I haven’t written something in too long and I need some name suggestions. I’m trying to write something post-apocolyptic, and I want names you don’t see much, but don’t look or sound stupid and over the top. It could be anything from archaic names you never hear anymore to something made up, but doesn’t look too trendy by today’s standards, no [name]Nevaeh[/name] or Avabellaleelynuneededletters.
Some Finds
[name]Varina[/name]: Rhymes with [name]Marina[/name]. Stole this from [name]Varina[/name] [name]Davis[/name], First Lady of the Confederacy. I liked her name and I don’t think she’s well known enough for associations to be drawn. Can’t find a consistent meaning for this, some people think it’s a standalone name others think it’s a variation of [name]Verina[/name].
Elisenda: Was a medieval [name]Queen[/name] of [name]Aragon[/name]. Not sure if it works for a futuristic character. Sounds like it’d be better in a fantasy.
Adalycta - just made this one up, but I like the “lyct” noise and how futuristic it sounds.
[name]Lorelei[/name] - real name, used, seems futuristic to me.
Sevenia - originates from the number 7, why not?
[name]Ryan[/name] - for a girl, this could be futuristic,
[name]Raina[/name] - A real name that you never hear
Heliothrope - old fashioned, but you never hear it, so it could just as easily be futuristic.
Forely (four ah lie)- 4/forest/firefly/leah
Candline - just took the word candle and caroline.
[name]Hope[/name] some of these spark some interest or creative juices to make a name!
I feel your pain i have recently named my main character but no one likes it… Oh well, I do.
For girls:
Merit
[name]Persephone[/name]
[name]Calliope[/name]
[name]Raine[/name]
For boys:
[name]North[/name]
Allamander
[name]Lucian[/name]
Lasander
[name]Petra[/name]
In all the post-apocalyptic literature I’ve seen, memory of what was before disappears so fast (as usually all records are completely destroyed), so I imagine names would reflect all that a post-apocalyptic society would know: a desperate, radioactive, history-less mindset, being “economical” or truncated. [name]One[/name]-syllable or short two-syllable names with hard consonants. Unisex names. Names without an obviously royal or medieval heritage. Puritan names might work if it’s set in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name], a sort of pseudo-memory. (Of course, if your story is set IMMEDIATELY after some near-future apocalyptic disaster, say, 2015, they would all be Jacobs and Sophias).
Thanks Guys. Lol Celianne, Avabellaleelynuneededletters is magical.
What I’m liking so far:
[name]Raina[/name]
[name]Persephone[/name]
[name]Calliope[/name]
[name]Lucian[/name]: Maybe, kinda think this would be a cool vampire name XD
Adrasteia!
[name]Endymion[/name]
Cephisso: Not sure about the spelling might try a phoenetic spelling, but would that come off as
yooneak?
Leira
[name]Corrin[/name]
Runa
Saffia
[name]Killian[/name]
Kline: maybe spelled as Klein
I agree mythological names do have a futuristic ring. I saw a lot of mythology and ancient names in The Hunger Games: [name]Lavinia[/name], [name]Cinna[/name], [name]Seneca[/name], [name]Portia[/name], etc. Wouldn’t use [name]Seneca[/name] or [name]Cinna[/name] though lol they were major characters and it could come off as copying. [name]Lavinia[/name] I might consider. I’m sure the right name will come to me eventually.
I think I might mix in some classic names for minor characters I want my main group to be unsual though. This whole project is kinda rough right. The main character will be female but I haven’t decided on how many male or female friends she’ll have.
Much appreciated guys. I guess I have sort of migrated towards real names, I honestly was not sure what I was after when I posted this. Thanks for the steampunk list haven’t read it all but I’ve come across a couple I like.
[name]Ellia[/name]
Astaria (made it up…I think it’s close enough to [name]Astoria[/name] to sound like a name)
[name]Samaria[/name]
[name]Alia[/name]
Atala
Syra (sigh-ra)
Avila (place name)
[name]Ravenna[/name] (place name)
Amasea (place name)
Aola (my creation)
Aosta (place name)
Elestra (i have no idea whether this is a real name or not…I read it in a book)
[name]Amelina[/name] (original form of [name]Emmeline[/name])
Mihaela - mee-[name]HYE[/name]-la (another form of [name]Michaela[/name]/[name]Michelle[/name])
Milva (Italian)
Mileva
[name]Melitta[/name] (form of [name]Melissa[/name])
[name]Milena[/name] - meh-[name]LEE[/name]-na (Slavic)
[name]Milana[/name] (form of [name]Milena[/name])
Militsa (also spelled [name]Milica[/name]. Slavic)
Theomilla ([name]German[/name])
[name]Milada[/name]
Emika (Japanese)
Emerentsia - spelling variation of Emerentia (german from latin)
[name]Emira[/name] (arabic, means ‘commander’)
Embla
Andela - ahn-[name]DEL[/name]-a (Czech)
[name]Ayelet[/name]
Ciela - chee-[name]EL[/name]-a (Esperanto)
Cyrielle (Frech, feminine for [name]Cyril[/name])
Cloelia (Italian)
[name]Clelia[/name] (variation on Cloelia)
[name]Mirella[/name] (Italian)
I must say I plagiarized mosrt of these from rosesandcellardoors.
I don’t know if there is a set ‘steampunk’ category for names, per se, because I read a steampunk book that included the names [name]Griffin[/name], [name]Jasper[/name] and [name]Finley[/name], which don’t seem all that similar to me.
i have recently named my main character but no one likes it… Oh well, I do.