Should I use existing names for characters in my sci-fi?

Mark B P · Jun 22, 2009

I'm working on a sci-fi novel and I can't decide if I want to be use made up names or existing names. I've been using named I made up, but it takes a long time to think of a name that doesn't sound silly in English. I'm going to need many more names, and if I make them all up, chances are most of them will sound silly (come to think of it, I think most Star Wars names sound weird).

The alternative is of course using actual names. My problem with this is that the names here come from different parts of the world, and I don't really want my characters having British, Scottish, Swedish, etc names when none of those places exist in the fictional world. Of course, I will be writing it in English anyway so I suppose it wouldn't be that much of a problem.

One other problem is that it is somewhat Asian inspired. The characters look Asian even though they're from a fictional place in my fictional world. I could give them Asian names, but I'm not an expert with that (I'm Asian, but I've been in America all my life).

Another problem with using actual names is that I will also need to name other things like plot devices I make up and city names, so it might be strange to use actual names for people when other things use made up names.

What should I do? Any ideas?

Fenika · Jun 22, 2009

There was recently a thread on this, just search. One person pointed out that patterns in naming are fairly consistent and in the near future you can simply base names off current ones, with a few unchanged by the test of time.

As for not wanting names from countries that don't actually exist- don't sweat it, as long as the cultural basis is there. If you have Scot like descendants, give them Scot like names.

My fantasy doesn't have a Poland or a Czech or a Germany (et al) but I sure as heck pull names and word-roots from those nations. It's set in pseudo-Poland

efkelley · Jun 22, 2009

http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.all.last

This list is sorted by the most common names. Go Smiths!

Anyway, down towards the bottom there are some pretty fantastic sounding names. Swapping out some vowels or consonants can help.

Mark B P · Jun 22, 2009

Bahamutchild said:
There was recently a thread on this, just search. One person pointed out that patterns in naming are fairly consistent and in the near future you can simply base names off current ones, with a few unchanged by the test of time.

As for not wanting names from countries that don't actually exist- don't sweat it, as long as the cultural basis is there. If you have Scot like descendants, give them Scot like names.

My fantasy doesn't have a Poland or a Czech or a Germany (et al) but I sure as heck pull names and word-roots from those nations. It's set in pseudo-Poland

Thanks. I just went to that thread and read all the posts. There was no real answer to the problem but the best idea I saw was inventing your own. That makes it easier, and more consistant.

Does anyone know of a guide to creating a language? I need to know what I'll need. I don't know the steps necessary. I don't know much about word structure, prefixes, determiners, and all that stuff. It'd be great if I had a guide for making a language using an alphabet system (I would of course use the English alphabet, minus a few letters perhaps).

EDIT: This seems like it'd be quite difficult. If nobody knows of any good guides, I'm thinking I might just use English names since the whole book is translated into English anyway. Well, they wouldn't have to be english in origin right? I could use Japanese names, right? That's what I'd prefer since the characters are basically Asians in a world with no Asia. So would using existing names bother you?

Fenika · Jun 22, 2009

Have you tried the gibberizer?

I do what efkelly suggested- swap out some letters. Once you've seen 100+ 'asian' names, you'll know how to swap things around to get the feel right but have new words (google is needed for double checking that you've not reinvented the wheel tho)

Mark B P · Jun 22, 2009

Bahamutchild said:
Have you tried the gibberizer?

I do what efkelly suggested- swap out some letters. Once you've seen 100+ 'asian' names, you'll know how to swap things around to get the feel right but have new words (google is needed for double checking that you've not reinvented the wheel tho)

I thought of that, but if I don't swap enough, then it will sound too similar; if I swap more, then it can easily just sound like gibberish.

Let's take the name 'Samuel' for instance.

Swapping a few: Simuil
Swapping more Tunuil

Both sound pretty bad if you ask me.

But what is the gibberizer?

EDIT: I had another though-- what if all cities had the same suffix or prefix? This would make it much easier. Can anyone give examples of this in any sci-fi or fantasy?

