The name of a LARP character can be something that you will have to live with for a long time. Alternatively you could be playing something with limited game life but which needs a to be memorable and set a tone. Either way there is a need to get the name right first time as there is no second chance and names as it has oft been said have power. Names help to define your character.
One of the problems in creating a great character name can be inspiration. Digging out a name from nowhere can be at the very least difficult. To try and help with this problem I’ve found 3 name generators that offer a lot of naming options from the ancient to the mundane and back round to the fantastical.
- http://random-name-generator.info
- http://www.fantasynamegen.com/
- http://www.behindthename.com/random/
- How you pronounce it?
- How does it sound when used under a range of emotions – happy, sad, angry and so on?
- If your character has a title or rank how does it sound with those elements added?
- How do you walk when saying it. Is there swagger or creep? Can you give it a physicality?
- Do you feel comfortable giving this name some history? Can you work out names for family members, old friends and colleagues?
The three cardinal rules I have in play, and recommend for groups in general are: No Bobs, no Merlins, and no Jokes, especially ‘in-jokes’.
All of these are for the same essential reasons: Immersion. When you become immersed in role-play, you are placing yourself in the position of a character who is a part of that world. The Bobs, the Merlins and the Jokes all disrupt that immersion.
A ‘Bob’ is a mundane name that is commonplace in the real-world culture the roleplayers live in. In England it is your Dave, Sue, Andy, Liz, etc. It is names that are obviously real-world commonplace. These names have nothing intrinsically wrong with them as names for those who bear them, but they are names that are, in the minds of players, firmly attached to the mundane world we live in. When these names are used for characters, therefore, they feel like a sign that the player has not chosen to immerse themselves or to step away from the real world. It can also feel downright lazy.
Obviously, most names not made up from scratch are ‘real-world’ at least to an extent, but even a quick look on a naming site can provide myriad choices that while they might not be uncommon in, say Russia, or Thailand, are understandable to our ears Without being ‘Bob’. Basically, if it’s in the ‘Top 50’ for US or UK, it’s probably best avoided unless you are playing in a setting where such ‘real-world’ names make sense. ‘Riobard’ is just a variant form of Robert, but sounds a lot less like ‘Bob’.
A ‘Merlin’ is the name of a FAMOUS fictional character, such as the aforementioned wizard, or a Gandalf, Conan, Jack Sparrow, Clark Kent, Luke Skywalker, James Kirk, Dean Winchester… These are even worse for shattering immersion than a Bob because they reference another fictional world. The names that are iconic in a setting will always evoke the setting when spoken and thus drag the mind away from the world the characters are supposed to be in. No one who hears a character introduce himself as ‘Jack Sparrow’ is going to be able to avoid thinking ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and that is a really annoying thing to inflict on other players. The use of the name of someone like ‘Jack Sparrow’ will always bring the image of ”THE Jack’ to mind. MINOR characters, on the other hand, may be a great source for character names; who but the most dedicated would recall Bergil or Ingold from the same set of books as Gandalf himself?
The Jokes. These basically ruin the mood, just for a cheap laugh. If the larp is relatively light-hearted than maybe the rock troll called Pebble is not too bad an idea, but Muppet Piddlepants is never going to be anything but terrible.
Further Points: The Bobs, Merlins and Jokes can be particularly egregious when used for non-human characters. No Tim the elf, no Elrond, and please, no Elfy!
Another one that falls somewhere between Merlin and Joke is the Ported In-Joke. The Ported In-Joke often occurs when a player who enjoys playing a character ‘ports’ them into another game system or setting. Some systems don’t allow this, but when they do, you can end up with someone who breaks immersion horribly for anyone who also knew the ‘old’ or ‘original’ character. Again, it forces the mind to think outside of the current game and setting by referencing something outside it, especially if the character was a long-standing or famous one. This gets even worse if a whole group does it.
Another form that is similar to a Merlin is using a famous celebrity or actor. Calling your character Sean Connery is just as immersion-breaking as calling him James Bond. Just don’t.
When choosing a name, the Bobs, the Merlins and the Jokes can easily be avoided and in this matter, as in many others, it is about consideration, respect, and not annoying others for cheap laughs or because you can’t be bothered to think of a better name for your elf than Dave.
Great idea’s on naming characters. My friends and I make each others names.
As for me the best name and surname generator is https://www.random-name-generator.com/. I have tried many generators, but only this one offers unique and accurate names.