Interesting Character Names

[Matthias]

Ever since I read The Chrons I've been fascinated with the names of characters in authors' books. the name "Thomas Covenant" isn't really a common name, of course. There are some main characters who have sort of dull names like "Richard" "Paul" "John" and whatnot, but I'm just curious as to what other names of books that [you] might have read.

It doesn't have to be from published books, but can be from your work as well.

i.e. Jonathan Creed, Timotheus Finch.

[ur-monkey]

There are some great sounding names in Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts' Empire series...

for example,

Hochopepa
Axantucar
Xacatecas
Shinzawai
Buntokapi
Ichindar

and many more Truly wonderful names IMO. They tend to sound kind of Mexican or Japanese to my mind...

[Lord Mhoram]

I like Anomander Rake, myself.

[ur-monkey]

Anomander Rake? That can't be random! Gotta be some story behind a name like that...

[Lord Mhoram]

I have no idea. Seems pretty random to me. (From Malazan by Erikson, btw.)

[I'm Murrin]

Full name: Anomandaris Irake. Apparently just intended to sound somewhat draconic, rather than having a meaning.

[ur-monkey]

It's a name that tugs just outside the edge of my understanding (the understanding of which I have a hunch might give me a bit of a giggle) - a bit like Douglas Adams' 'Slartibartfast'.

Keep meaning to get round to reading some Eriksen, but haven't yet...

[I'm Murrin]

Think Salamander Drake, heh.


Here's one: Cnaiür urs Skiötha.
It's a great name to say, rolling the vowel sound around in your mouth. From Bakker's series; Bakker puts a lot of effort into his names, making names of each race or nation have their own recognisable characteristics without sounding fake. Lots of names with a great feel to them: Drusas Achamian. Anasûrimbor Kellhus. Eleäzaras. Cememketri. Xinemus. Nersei Proyas. And so on.

[Holsety]

Matthias, if you ever read Donaldson's The Gap series, his name has a rather humorous story of how he came up with the names of the three central characters (immaculate conception pretty much sums it up).

Here's one: Cnaiür urs Skiötha.
It's a great name to say, rolling the vowel sound around in your mouth. From Bakker's series; Bakker puts a lot of effort into his names, making names of each race or nation have their own recognisable characteristics without sounding fake. Lots of names with a great feel to them: Drusas Achamian. Anasûrimbor Kellhus. Eleäzaras. Cememketri. Xinemus. Nersei Proyas. And so on.

There are a few which sound really absurd IMO (Moenghus) but all fantasy series have that, and most of Bakker's are very well made.

Ikurei Conphas is probably my favorite name after Cnaiur (too lazy to do accents ).

Another one I love is "Bazil Broketail", the name of a wyvern dragon in the series by that name.

[Lord Mhoram]

I'll never forget F'nor and F'lar from the first "Pern" novel.

[storm]

Drizzt Do'Urden
Artemis Entreri

...i like Salvatore's stuff, Artemis is one of my all time favorite bad guys...i'd like to have him and Snape over for Beer and Pizza.

[stonemaybe]

What about ol' Zaphod Beeblebrox?

Manannan McLir (from Kenneth Flint's Sidhe series)

Galadriel

Lyra Silvertongue

Smaug

I much prefer fantasy characters to have made up names rather that Richard, John, etc.

[Zarathustra]

Yes, I’ve put way too much time into this post. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. No one can beat Tolkien. Just looking up how to spell his names sent me off on tangents, admiring all the detail. Not only did he have the best character names of all time, he gave every horse, every sword, every flower, every scrap of real estate, river, mountain, hill, hillock, down . . . the coolest name ever.


My three favorites character names of all time:

Idril Celebrindal
Gildol Inglorien
Luthien Tinuviel

Honourable mention:
Iluvatar
Yavanna Kementari
Manwe Sulimo
Ungoliant
Elentari “Star-Queen”
Elladan
Celebrian
Eldarien
Ar-Pharazon
Glorfindel
Silmarien
Thorin Oakenshield
Camellia Baggins
Esmerelda Brandybuck
Tom Bombadil
Gollum
Gandalf
Mithrandir “Grey Pilgrim”
Olorin
Radagast the Brown
Thorondor ‘King-of-eagles’
Thranduil (King of the Silvan Elves in Mirkwoord, Legolas’ dad)
Elessar “Elf-Stone” (Aragorn)
Nimrodel (Both the river, and the elf maiden)


Place names:
Imladris
Lothlorien
Beleriand
Doriath
Ossiriand ‘Land-of-the-seven-rivers’
Nargothrond ‘Hall-of-Stone-and-Fire’
Valinor ‘Land-of-the-Valar”
Calacirya ‘Light-cleft’
Eldamar ‘Elven Home’
Numenor
Annuminas
Dwarrowdelf
Rhovanion
Caras Galadhon ‘The City of Trees,’
Isengard
Fields of Pelennor
Ithilien ‘Land-of-the-Moon’
Osgiliath ‘Citadel-of-the-Stars’
Imlad Morgul
Gorgoroth ‘Haunted Plain’
Greenwood the Great (Even when he’s not trying, he’s the man.)


