Terran Names - cultural/ethnic/regional (English-based)

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 02:02:55 PM

A recent persona sheet requiring a name change made me remember I've been meaning to post this as sort of a fun topic.

Since I doubt Melissa will mind if I pick on her... Galen, which she used, is a fairly common name in the Southern US, spelled as Gaylen as well. (she respelled as Gaelen)

I once had a member at PS argue with me that Nadine was *not* a name here on Earth, but their personal creation. I offered to send them a photocopy of my Aunt Nadine's birth certificate. *g*

I graduated high school with a young lady named Jayla...

Jaryd, my most "common terran" named persona began life as Jerryd. The name was changed when he was imported to Triad because we already had a Jerryn and that could have been confusing.

What other names in YOUR area that are fairly common have shown up in fandom with you? Ones that you actually know a person with that name (or more than one), not just a name you saw in a baby name book.

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 04:16:42 PM

Aislynn is an Irish girl's name. My next-door neighbor when we rented a cottage in Ireland was named Aislynn. It means "dream" or "vision" in Gaelic. (Doesn't it suit Aislynn so well? :D) Sefanya comes from Sefanja, my neighbor's au pair's name. Kaelan is from Kael, my month-old baby cousin's name.

Well, you wanted to know. :D

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 05:08:23 PM

Visalia - a customer with this name called in and I thought it was really pretty.

Just a note: Ailyn is taken from the chinese word Ailin which means husband.

(or, if I am correct, I believe it means beloved one or something, but I could be wrong).

Edit: How could I forget about Lisbet? That was another customer with whom I spoke. I tend to write down interesting names when people call.

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 06:52:49 PM

I have a habit of sneaking in Gaelic names when I can...and I've noticed a couple of other variations of Gaelic Celtic names:

Aislynn, which as Karolyn says means 'dream'.

Kellwyn *g*

Danu (okay, so it's a canine, but huge Celtic origins)

Then there's Dayla, who while not popular, I have seen in different variations.

Galen and Gaelin are both Celtic in origin, although I've never heard of them being overly popular.

I think it's hard to believe that even after centuries the lingual shifts would have eradicated all Terran names completely, although they might be greatly altered.

Obviously many on Pern take part of the mother and father's names to create new ones, but I'm sure many of the names *those* are taken from might have had a beginning in English/Celtic/Russian etc...

~Nici

PS: And Nadine, while not overly common is most *certainly* a Terran name--hell, there's a freakin' MOVIE with that name in it. Me thinketh the PS member was a bit deluded, personally.

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 08:45:29 PM

I really like names and meanings so most of mine have some background/meaning and commonly are very Terran but Celtic, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian or other derivations. I chose Galen because (although I'd not heard it used here in the NW US) it a Greek form of healer.

I had a friend in college named Dayla, which also has a Hewbrew derivation of water or branch. My husband had an uncle by the name of Valand, but he has a strong Norwegian lineage and I think that this may be from old Norse mythology. I've had three different clients by the name of Triston. I know two families with the last name of Donnigan (though no one with that first name). And I had two friends growing up by the name of Shae (one boy and one girl!).

Names are fun! Language in general is fun in my opinion!

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 09:33:56 PM

ah, that reminds me, the manager of the managers at work is named Shae; a guy.

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 10:26:41 PM

Some of my came from the name generator on the website, I have a real hard time thinking of names.

But the few that I can think of are pretty simple in orgin.

Cratyan (Clayton) just rearranged and two letters changed.

F'del (Fidel) is my Father-in-Law's name.

Ieshia- if I remember correctly, I either read it somewhere or I knew someone with a similar name.

Donnigan is such a terran name. I got it from one of my books. He was the main male character. I so stole it.

And I think Eeho is from the bible but I'm not sure cause I also use a link my sister sent me to get names.

PastMember · June 13, 2003, 10:50:42 PM

I also like for my names to mean something, or have some connection.

Occhipinti is named after my friend Joe Occhipinti, who actually CAN tan hides.

