What are the naming conventions in your world? Tell me some of the popular ones.
Oh this question was made for me! (I'm obsessed with names.)
Different countries have different naming conventions, although many resemble those of our world. Dithematic names (i.e. names with two elements, such as
elf and
frid making up Alfred) are very common among those countries that have Germanic-based languages, although single-element names are common as nicknames or full names among the poorer classes. Surnames have become widespread - several countries use patronymics. The royal family of Cadaln uses the patronymic surname
uab Morien (son of Morien), the sea-god considered to be their ancestor and patron (daughters and wives use
ferch Morien, 'daughter of Morien').
Names tend to be from the local languages, but by the 8th century C.B. there is more cross-cultural spread - in Cadaln, this is due to there being two languages, so it's not uncommon for names to be translated or for spelling traditions of one to influence the other. In addition, trade is widespread, so some names come in that way, as well as naming children for queens and other famous figures, and the bringing of Hirentan names into the northern Cold Lands by freed slaves.
Nobility in Eotan are known as Forename
van der House Name, most of which are patronymics based on the element
-inga meaning 'belonging to', thus
Siebinga would be the House 'belonging to Siebe.' The bastard children of the highborn (graaf-rank and royalty) receive the names
Kentelch (from
kening telch ‘kening’s child') to indicate any child of the kening’s blood (i.e. the kening’s, his children, his siblings),
Graaftelch (‘graaf’s child’) or
Riddertelch (‘ridder’s child’). These sorts of surnames are also found in other lands - the acknowledged illegitimate daughter of the
konge of Hrafen is known as
Kongardottir. However the nobility of Hrafen give their children patronymics based on their father's title - i.e. the son of the Margreve of Steinnthorp would use
Steinnthorpson and the daughter
Steinnthorpdotter, and daughters often keep that part of their name when they wed.
Among the northern the Cold Lands, surnames are less common, and patronymics more likely to take the form of a list of ancestors, while nobility are known for their titles. Nicknames, however, are much more common. In Kollacuinn, by the 7th century, clan names are also being used to identify people, thus
Breandán Mac Lorcain of Clan Mac Goill, where
Mac Goill is the name of the Clan (descended from Goill) and Lorcain is Breandán's father.
In Stendoaran (based on Cornish names), daughters are named after members of the father’s family and sons after members of the mother’s family. This is intended to bind the two families closer, but also serves to disseminate names across many families as daughters marry into new families taking their male kinsfolk’s names with them, while sons bring in new wives to provide new female names. Generally, they start with their own father/mother’s name, then to grandparents, then to aunts and uncles before, if necessary, naming children after their own siblings or even themselves. There tends to be greater variation in male names than female names (although you admittedly wouldn't realise it from my Stendoaran story thus far!).
Both Torsland and Mearcen have family names, although Torsland nobility rarely use them, generally known as House (Title) - e.g. House Dark Cove - while Mearcen does use surnames, e.g. House Roth of Oldenberg. In most cases, the family names come from an ancestor or a nickname. For Torish first names, most edilings’ names are compound names, made up of a first and second element. There are several traditions with these, among them a tradition of giving all children of the same gender the same second compound element (e.g. the
-lind in
Roselind and
Brunlind), or giving the eldest child the same first element as their parent of the same sex (e.g.
Ingrid and
Ingfrida).
I could go on and on, but those are probably most of the significant elements. I don't know as much about naming conventions in the Storm Lands (the hotter continent, which may need a name change - I hadn't read any GRRM when I named the continent that!), as I haven't set many stories there so far. Although there is the
Famille de Noblesse de Luc (Dukes of Lucfleur, in Livar) who always have forenames starting with Luc-, thus Lucien, Lucius, Lucifer, Lucia, Luciana. It makes life very confusing for anyone outside the family!
How many different forms of government do you have in your world? Are they all hereditary monarchies? Elective monarchies? Is there a democracy, an oligarchy, a constitutional monarchy, and an autocratic Empire? Is any one form considered to be better in-universe, or do they all have flaws?