Kitty Pryde · Jun 23, 2009

If you want to do Planet That Is Like Japan, just go for it. Look at some fantastical japanese names ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lists_of_anime_and_manga_characters ), tweak them as you see fit, and you're good to go.

Cities: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Japan

The moral of the story is that Wikipedia is the answer to all of life's questions.

Smiling Ted · Jun 23, 2009

Mark B P said:
Thanks. I just went to that thread and read all the posts. There was no real answer to the problem but the best idea I saw was inventing your own. That makes it easier, and more consistant.

Does anyone know of a guide to creating a language?

Search this forum for the keyword "conlang."
You'll find four or five helpful threads.

Nivarion · Jun 24, 2009

Pick up a language book and look at parts of language. You'll need enough of each part to string together sentences.

I suggest a Spanish or other Romantic Language, though you can use any. Just pick one OTHER than English or Japanese, Since those two especially are missing parts. It might be best to pick a few.

Heh, go figure, the two busted ones in the world are becoming the most predominant.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jun 24, 2009

Smiling Ted said:
Search this forum for the keyword "conlang."
You'll find four or five helpful threads.

One or two of them will have these links:

www.conlanger.com
www.spinnoff.com/zbb
http://www.zompist.com/kit.html

But I thought it might be faster to put them here. I wouldn't recommend creating a language only for character names though. It's a lot of work to go through. You might be better off learning the phonology(set of sounds) and phonotactics(rules for the arrangement of sounds) of an existing language, and then piecing together your own names with a list of real names as a reference.

I would say that using Japanese names, whether real, historical, or fake would be okay. I've done it, though the culture was more Japanese than generic "Asian". You could just as well name "Asian" characters with Chinese names. The benefit of Japanese names though, is that the phonology and phonotactics are relatively simple:

C=consonant(p,t,k,g,b,f,l/r,s,z,h,w,sh,ch)
V=vowel(a("a"),i("ee"),u("ue"),e("ay"),o("oe")
N=nasal(m,n,ng)
()=optional

(C)V(N)

Keep in mind that is a rough sketch.

Pepper · Jun 24, 2009

Avoid a general issue with sci-fi; names that sound stupid or names that you can't pronounce. Making up names can be risky.

Throughout time, like most other fashions, name use has become cyclical. Suddenly people are using names for their children that haven't been heard of for 50+ years. I don't see why this trend should change. There will always be small additions, such as new ways to spell a name, using a boy name for a girl, etc. But generally, the bulk of the public will use names that have been used countless times before.

Just my 2 cents.

EDIT: Just thought I might mention that not having an "Earth" shouldn't stand in your way of using Earthen names. It's your role as a writer to show the reader what flies in your world. If you want Earthen names, who's really gonna stop you?

StephenJSweeney · Jun 25, 2009

Personally, if I cannot pronounce character names or just find them absurd or far too similar to one another, I will have difficulty enjoying the book, since I will feel too distanced from the cast.

Fantasy can often be difficult, because calling people things like Simon, Jack, Tina or Alice can make you not really feel as though you're in their world. However, for science fiction, if you have names such as Jessica, David or Yun, then I find them far more accessable than Ylir, Ahathel, Inumi or Asistiu.

Kisatchie · Jun 25, 2009

Dune by Frank Herbert (set mostly in a fictional solar system) has many distinctly Arabic-sounding names. I don't speak Arabic, so I can't cite specific examples.

However, since your characters resemble Asians, real Asian names seem appropriate to me.

Hmm... just don't use
Orangutan names...

JS Emuakpor · Jun 25, 2009

The characters in my WIPs are African (or African inspired). Most of the humans have real African names (or Arabic, since there was a lot of Arabic influence in that region of the continent). The non-humans have African-sounding names that I made up, like 'Dalfaru'.

Should I use existing names for characters in my sci-fi?

Mark B P

Fenika

efkelley

ow

Mark B P

Fenika

Mark B P

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

Nivarion

Brony level >9000

Liosse de Velishaf

Pepper

I IS PRANCING

StephenJSweeney

Kisatchie

I stop at railroad crossings

JS Emuakpor

I lurk. Therefore, I am.