#1 most evil place-name ever created by anyone:
Thangordrim

Rivers:
Esgalduin (That’s right, a freakin river. Beat that.)
Silverlode
Mitheithel
Morgulduin

Trees:
Galathilion
Telperion
Nimloth


Mountains:
Ered Nimrais
Orodruin
Taniquetil ‘High-white-peak,’ in Valinor
Oiolosse ‘Mount Everwhite’ in Valinor


The month of October (I’m not making this sh*t up):
Narquelie


January is not bad either:
Narvinye


Coolest way to say goodbye:
Namarie

(For those still reading, yes, I ended up on the "n's" in my Tolkien Companion after flipping back and forth many times.)

[CovenantJr]

From The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead:

Myrddin Emrys
Pendaran Gleddyvrudd
Twrch Trwyth

[stonemaybe]

Malik wrote:

Rivers:
Esgalduin (That’s right, a freakin river. Beat that.)
Silverlode
Mitheithel
Morgulduin

I thought it was great the way the Branduin (Baraduin?) was colloquialised (????) by the hobbits to the Brandywine.

[Fist and Faith]

Simon Bar Sinister has always been a favorite of mine.

[ur-monkey]

Doh! How could I forget the mighty Julian May's most insubstantial characters - these beings were so advanced, their names were abstract concepts of personality (or something... ):

Asymptotic Essence
Noetic Concordance
Homologous Trend
Eupathic Impulse
Resolute Mandament

and, of course,

Atoning Unifex, the Mac Daddy of them all!

[Zarathustra]

"Noetic concordance" is really cool. I might have to read some of this author for that name alone.

[Fist and Faith]

I would read beyond Jack the Bodiless if it was still in print. I suppose I'll get used copies at some point. It really was a lot of fun.

[Avatar]

Well, the Julian May post reminded me of these (reproduced from posts by LoreMaster and Nav) names from the Culture Ships in the Iain M Banks novels:

GCU Nervous Energy
GCU Prosthetic Conscience
GSV The Ends Of Invention [ex-Culture]
GSV Eschatologist (temporary name)
GSV Irregular Apocalyse
GSV No More Mr Nice Guy
GSV Determinist
GSV Bora Horza Gobuchul
LSV Profit Margin
ROU Trade Surplus
ROU Revisionist

Clipper Screw Loose
GCU Flexible Demeanour
GCU Just Read The Instructions
GCU Of Course I Still Love You
GOU Limiting Factor
GSV Cargo Cult
GSV Little Rascal
GSV So Much For Subtlety
GSV Unfortunate Conflict Of Evidence
GSV Youthful Indiscretion
LOU Gunboat Diplomat
dROU Zealot
Superlifter Kiss My Ass
Superlifter Prime Mover

GCU Different Tan (Mountain Class)
GCU Fate Amenable To Change (River Class)
GCU Gray Area
GCU It's Character Forming
GCU Jaundiced Outlook (Ridge)
GCU Problem Child (Troubadour)
GCU Reasonable Excuse
GCU Recent Convert
GCU Tactical Grace (Escarpment Class)
GCU Unacceptable Behaviour
GCV Steely Glint (Plains)

Highpoint (ulterior)
Shoot Them Later (eccentric; ulterior)

LOU Attitude Adjuster (Killer)
ROU Killing Time (Torturer Class)
dROU Frank Exchange Of Views
(Psychopath Class)

GSV Anticipation Of A New Lover's
Arrival, The (Plate)
GSV Death and Gravity
GSV Ethics Gradient (Range)
GSV Honest Mistake
GSV Limivourous (Ocean)
GSV No Fixed Abode
(Sabbaticaler, ex Equator)
GSV Quietly Confident (Plate)
GSV Sleeper Service (Plate)
GSV Uninvited Guest
GSV Use Psychology
GSV What Is The Answer and Why?
GSV Wisdom Like Silence (Continent)
GSV Yawning Angel (Range)
GSV Zero Gravitas
LSV Misophist
LSV Serious Callers Only (Tundra)
MSV Not Invented Here (Desert)

GCU Just Testing
dROU Xenophobe
GCV Very Little Gravitas Indeed
GSV What Are The Civilian Applications?
GSV Congenital Optimist
GSV Size Isn't Everything
GCU Sweet and Full of Grace

Nuisance Value
Vulgarian
Sanctioned Parts List
Resistance Is Character-Forming
All Through With This Niceness And Negotiation Stuff
Someone Else's Problem
Lacking That Small Match Temperament
Poke It With A Stick
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick
Hand Me The Gun And Ask Me Again
But Who's Counting?
Germane Riposte
We Haven't Met But You're A Great Fan Of Mine
All The Same, I Saw It First
Ravished By The Sheer Implausibility Of That Last Statement
Zero Credibility
Charming But Irrational
Demented But Determined
You May Not Be The Coolest Person Here
Lucid Nonsense
Awkward Customer
Thorough But ... Unreliable
Advanced Case Of Chronic Patheticism
Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory
Conventional Wisdom
In One Ear
Fine Till You Came Along
I Blame The Parents
Inappropriate Response
A Momentary Lapse Of Sanity
Lapsed Pacifist
Reformed Nice Guy
Pride Comes Before A Fall
Injury Time
Now Look What You've Made Me Do
Kiss This Then
Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall

--A