Character Naming Conventions

A Quick Guide to Figuring Out Where People are from Culturally

(aka How to Name Characters Accurately)

Note: this list does not always match the comperable RL climate for the same area!

Aelfwood and other Elven lands

Descriptor names. These are usually in Sindarin Elvish, but many Elves venturing abroad translate their names into their Western equivalents.
Examples: David Silverleaf, who would be known as Melethron Lassceleb ("Beloved Leaf-silver") in his homeland.

Ainador

The native people of Ainador were the Yehudim (Jews), but they were scattered after the destruction of their Temple by the Suielman Empire in the late First Century CR. Today Ainador is populated by a cultural mish-mash from southern Galendor, Kitchlande and Sonngefilde.

Breckaris

Germany
Examples: Janus Starson, Gerhard (the butler in The Cuckoo)

Flatlands

Slavic, Russian, Rom. The Flatlands are home to many transplants from elsewhere in the Empire, however.
Examples:

Han

Chinese
Examples:

Kitchlande

Kitchlande - Caucasus
Examples:

Khumar

Khumar - Taiwan or Korea
Examples:

Irombi

Irombi - Africa
Examples: Trace Umbara

Lantony

France
Examples: Ysabel Depardieu

Midlands

Midlanders - Patronymics
Examples: Victor hin'Kavos, Margarette hin'Jylnass, Malcolm ard'Valos

Northlands

Norse- names would be descriptors. Example: Eric the Red.
Examples:

Pyralis

Pyralis - Italy
Examples: Michael Perelli; Pietro Galvanni (professor from Divide by Zero)

Rukilia

Rukilia - India
Examples:

Sathmore

Sathmore (now Cymru (Isenport), Magdalain, Quelinney (Elvquelin), Highlands, and Orien)
Celtic style Patronymics/descriptors
Examples: hin' - Fiona hin'Connaill
Examples: ard' - Liam ard'Taxis
Examples: non-patronymic — Sophia Gallagher

Sonngefilde

Sonngefilde - Arabic and Persian
Examples: Miriam Bakhtavar

Tourne

Spanish
Examples: Baronesa Delilah Velasco de Moraine

Whales

Whales - Greece
Examples: Halcyone Karmenos

Yamato

Yamato - Japan
Examples:

Yehudi Diaspora

Jewish — Hebrew first names, last names from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. "Levy" denotes a person of the Levitical caste; "Cohen" denotes a person of the priestly caste.
Examples: Uriel Kapler, Nathan Levy

Author's Notes


Sources: various character pages, a discussion and hand-drawn map by RavenB/Etherius from Balticon 44 (2010),
Making the Cut, Divide by Zero, The Cuckoo, Welcome to the City

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