Novel names

[SeanChailleach]

Boy or girl? And do you think these are good names? Are they like existing names?

Nwadwen
Tilnus
Ragus
Eno
Enin

Tolkien's invented names came from his invented languages. That's why you see some repeated elements and endings. He was heavily into worldbuilding (and Beren was very much not an elf )

As a fan of the kind of books where all the characters have made-up names, I'd consider an author very lazy if the names were just reversed English words, unless there was an acknowledged in-universe reason for it. I'd love to see a protagonist named Balonz, though.

For real children? Stick to more conventional names.

I'm not choosing a name for a person. I don't have a person to name. My user name literally means "old lady" (pronounced "shan call-yah").

I'm just playing with ideas. If you don't like the game, please feel free to go off to your threads where you umm and ah over Emily Rose and Olivia May, which are both really lovely names.

However, all names were created at some point, and every so often, if we play, we might just come up with some pleasing new names.

Not only did Tolkien make up names, he also said that some of the names he used weren’t the characters’ “real” names but had been “translated” for an English speaking audience so they retained the associations they would have had in their “original” language. So Samwise was “really” Banazir, and his dad Hamfast was “really” Ranugad. Meriadoc was “really” Kalimac. I just spent five minutes digging out my Lord of the Rings to confirm that!

@IVflytrap

Have you found yourself inspired by Nevaeh by any chance? Interesting how Neveah is an option but Esidarap or Efilretfa aren't...

Efilretfa is weird. But Efilretfa has a good Vikingesque ring to it. Eh-fil-ref-ta

The problem with backwards words though is they come with associations. Hence nevaeh is popular. Puhctek has less of it so comes across worse.
.

One of the things that I like about names is the weight of meaning and significance they bring with them - for me they are more than just a string of nice sounds. Of course any name will gain meaning as a person carries it through life, and then more meaning as more people are given it, but I like to know the derivation of the name, what language it came from, how it evolved into being, who has held that name before, when it has been used in fiction etc. I suppose for me a made up new name is like living in a new build house - some people like that and that is fine, but I prefer something with some history and character.

@SleepingStandingUp If we're going Vikingy, I suppose Allahlav would be their equivalent of Efilretfa..

Oh, OK. So you want a new name, randomly created for no specific purpose. Here goes:

Airelonwyn
Treilasque
Verimina
Selleberi
Some simpler ones:
Onn
Calwen
Trosko

My favourite is Verimina.

[quote IVflytrap]@SleepingStandingUp If we're going Vikingy, I suppose Allahlav would be their equivalent of Efilretfa.. [/quote]
Oooh I like it!! 😁😁

@IVflytrap and their brother Gnikiv?

Verimina sounds like a girls name.
Selleberi sounds Tolkienish.
Airelonwyn and Treilasque look like two spelling systems collided.
Onn and Calwen seem to work.
Trosko, I don't know. It feels like a nickname.

Okay, now that I understand the game, I'll play.

Tabekah
Lorelta
Kazarai
Serianna
Valdar
Mirisha
Arileia
Kelshion
Hallan

Ooh @GreenWhiteViolet those are good. Is that one name to the tune of another? Tabekah is nice.

Thank you! Yes, a few name smushes in there - Tabekah being a mix of Tabitha and Rebekah. I think a few of them would work for Game of Thrones characters! GRR Martin seems to slightly tweak normal names to make them more fantasy-ish, which I like.

Premm
Hadar
Amalita
Tofger
Radle
Laleine
Varissa

Tihstab

Bumfrey. I have always though that that should be a name. It's lovely.

Also Squeakabella. Really cute!

I'm not joking by the way

Aivilo, Aifas and Ailema

Please don't name your child any of those, I'm phoning social services!

Do you think my DC minds that I used the name Elohesra?

Amalita is a name already. And Radle (well 'raddle') doesn't have a very nice meaning.

Nevaeh surely, it’s a classic of the genre

Or Lleh for a boy

There was actually a girl named Lanesra, I think.

For another flavour of backwards:

Raeb
Aneyh
Retsmah
Esuom
Esoog

Olleh
Eybdoog
Rats
Noom
Sunaru
Retipuj
Sram
Sunev
Htrae
Nrutas
Enutpen
Otulp

@Skeumorph

Bumfrey. I have always though that that should be a name. It's lovely.

Also Squeakabella. Really cute!

I'm not joking by the way

We had a cat called Bumfrey Bogart