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/searchresults.asp

You can look up any culture but selecting the nation of the "Origin" Box here: http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/babynames.asp