From Assult to Ziel
March 18, 2016 7:41 PM Subscribe
But then how will readers appreciate the subtle and multi-layered jokes and meaning I weave into character names if I just select them randomly like people don't read stories with an entomology dictionary and History Of Italian-Jewish surnames by their side?
HARUMPH.
posted by The Whelk at 8:19 PM on March 18, 2016 [10 favorites]
HARUMPH.
posted by The Whelk at 8:19 PM on March 18, 2016 [10 favorites]
Nobody's ever going to come up with a better name than Werewolf McWerewolf.
posted by Sequence at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Sequence at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2016 [7 favorites]
an entomology dictionary
You name all your characters after insects?
posted by NMcCoy at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2016 [11 favorites]
You name all your characters after insects?
posted by NMcCoy at 8:27 PM on March 18, 2016 [11 favorites]
Also, one of the names it gave me was Haughey, so clearly they knew what they were doing.
posted by NMcCoy at 8:30 PM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by NMcCoy at 8:30 PM on March 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
The insects clearly give penetrating insight into thier character obviously
posted by The Whelk at 8:39 PM on March 18, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:39 PM on March 18, 2016 [5 favorites]
penetrating insight
Bedbugs, are they?
posted by ocherdraco at 8:46 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Bedbugs, are they?
posted by ocherdraco at 8:46 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
find the perfect last name for a character!
I've found that a walk through a cemetery is good for this.
Clement, Domsky, Matias, Hillford, Cabral, Elon, Widdick, Willoughby ... (as noted about five years ago).
posted by philip-random at 9:13 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've found that a walk through a cemetery is good for this.
Clement, Domsky, Matias, Hillford, Cabral, Elon, Widdick, Willoughby ... (as noted about five years ago).
posted by philip-random at 9:13 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Alicia Firecrotch and Pallet Truc showed up on the first page for me. So those are two D&D characters I can tuck under my belt.
I have a friend who spends at least an hour on any character creator in any game and at least ten minutes of that is figuring out the name. She might like this. It's infinitely better than my suggestions (my cat's name, repeatedly).
posted by Neronomius at 9:18 PM on March 18, 2016 [5 favorites]
I have a friend who spends at least an hour on any character creator in any game and at least ten minutes of that is figuring out the name. She might like this. It's infinitely better than my suggestions (my cat's name, repeatedly).
posted by Neronomius at 9:18 PM on March 18, 2016 [5 favorites]
Hmmm....Lyonesse Catchpole. Well at least I know my character's porn name.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:29 PM on March 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:29 PM on March 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
Medusa Sedusa is absolutely going to be my stripper name, excellent
posted by Hermione Granger at 10:39 PM on March 18, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 10:39 PM on March 18, 2016 [9 favorites]
the first page it gave me had Slutbag and Noklevername as options, so I'm really not sure where it's getting these names...
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 10:58 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 10:58 PM on March 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Mr. Boxx's and Mr. Kilik's (the Boxx-Kiliks) kids are going to go through life never once having their last name spelt correctly. Maybe they'll get along well with their neighbours the Turnipseed-Iunderstand family.
posted by Mitheral at 11:23 PM on March 18, 2016
posted by Mitheral at 11:23 PM on March 18, 2016
Though I bet they don't get along with the Manhammer-Bananahammocks across the street.
posted by Mitheral at 11:32 PM on March 18, 2016
posted by Mitheral at 11:32 PM on March 18, 2016
I always wanted to have a character named Fuentes and another named del Fuego and together they'd have a steamy romance.
posted by mochapickle at 11:35 PM on March 18, 2016
posted by mochapickle at 11:35 PM on March 18, 2016
the first page it gave me had Slutbag and Noklevername as options, so I'm really not sure where it's getting these names...
...of the Stonegate Slutbags?
posted by rhizome at 11:53 PM on March 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
...of the Stonegate Slutbags?
posted by rhizome at 11:53 PM on March 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
Ah yes of course, the famous comedy fantasy writer Berry Pritchett.
posted by Dee Grim at 12:25 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Dee Grim at 12:25 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
I generally use Wikipedia's lists, of Austrian classical oboists, say. Sometimes I'll throw in a Belgian poet.
posted by Segundus at 12:50 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Segundus at 12:50 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sir, I have reason to believe that Nomdeplume is not your real name...
posted by nfalkner at 12:51 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by nfalkner at 12:51 AM on March 19, 2016
I generally use Wikipedia's lists, of Austrian classical oboists, say.
