A Rose by Any Other Name

Names. We all have them. A list of letter and sounds which when spoken gives a sense of identity and expectations.

All of us have preconceived notions of how a person will be like when we hear their name.


Examples
Crystals are perky, pretty and poplar
Dantes are dark, mysterious and brooding.

Are these descriptions accurate? No, they are not. I don’t know any Crystals or Dantes. But the name makes me think of those qualities.

The same is true about your toon’s name. You, like an almighty creator, stare at the character creation screen wondering if you really should give your gnome chick pink princess Lela buns (the answer is no) and think, what should I name her?

Many will be tempted to press the random name generator button. Stop the impulse. Your toon’s name is a reflection of your own personality. It called an avatar for a reason. Whether you intend it or not, your toon’s name will conjure connotations, people who haven’t grouped with you, will assume one thing or another based solely on your name.

Let’s looks a couple of examples (/flame disclaimer-these names are totally fabricated. There is no association with anyone using these names/end flame disclaimer):

Healyah-Holy Priest/Pally or Resto Shammy/Druid
Ipwnyou- PvP lover, probably teh suck (as Shiatra would say). I see names like this all the time on Bleeding. Pff...please.

Remember when you choose a name and it is accepted in the server, you can’t change it. For hunters, this is even more difficult because you must also name your pet, at least I hope you do. It is sad to see a 70 STV tiger named “Cat”. Your pet name, just like yours, reflects on you.

Okay, what is a new hunter/toon suppose to do when they are staring at the screen, their creation ready to be born and the name box is blank?

Here are a few humble guidelines:

Pick a name that doesn’t reflect one specific talent tree of your class
DPS classes all may have the word pwn, melt or dotz without changing any expectations, after all, they are there to kill. However, this is not so for classes which different talent specs create totally different toons, such as Druids, Priests, Shammys and Pallys. While names like Healyah and Healnone are great, because they give a definite idea of what spec you are, they will also open you for constant tells, such as “ur name is Healyah. How come u r shadow?” and vise versa. Don’t pigeon hold yourself unless you are absolutely sure you are never going to change specs.

Mxynmpela…How do you pronounce that?
Ah, the joys of the random generator! Make sure you can pronounce your name. Please avoid names that have more than three consonants together. Your brain will melt trying to figure out how to say it. I know mine has.

Gender specific
I know someone who wanted to name his pally after a roman general and found one he liked. He named his blond, male human Peona. Enough said.

Attitude
Does your toon have a specific attitude? Do you want them to have one? If you could pick one word to describe your Hunter what would it be? Strong, Independent? Guide? Fearless? Each of these words can be associated with names. While no one is looking, head over to baby world and type these words under “meaning”.

The meaning ‘strong’ returned the following names:
Boys: Garrison, Ryker, Tanveer,
Girls: Breana, Valery, Tisha

See how that works? When I named Pookie, I wanted an ironic name. A name that brought up the feelings of comfort and security, and so I decided to use my nickname. It is hilarious watching a horde turned into a rotting carcass by a beast with Pookie flashing above its head. Irony. Got to love it.

Personal
Have a favorite character from a book, movie or anime? Have a version of your name that your like? Loved your great-uncle Bert’s middle name? Give those a try. Remember common names are most likely taken but also remember to play around with the spelling. The point is to make it sound like the name your want. Not necessarily make it look like it.

Example: Diana might be taken but Dianna or Dyanna might not be.

Theme
This rule targets mainly hunter and their pets.

When you are naming your pet think about how it is going to sound with your name? Do you want to create a theme?

I know a hunter whose name is Dirtytaco (it is about the 5 sec rule, I swear) and his pets’ names are NastyBurrito and UlgyChulupa. That is what we call theme. If you don’t have a theme using your own name, think about creating one using theirs. Right now, I don’t have a theme going, but when I was leveling, I had a bat named Westley and a turtle named Humperdinck.

Again remember, after you name them you can’t undo it. Don’t, in a drunken moment, name your pet bear Babygotbak, especially if you are a NE or Dwarf chick.

Like your name
Be sure you REALLY like your name. Unlike when your parents’ named you after Aunt Estelle, you now have the opportunity to pick a name that you want people to call you by. Be as creative as you want. I really like nicknames (since you can’t make one out of my real name) and I love the fact that everyone calls me either Bre or Bel. They fit.

Make sure what ever name you pick fits you as well.


/Bre and Pookie out.