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AekiraSwyfte · **12-01-2015, 01:01 AM**

Aekira's name has undergone a strange evolution over the years. In my tween years, the character that became Aekira Swyfte was a very sad Blood Elf named Akira Silvertalon. Silvertalon, because it sounded appropriately Elf-y and Warcraft-y, and Akira (meaning bright, or clear), because I was a middle school weeaboo who picked an incredibly common Japanese name over anything lore-friendly because, well, that's what I was familiar with, at the time.Â

As I matured, I realized that having an elf with a clearly foreign forename didn't make much sense, and rectified this how? By... sticking an E in the middle of it. I also changed Silvertalon to Swiftblade, because it rolled off the tongue better. Eventually, as I moved out of WoW and into TOR (and later, Final Fantasy), I dropped the 'blade' off the end of his surname and tweaked the spelling of the remaining 'swift' to create something unique. I came up with Swyfte as a result, giving me the current name of the cranky archer I know and love today.

The thought process behind Hiro's name is much shorter, chosen based on the circumstances of his backstory. Matsubara (lit. Pine Rose) came about due to the incident in which he first met his adoptive family, which, as one might guess, involved pine trees and rose bushes. I chose Hiro, like Akira, because it's popular, and in the context it's used in, it makes much more sense.

TinyRedLeaf · **01-19-2016, 11:15 AM**

Like others in this thread, I spend a lot of time crafting names for my RPG characters, and their names are typically linked to their backstories.

Before I started playing, way back in version 1.0, I decided that my character would begin in Limsa Lominsa. Based on what little I knew of the city-state, I imagined it to be a fantasy version of early modern England, a society that was on the cusp of industrialisation.

So, the surname "Battersea" came very easily: It's the name of a famous power station in London. I chose it because of its literal reference to the sea, and for its historial association with industrialisation.

After that, it was a matter of coming up with a first name that would go well with Battersea. I eventually settled on "Lyland" (pronounced: lee-learn'd). The second syllable "-land" juxtaposed nicely with the "-sea" in Battersea. More importantly, Lyland was inspired by an actual place name, Leyland, a location closely associated with early industrial England.

===========

As for the names of Lyland's retainers:

C'lafhina Tykha: Her name follows the naming convention for Sunseeker miqo'te, ie, Lafhina of the coeurl tribe, daughter of C'tykha Nunh. Her first name in full is pronounced as Kalafina. Yes, she's named after a Japanese vocal group, best known for performing the songs of Kara no Kyoukai.

Kazaori: An au ra of the Raen clan, a kunoichi dispatched to Lyland's service by Yugiri. Her name is a rare, but actual professional name once used by Japanese courtesans (oiran). It means "bending in the wind (é¢¨æŠ˜)". I haven't settled on her "second" name yet, but I've toyed with a number associated with "wind". Suggestions are welcome.

There's also Ahtynswys Denkyrdaegwyn (the "Sister who Judges", daughter of "Thinking Soldier", later known as Elildaeg, "Exiled Soldier"). She was Lyland's arcanist mentor, who died a year after the Calamity.

Coatleque · **01-19-2016, 11:46 AM**

Way back in my MUD days, I saw some weird, exotic named character that just kind of stuck in my mind. I don't even remember how that name was spelled - I think it began with a Q, but it wasn't Quetzalcoatl. Anywho, in my mind it turned into Coatleque and that has been my default female character name in single-player RPGs I play. I picked it for XIV out of shear habit.

Crofte was just the first random last name that began with a 'C' and sounded like it fit.

When I really decided to get back into RP I realized how lame this name was and created a different one to fit her backstory, but it's one of those obscure things she keeps private.

Greg · **01-19-2016, 12:20 PM**

I usually start off by copying my own initials and running from there. Characters I make tend to have a G or an L, or both, and then I start looking up naming conventions that fit what I have established.