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of England is my go-to for aristocratic villains and Slytherin self-inserts.
posted by Iridic at 1:28 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
List of baronetcies in the Baronetage of England is my go-to for aristocratic villains and Slytherin self-inserts.
posted by Iridic at 1:28 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
I saw all of the following:
Vandelay
Taliban
Pythonesque
Krabapple
Spongebob
Tupperware
Cheesesteaks
Wednesdays
Ebay
I really think someone just downloaded data dumps of Wikipedia and IMDB and put them in a blender.
posted by Rhomboid at 1:40 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Vandelay
Taliban
Pythonesque
Krabapple
Spongebob
Tupperware
Cheesesteaks
Wednesdays
Ebay
I really think someone just downloaded data dumps of Wikipedia and IMDB and put them in a blender.
posted by Rhomboid at 1:40 AM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Speedy Stonebreaker Shieldmaiden. This shall be my nom de plume. And the protagonist of my debut novel will be called John. Not sure about the last name yet, possibly Smith.
posted by sapagan at 2:17 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sapagan at 2:17 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Lemme try this out...
"Richard Freezie-Satanspawn, world renowned entomologist, stepped back from the fascinating insect that it was his life's work to study."
Seems legit.
posted by howfar at 2:38 AM on March 19, 2016
"Richard Freezie-Satanspawn, world renowned entomologist, stepped back from the fascinating insect that it was his life's work to study."
Seems legit.
posted by howfar at 2:38 AM on March 19, 2016
Yeah, a disproportionate number of these are famous actors' names. Although I did get Swedenborg on the first page and I approve, Swedish utopianists who only accept hymns sung in unaccompanied four-part harmony don't get nearly enough respect.
Although it'd be a tough name to use in a story: "Wait, is the author implying that this character's family came to the US as part of a Swedenborgian utopian commune of Swedish immigrants who were persecuted by their Lutheran neighbors both in Sweden and the US for their mysticism, or that he's just weirdly anti-piano?"
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:04 AM on March 19, 2016
Although it'd be a tough name to use in a story: "Wait, is the author implying that this character's family came to the US as part of a Swedenborgian utopian commune of Swedish immigrants who were persecuted by their Lutheran neighbors both in Sweden and the US for their mysticism, or that he's just weirdly anti-piano?"
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:04 AM on March 19, 2016
I also got Tacitus, Festivus, Ethelred, Blitzball, Quickclaw, and Grumpypants. And Yggdrasil. As well as Staduim and Univeristy. And Methuselah, which is obviously a first name.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:08 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:08 AM on March 19, 2016
I don't really need this. The protagonist of my first novel will be Joey Bananahammock.
posted by double block and bleed at 5:13 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by double block and bleed at 5:13 AM on March 19, 2016
Who needs an internet database when you can get inspiration from a hair dryer?
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 7:45 AM on March 19, 2016
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 7:45 AM on March 19, 2016
> I've found that a walk through a cemetery is good for this.
In the cemetery around the corner from our house there's a headstone with the simple inscription DEADY; we pointed this out to friends of ours, and now every time they visit their kids make them detour to see the DEADY stone.
posted by languagehat at 7:49 AM on March 19, 2016 [4 favorites]
In the cemetery around the corner from our house there's a headstone with the simple inscription DEADY; we pointed this out to friends of ours, and now every time they visit their kids make them detour to see the DEADY stone.
posted by languagehat at 7:49 AM on March 19, 2016 [4 favorites]
I always wanted to have a character named Fuentes and another named del Fuego and together they'd have a steamy romance.
Isn't del Fuego the product of Fuentes' romance with someone else?
posted by kenko at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Isn't del Fuego the product of Fuentes' romance with someone else?
posted by kenko at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Phillip Oliver O'Pennings
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:08 AM on March 20, 2016
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:08 AM on March 20, 2016
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posted by sammyo at 8:05 PM on March 18, 2016 [4 favorites]