Poll: How do you name your game characters?

[Sariteiya]

I suppose I use a mixture. I have a few standbys, Sariteiya and Aeldas being among them that I use when I don't particularly care. If I'm playing something where there's an established naming lore I usually try to fit in with it. With some games I go default, (Zelda, Final Fantasy etc). Sometimes I just try to make up a name, (As with Shepard), but then I usually end up staring at the naming screen for half an hour trying to make up my mind.

As an odd side note, when I make Sims of a different ethnicity, I research names to try to name them appropriately (Authentic Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern names etc.) For some reason I'm afraid someone will call me on it if I use an Inauthentic name. Like there's some sort of Sims naming police.

 

[micheil3]

I always name my characters after characters in the Shakespearian play Othello, and when given dialogue choices I try to answer as I think the character would have.
Dunno why, its just really fun.

 

[Grayjack]

I name them after characters from another game, except for Final Fantasy VIII. Squall is known as EMO GIT.

 

[Vuliev]

For tabletops, I usually use http://www.behindthename.com/random/ and filter based on the setting of the campaign.

For video games? I really don't know--usually it's just something that sounds nice to me. Kyrena is one that I often use for my female characters; it was the name of my first assassin in D&D, and it just stuck with me. I don't play many games that have customizable names, though. :S

 

[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 :/