Internet! Help! I'm having some serious trouble naming this character. A lot goes into a name, but nothing sounds quite right for her. Context; Science fiction RPG. *** *INSERT NAME HERE* “I don't really know what you do here, or what's expected of me, but this... most people never get a chance like this their whole lives. I want to be a part of it.” An young woman (early 20's) with Nordic features. *NAME's* selection for the team from the DC Metropolitan Police Department was based almost entirely on a series of government augmentation suitability tests; she would not have even been selected if not for the recommendation of her internship supervisor. Though her MCAT and other academic scores were merely above average, a convergence of biochemistry and genetic traits make her a perfect candidate for new advances in augmentation that are just about to be rolled out. *NAME* had no ambitions to do anything more than stay in her college lifestyle and continue the life of a medical student. She is not even a police officer, but a intern to one of the forensic analysts. The opportunity to become augmented with government sponsorship is quite unexpected for her, but something she embraced with great interest. *NAME* is a thrillseeker and when she's not working or studying, probably at a club somewhere. Despite her gregarious personality, she is a workaholic and, after a late night, will stay up even later studying. Against serious opposition, the research section had her mandated as a member of the team. Her training requirements have been postponed provided she's willing to submit to immediate surgery. *** Not a lot, I know. Trying to keep it succinct.

Have you looked at sunandshadow's journal yet? It describes a few methods of naming characters.

Good luck!
- John

P.S. How about, Ida?

[Edited by - anothrguitarist on November 27, 2007 12:47:52 AM]

my vote goes out to Mr. Splashy Pants

EDIT: to answer the post below, it'd be all the more ironic for a woman to be named Mister Splashy Pants

[Edited by - eedok on November 28, 2007 12:49:48 AM]

Mrs Splashy Pants?

What context have you pulled other names from for characters from her location? I believe a cultural cohesiveness can be very good in names so I generally lake all names from an area from one culture. So. are these modern anglophone names? Biblical? Japanese, Russian, African, etc....? Is this person a good person? Does the name need to invoke a certain attitudes toward the character? (As in, does the player need to think the character is a stereotype of some sort after hearing the name? Some names are 'slutty' or hooker' names, some are 'good girl I study lots' names, some are action hero names, etc)

Ah, that's a good question.

Pretty much these are all modern names. She's a typical, average American college student. The main problem is with her last name; it needs to be clear, concise, and easy to pronounce. It can't be too "girly-girl" either, that's going to give players the wrong impression.

This character is idealistic. She would be neutral good in a D&D context.

So, yeah. Those criteria ended up narrowing it down a bit too much for me.

A girl that wants nothing more than a club-hopping college lifestyle? Sounds like the annoying cheerleader type which deserves an equally annoying name. How about Brittany? =b

Somehow this character type diving into the police force makes me think of the movie Legally Blonde for some reason. A quick IMDB search shows that that character's name was Elle. Not a bad name actually. Still need a good last name that will sound good with rank (ex: Sgt. Woods).

Officer Splashy Pants seems the unanimous choice here. :) Maybe you could make an inside joke out of this somewhere?

Anyway, names... Here are some fairly modern/common female first names:

Allison/Ally, Emily, Vivian, Amy, Sarah, Lisa, Elizabeth/Liz, Stacy, Kaylie, Katie/Kate, Teri, Jessica/Jess, Ashley, Heather, Denise, Jennifer/Jen, Melissa, Olivia, Samantha/Sam, Alyssa, Julia/Julie, Alex, ...

Kind of dull names for characters (no offense to anyone who has one of those names), but, those are the popular picks these days. As for some last names, I think here you have the liberty to be a bit more creative and random, as there are a huge variety of last names out there. Although, in my experience, the last name works out a lot better when you have a first name picked already (or vice versa) and can make the two flow together.

Some quick ideas using typical last names, along with a few of the first names from above:

Allison Scott, Stacy Wilkins, Julia King, Melissa Walcott, Emily Hartman, Samantha Cook, Jennifer Reed, Alyssa Jenkins, ...

A couple of those full names sound familiar, actually... Anyway, those are just some examples. I'd create a new last name once you have the first name picked out; something original. Let us know what name you eventually decide on. :)


Edit: As a side note, I think it's bad practice to pick a name around the setting. This generally leads one to think of names that fit into the mold of that world, resulting in very average, sheep-like characters; the person simply doesn't stand out. Instead, I think taking a character (even an average one) and throwing them into an un-average or unfamiliar setting provides better conflict, and thus more interest for the reader.

[Edited by - Omega147 on November 28, 2007 12:38:43 PM]

Winkie the Lawn Scorpion

Lord Kill? (sorry I know thats no improvement over the past few I just think thats a great name and try to use it as often as I can)