K'yme is named for my god-daughter Kim who decided if her Uncle Michael can spell it Mikel, and spell fish Ghoti, then she can spell Kimmy Kyme.

Jhonnel, a former ANPC (thank you, Loretta), was named for my best friend, John L. When playing RPG's his elves are invariably named Jhonnel. And the family I made for him are all based on his.

Some names are chosen with the help of www.Babblefish.com where there lives a translation service.

Dyrbehersker the Beastcraft Master
means "Beast Master" (His an ANPC folks)

Lacuna, created for a specific reason for a short time, means "A Brief Interlude"

Wanna guess where M'kal came from?

emma · June 14, 2003, 01:21:28 AM

well i spotted an adoptable called Niils on the site - I used to work with a Danish guy called Niils

There's also a Derron - there's a magician on TV here called Derron Brown!

PastMember · June 14, 2003, 04:36:10 AM

Actually, Nici, Galen is listed as Greek in most baby books, since there's a rather famous Greek physician historically. Also there's another famous Galen: Galen Rowell, a rather reknowned wildlife photographer.

hehe... my persona names and origins that weren't imaginary or hopefully so.

L'daven - nickname "Davey" - I started with the nickname and worked backwards.

D'val - originally "Dorval" - from an island in the Sunrunners series. Mahrkin - also from the Sunrunners series (Maarken). Daimhin - named after an Anne Bishop character (Daemin). Kelvarand ("Rand") - I'm sure folks are familiar with Wheel of Time? ;) Melisendra is from Don Quixote.

Cairistiona, Dawyn are Gaelic.
Johara is Arabic.
Noelani is Hawaiian.
Rhendan and Rhylar I actually got off a Utah baby-names list.

Adreya was Adrianne, respelled.
Alesia was Alicia.
Juliar was Julian.
Leanorre was Lenora (my aunt's middle name, based of Eleanor).
Lucan was Lucas.

Cayce was a rather interesting name I saw at a recent job fair on a resume.

Retired personas:
Maegyn (Megan)
Kindri (Kendra)
T'nitan (from Tristan)

And last but not least - Jadeah's youngest son, Ahren, is an honorary name.

PastMember · June 14, 2003, 09:08:41 AM

The only persona I have any real orgin for is my greenrider at DCW, Cherlyn. My mothers name is Cherly Lee spelled Cheryle. I just tweaked it a bit. Everyone else is from a name genorator or just something that poped into my head,

PastMember · June 14, 2003, 12:06:17 PM

Wow, I didn't think any of mine had come from anywhere but my own imagination until I actually sat and *looked* at them and remembered where I got some of them.

Ariadne was a horses name in a book I read.

Kalina (pronounced Kaleena) was the name of a character in 13 Ghosts.

Caellin was just a variation of my daughters name.

Vivvi was a name used by a vampire in one of the books I have read.

Daile was the name Dale with just an I added to it.

I think that's it. But, then again, most of the others persona's the names were already chosen or I adopted them. LOL So, I guess I draw pretty heavily on RL for the names I choose afterall! *g*

PastMember · June 15, 2003, 01:28:09 PM

The names I pick for my 'sonas are loosely based on Terran names. I pick syllables that I like, like "tian" in Irastian (from the name Christian). Berella comes from Isabella. Blennen comes from Brenna.

PastMember · June 15, 2003, 01:30:04 PM

Aish...didn't realize I wasn't signed in. The post above was mine.
:halo:

PastMember · June 15, 2003, 03:21:13 PM

I can't believe I forgot one of my personas.

Elendiel. I got this name from a girl who was a childhood friend of my husband's. That's her middle name; her mother just made it up.

Aysle: This one I got from another person writing a character. She actually spelled it Alyse and I accidently mispelled it, but liked the result.

Xuxha: Based off the name of a woman who had a show (and the show was her named after her). I think it pronouced either Shoo shah or Zoosha. Anyway, Xuxha is based off of that and I pronounce it 'Zooshah'.