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