Funnily enough, I settled on the name Leonhart after searching through Germanic surnames and thought "Eh, yeah, that fits him well". It wasn't until an hour after finalizing him that I remembered "Ah, shit, Squall's last name was Leonhart, I am SUCH a fan boy.

Eses Fafa · **01-19-2016, 02:01 PM**

This name was chosen in declaration of my unbridled love for four letters of the alphabet.

Erik Mynhier · **01-19-2016, 03:18 PM**

My main's name is not thought out at all. Its the name on my driver's license. My name has such a "fantasy game" sound to it I have just used it in most of the games I play.

That said its ic different from most highlanders as ic Mynhier IS his surname. The lore has instances of highlanders using what seem to be surnames rather then epithets, such as Aldynn.

Tara · **01-19-2016, 04:41 PM**

Nevahe is Heaven spelled backwards and with the e moved...if you want to be technical. But I originally meant for Nevahe to be a bastardization of Niamh and it's variants, which means Bright.Â

Duskwood is the name she chose for herself, being the daughter of a Wildwood and a Duskwight, she gave herself the name to symbolize that she will stay to true to herself and her roots and not squander the sacrifice her parent's made.

Marcy · **01-19-2016, 05:10 PM**

I loooooove this thread I love stories behind character concepts. My character names are mostly self-referential jokes. I get inspired by songs and movies and Marcy's FFXIV incarnation came out of frustration over not knowing how to frame his motivations until someone told me to "just write Ryan Gosling from Drive, it will be funny" (Drive being the kind of movie people reference to be ~edgy and ~cool).

Now he turned out to be a much different character through growth and interaction but there are still a lot of similarities and themes between him and the Driver. Marcellain is a variation on Marcellus, which means "hammer". There is a really famous hammer scene I won't link here because of graphic content, but that's it that's the joke.

Also it's a play on Mars, referencing those similar anger/wrath themes again. Chevallier is his family name because of their connection to the Twin Adders.

Solenne · **01-20-2016, 03:31 AM**

I answered for my main, but now for my alts:

Michaux's first name was simply chosen from a list of French surnames. I liked the sound of it. His surname, Vidal, is the name of a rakish, wild, unruly character from one of my favorite books. I chose it because I planned to loosely base Michaux's personality on that character, but I ended up going in a completely different direction with him instead.

Leonie actually has two names. Her birth name was Eve Renardier. There's a simplicity and purity to the name Eve that seemed to suit Leonie's younger self, but there's also something just a touch ominous about it, given the Biblical story of Eve's fall. Renardier means fox hunter, which has nothing to do with anything, except that I happen to like it. Leonie Daucourt is her assumed name. Leonie is a name I'm particularly fond of. It means lioness, so it is associated with bravery. I chose it specifically because she is haunted by an act of cowardice in her past. There is irony in the selection, but also a bit of hope for her eventual redemption. And Daucourt is another name that I simply liked the sound of.

Tatsu Kaisuri is a name I... slightly regret. Kaisuri came from the name generator, since I did not feel capable of picking out a lore-compliant surname for a Raen. But I didn't like any of the first names generated, so I went in search of one. I chose 'Tatsu' because it means dragon. In my defense, I was new to the game at this point, and didn't realize that Au Ra aren't related to dragons. So now the name feels a bit tongue-in-cheek. Oh well.

J'aeda Rhenli is just a combination of letters and sounds that I like. It means absolutely nothing. Wink

Simeon Sibaruse · **01-20-2016, 04:32 AM**

Uhuh. Must reconize, mine is a prank over my own character. Things are always better when you spat in the face of your own creation no? I choose Sibaruse just like that, a prank coming for being close to an archaic form of Sybarite. And as the character try is very best to be some kind a lawfull good shining knight (not with much succes though, too much doubts...), it's exactly my kind of joke. If ever he is to fuck-up his efforts, he'll be pretty close to the meaning of his name. Taht's what make it amusing for me.

Simeon was freakingly random, just have sounded good on the moment. Can't ask for more.

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Meaningful names

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes