The basic theory is that Maldorites use Romance names (Hispanic, particularly), but for some reason my own games always tend towards Germanic when I’m not paying attention. Cities get names ending in “-burg” and so on. It’s probably because fantasy empires are usually German here in Finland or something.
Carlos, Michele, Pedro, Porfirio, Victor, Francisco, Tamim, Alejo, Reinaldo, Saul, Alberto, Anibal, Herminio, Lucio, Rodrigo. Go pure Latin for wizards and other academics if you’d like, Latinizing their given names back into the old language.
Laura, Juanita, Rosamunda, Zelda, Josefina, Cristina, Beatriz, Esther, Zoe, Ana, Isadora, Doroteia, Genoveva, Natalia, Montserrat.
Villanueva, Martinez, Escudero, Cortes, Garcia, Carrion, Martinez, Botella, Pena, Vina. Also form personal compounds from multiple ancestors with the y conjunction; form family names from personal names with the -ez or -es suffix; form noble holdings with the de/del/de la preposition.
Aveiro, Mirandela, Murca, Redondo, Tarazona, Pena Uibino, Tafalla, Herras, Tharais, Lora, Alpera, Palmogo. Combine geographical features (such as “Bosque”, forest) or other names with de for variety or specificity, like “of” in English.
The TSoY theory is that non-humans are just as likely to share the mainstream culture as they are to develop their own, depending on conditions. Consequently we get ratkin adopting human names, which might seem funny to humans. A civilized ratkin might well use the second name of their human best friend, for example.
In practice I often find myself using the sort of animal-sounding guttural, punchy names we’ve all learned from Disney and whatnot. Or purely descriptive primitivist names, “Black Paw” and such. Not an issue as far as I’m considered. Sometimes low-Reason ratkin of mine don’t even have a spoken name, as they don’t strictly speaking need it with their litter.
Ammenites are of Maldorite stock, so their language is Romance like Maldor’s. Theirs is a land of many minorities and cultures, however, so in practice their language sounds exotic to those from Maldor, including foreign clicks and accents.
Kaarlo, Philippe, Amoux, Onfroi, Cador, Edmund, Owain, Montaigu, D’anton, Jarkko, Toussaint, Duval, Quennel, Dacian, Piperel.
Helene, Galatee, Shalott, Celie, Arleta, Eugenia, Sidonie, Rohais, Ruby, Eleta, Ysabel, Zuria, Marquisa, Damia, Aveline. Also use names from any lands Ammenites trade with, as women often take exotic names, or are actually brought from afar.
Valier, Desmarais, Braud, Landry, Nevill, Godott, Somm, Badeh. The family names of high classes originate often from Antiquity (like the House names), or pretend to. House members use the name of the House, possibly barreled with a second name indicating their House branch. While House members are “of the House” with de/du particles, House slaves are “House’s” with the -ae/-e(h) suffix. So “De Braud” for House members, “Braude” for slaves and other property.
People outside the Houses do not use family names, but rather patronymics or (rarely) matronymics. The father’s name gets the -eau/-eh suffix to make a patronymic, like Philipeau or Cadoreh.
Ammeni do not usually name places; rather, they use the native names. New places and things owned by Ammeni might be named for the people owning them, in either possessive or genitive case.
Khalean names are vaguely Celtic, of course. The moiety is more important than specific parentage for most purposes, so a typical name format in intertribal matters could be <position> <first name> of <moiety> in <tribe>. “Bard Nevins of Snake moiety in tribe Luthan”, for example. Alternatively, “Bard Nevins Snake-skin of tribe Luthan” has a nice ring as well. Additional bynames are added, but only for braggarts and people who actually make an appearance in bard songs, in which such are a matter of course.
Pwyll, Nevins, Bowdyn, Gwawl, Aonghus, Morvyn, Dwayne, Kelvin, Keaghan, Brasil, Cathair, Hueil, Donat, Eoghann, Newlyn.
Maeveen, Isolde, Elsha, Aphria, Evelina, Moyna, Deirdre, Jennifer, Wynne, Yseult, Africa, Violet, Donella, Grania, Merna.
Ofaly-nun-Luthan, Veneti-Iam, L’lun-no-Vatic and so on, in descriptive vein. I basically just string sounds together for profit and pleasure when making these up.
Qek names are short, Aztec-sounding, or perhaps South American aboriginal. I haven’t divided them by gender, although the Qek themselves do; I recommend picking a name that sounds good to you.
Ahexotl, Camaxtli, Cocoza, Ecatzin, Guacra, Hobnil,Huemac, Itzcoatl, Maxtla, Mutex, Ocelopan, Rimac, Pusca, Tangaxoan, Tlaloc, Yaotl, Zoltan, Atzi, Centehua, Chantica, Cusi, Itzel, Ixchell, Malinche, Metztli, Nhutalu, Ocllo, Quispe, Runti, Tlaco, Xoco, Ysalane, Zafrina.
Qek name things and places very simply, using descriptive language. It’s best if we do the same. They also have a tendency towards using the name of a person prominently for anything that person owns, lives in, uses or makes. So somebody might have “Chantica pottery”, or live in “Rimac place”.
Zaru do not have family names anymore; they use only one name and an epithet, if necessary: “Quick Adad” or “Aruru Prim”, for example. Ammeni masters refer to the birth plantation of each slave within a House, and to the House between Houses.
Adad, Damuzi, Enki, Nergal, Ziusudra, Shullat, Ardumanish, Thuxra, Vindarna, Kuru, Cyrus, Hakim, Iskinder, Kaleb, Negasi.
Sabit, Delondra, Aruru, Lugalbanda, Nisaba, Parmida, Yasmin, Kiana, Omid, Fiza, Houri, Aisha, Dabit, Yenee, Kassa.
Amami, Jawara, Ikusiha, Odion, Omusupe, Urbi. The names are all literal and descriptive in the language of Zu.
Gorenite names are Germanic, of course. First names in Goren are usually formed of two parts from separate lists. They used to carry a meaning and reflect the hopes of the parents, and often still do in Jošland. A second name is patronymic, although in towns they’ve started to develop into actual surnames.
Bryht, frit, grim, gund, her, hild, maer, ric, sig, wulf, wyn, elf, adel, blith, ceol, coen, cuth, cwic, ead, eald, earn, ecg, fri, gold, holm, heath, heah, hlud, hreth, hroth, hyg, iaru, ing, leof, liut, os, od, rath, seax, wig, theod.
Bryht, frit, grim, gund, her, hild, maer, ric, sig, wulf, wyn, bald, beorn, beorg, brand, by, ferth, flaed, gard, gar, gifu, gyth, helm, heit, hun, lid, laf, mund, noth, raed, stan, swinth, trud, walh, weald, weard, wine.
Names for things and places can well be combined from these as well. I’ve been on a binge of making meaningful names like “Hildearn”, ‘war eagle’ with various dictionaries (and Wikipedia), but don’t let that trip you.
Like ratkin, I seen to end up with folks like “Greypaw” or “Growl” with Vulfen. Why fight the inclination, anyway? The Vulfen don’t care, they probably think that names are uncivilized.
Let’s use Finnic names for the Inuk. The people usually only have one name and perhaps a patronymic, formed with the suffix -nen (male) or -tar (female) out of their parent’s name. A person might also be known by his totem (if he has one) or his village’s totem. “Gull-Jakko”, for instance.
Gusto, Hentto, Eero, Iskko, Junte, Migal, Niba, Niila, Ola, Henri, Ovla, Spenidna, Kola, Vulle, Kari.
Aillun, Bavval, Aira, Diinna, Karen, Mari, Leinna, Henna, Ravna, Riida, Sara, Sikka, Anne, Birre.
Use any of the above names with a suitable suffix: -järv, -jok, -suo, -nava, -kosk, -hank, -ves, -aapa. Use -i- as a connector where necessary.
[[Names_-_Elves?|Names - Elves]]
Vadenites use a mix of Maldorian and Gorenite names, or that’s the theory. When I play they always end up British to some degree, probably because of those sailing ships they make an appearance with. Don’t let that throw you off, though.
Kalderonites use basically Maldorian names, they’re just more classical in form. Feel free to add classical suffixes like -us/ius to taste. They’ve taken lots of influence from the Skironite nomads, of course, but you can take care of that yourself.
Adiran, Estes, Fabian, Janus, Klaud, Leonius, Macarius, Nemo, Ossian, Pacius, Quentin.
Adorna, Fabia, Faustine, Innocentia, Julia, Kalare, Laura, Marina, Narda, Octavia, Palma, Quintessa.
Herenia, Albusium, Skeretis, Lamia, Vormium, Rasis. Kalderonite names are mostly used for places inside Kalderon proper. Most places on the plains use names loaned from Skironites.
The tribes use Turkic language, I think. Definitely something from Central Asia, perhaps by the way of some other area.
Peecha, Dafa, Chora, Tark, Jamaa, Dhayr, Sahih, Mardood, Sa-Peter, Khilaaf, Khushi, Dilkap.
Matruka, Hua, Ilsa, Waseela, Zamana, An’jaam, Qadesha, Phelaa, Jagna, Kishti, Nilam, Shamaen.
Langoor, Peeth, Taeed, Peechay, Hairaan, Chaara, Baajaa, Naanbai, Baalkani, Ghubaara.
The immigrants have names from all over the world, while the Kairakau use Polynesian-sounding names.
Ariki, Hori, Ihorangi, Kauri, Lani, Manu, Oroiti, Tane, Whetu.
Ema, Hine, Inas, Kaimi, Lani, Mahuru, Nani, Rewa, Taranga, Ulani.
Hikura, Aora, Ruahi, Tahuma, Tikiki, Whenua, Pokai. The names are often repeated from island to island and barreled together with the island’s name for specificity when needed.
Define external redirect: Names - Elves