Fantasy Names

General Name Discussion
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Currently reading the ACOTAR (no spoilers please!) series and all of these fantasy names have me wondering about how authors come up with unique sounding names for characters, locations, ect.

If you were writing a fantasy novel what are some names you’d use?

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Taking a look at the ACOTAR names, and thinking about fantasy in general, I’ve noticed authors often use ‘twists’ on familiar names, names with mythological ties, names with interesting letters, names with [name_u]Irish[/name_u], Greek and Welsh origins, Ancient/Medieval names…so based on that, I’d consider:

Rosfrith
Aramynta
[name_u]Lorca[/name_u]
[name_f]Amarillis[/name_f]
[name_m]Ozias[/name_m]
[name_u]Taliesin[/name_u]
[name_u]Kestrel[/name_u]
Evannie
[name_f]Arianell[/name_f]
Brynmorr
[name_u]Sylvian[/name_u]
Lunevra
Wingfield

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I actually do write fantasy and I just use whatever feels right. Sometimes finding the right name is easy, sometimes not. And sometimes I just have to invent the right name.

Some names that aren't actually too fantasy sounding (to me anyway) that I've used:

[name_f]Kaylee[/name_f]
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] (I have three!)
[name_u]Gus[/name_u] (which is technically short for Augustine)
[name_m]Roman[/name_m]
[name_u]Percy[/name_u]
[name_u]Lexi[/name_u] (short for Lexington)
[name_f]Marilyn[/name_f]
[name_m]Marcel[/name_m]
[name_m]Jarred[/name_m]
[name_f]Chloe[/name_f] (not short for anything)
[name_f]Stephanie[/name_f]
[name_u]Landon[/name_u]

Some of my less commonly heard character names:

[name_f]Melyssandre[/name_f]
[name_f]Riona[/name_f]
[name_m]Reiss[/name_m]
[name_f]Vindemiatrix[/name_f] (called Via)
[name_u]Galaxy[/name_u]
[name_m]Amulius[/name_m]
[name_f]Aradia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilivere[/name_f]
[name_m]Thayne[/name_m]
[name_m]Kyzer[/name_m]
[name_f]Vaseelia[/name_f]
[name_m]Keverne[/name_m]
[name_f]Lunette[/name_f]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u] (b)
[name_f]Dëborake[/name_f]
[name_f]Myfanwy[/name_f]
[name_f]Karuna[/name_f]

And, finally, a couple of names I invented:

Charnetra (combo of [name_f]Charna[/name_f] and Petra)
Akumasylvi (combo of [name_m]Akuma[/name_m] and Sylvi)
Nyxelio (combo of [name_u]Nyx[/name_u] and Elio)
Malarrea (combo of [name_u]Mallory[/name_u] and [name_u]Aria[/name_u], invented when I was very young)
Vivona (technically I didn’t invent this one because it’s usually used as a surname in real life. However, I thought it could very well be a first name.)

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I don’t write fantasy

Well I’m actually thinking about rewriting a personal story which has a teeny weeny fantasy vibe. The names aren’t really fantasy names but that isn’t saying they don’t work.

I haven’t got all the names for the rewrite so here are the originals. The combos aren’t mentioned as at the time they didn’t have them (I started writing it before I joined nb)

original

[name_f]Stefani[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Chanel[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalie[/name_f]
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f] and [name_f]Alicia[/name_f] (twins)
[name_f]Mollie[/name_f]
Aria-Amala
[name_f]Claudia[/name_f]
[name_f]Unice[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f] (she might have had a combo but I’m not sure)
[name_f]Cerys[/name_f]
Whinnie
a man whose name i forgot/wasn’t mentioned

Here are some names I’d most likely use in a fantasy story (with combos)

  • [name_f]Unice[/name_f] [name_f]Ardith[/name_f] [name_f]Alcina[/name_f] (Basically myself with a different name)
  • [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Muriel[/name_f] [name_f]Amara[/name_f] [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] (for some reason she turned evil)
  • [name_f]Amara[/name_f] [name_u]Everly[/name_u] [name_m]Thorne[/name_m]
  • [name_f]Constance[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_u]Jade[/name_u]
  • [name_f]Eirlys[/name_f] [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] [name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
  • Zephyranthe [name_f]Astraea[/name_f]
  • [name_f]Araminta[/name_f] [name_f]Zephyrine[/name_f]
  • [name_u]Moonglade[/name_u] [name_f]Altalune[/name_f]
  • Sisters [name_f]Annemieke[/name_f] [name_f]Eula[/name_f] and [name_f]Annabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Leila[/name_f]
  • [name_m]Armin[/name_m] for a girl
  • [name_f]Allura[/name_f] [name_f]Xanthe[/name_f] [name_m]Naren[/name_m] (very fantasy)
  • Sisters [name_f]Alana[/name_f] [name_u]November[/name_u], [name_f]Hannelore[/name_f] [name_u]October[/name_u], [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] and [name_f]Leandra[/name_f] [name_u]July[/name_u] (I might change [name_u]October[/name_u] to August)
  • Sisters [name_u]Everett[/name_u] [name_m]Laszlo[/name_m] [name_u]Fern[/name_u], [name_u]Luminance[/name_u] [name_f]Evermore[/name_f] [name_u]Bliss[/name_u], [name_u]Slate[/name_u] [name_u]Horizon[/name_u] [name_u]Breeze[/name_u] and [name_u]Steel[/name_u] (I forgot her middles)
  • [name_u]Jasper[/name_u] (B)
  • Siblings [name_u]Raiden[/name_u] [name_m]Cornelius[/name_m] (B), [name_f]Amabel[/name_f] [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u] and [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
  • [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] [name_m]Evander[/name_m] [name_u]Maddox[/name_u]
  • Brothers [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] and a man with a long and confusing name (It’s pronounced zay-EHL-oo but the spelling is weird with lots of vowels making the ay sound). I’ll come back if I find the name.
  • Noxilenciosa (B) (It’s a combination of [name_f]Nox[/name_f], meaning night in Latin, and silenciosa, meaning silent in Portuguese. In english it translates to Silent Night)
  • [name_u]Tyson[/name_u]
    And the :cherry_blossom:, :butterfly:, and maybe :bouquet: sibsets in my UC. (at the time of writing this_
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