Names

[Cy]

Sort of random question... with two parts.

For whatever reason, some of my characters have last names, while some don't. In most cases, it was just that the first name didn't sound like enough on it's own. In others, it was because the characters were related, so I gave them last names to show that. For the rest of the characters, I just kind of figured it wasn't that important. I, personally, don't take too much time to learn people's last names. Facebook is actually the only reason I know some of my friend's last names. Maybe that's a little impersonal, but we don't really live in an age where we address people by their last names.

So what is your standpoint on that? Leave as is, or go through & make up last names for people?

Second part is... ever have a character that you name, & you *really* like that name... but they didn't exactly come out as planned, or the story go as planned, or bond as planned, or *whatever*. How do you go about re-using that name, if at all? Add a last name to it? [that's where it ties into the first question.] I mean, I'm sure pretty much everyone here knows at least 20 Johns/Brittneys/etc. Or do you just play with different spellings of the name? [As some of us have done with our 'self' characters, in my case, Sai, Cy, Cyai, Cyriina, Cyrena, Syrena, etc, each a little different from each other]

Just curious. Cuz I have some names I really want to re-use XD

[StarFyre]

1) Last names: I take the following view on last names -
a) If the character is from a culture that uses last names, that character requires a last name
a.1) Unless I'm making a point that the character DOESN'T have a last name in such a culture - ala slave/lower class/foreigner/street rat/some other sort of outsider that doesn't fit in
b) if the character is from a culture that doesn't use last names, the character should NOT have a last name
b.1) unless I'm making a point that the char DOES have a last name in such a culture - ala part of a special class (priest/noble/whatever)/foreigner/someone specifically out to cause waves

Last names are important in cultures that put a heavy emphasis on family over individuals (many asian cultures, for example, which even go to the extent of putting the family name before their personal name), in cultures that put an emphasis on ancestry (many last names literally mean things such as "Son/daughter of...") or descent from a local (ex: "from [enter place name]"), and also as a direct result of professions (Jon the Carter becomes Jon Carter). Profession oriented last names are more likely to be given to the working class, whereas location oriented last names are more likely to be given to the upper class (except in a few cases, where their last name reflects their duties, their family creed, or some trait or attribute that's important to them).

That aside, I don't find last names required. I have chars both with and without last names, and see no reason why you should have to go through and add names unless you absolutely want to.

2) Reusing a character name: I try to avoid it in situations where the characters could come into contact with one another. (In fact, I tend to avoid it altogether, because I hatehatehate trying to tease apart who is who) The only situation where I would do so is in a situation where the culture is similar to Asian, in that people are referred to either by just their last name or their full name, or where honorifics are used to differentiate between the characters. Though, I'm a bit anal about character names, in that I am one of those people who you'll almost NEVER find naming characters similarly (ex: John and Jon) especially twins. But that's just my views on names - I'd suggest not using the exact same name, because you might find that the previous character carries over into the new one, and if you were going for altering the story or having a different char at the end of it... err... yeah =P Altering the name can free you of that, of course.

Of course, I must now contradict myself and say that you then have situations like Shard's multiverse characters who have similar/identical names to each other, and are literally themselves-in-another-universe, and I find that so amusing that it's worth any number of head-scratch moments about the names. I've always considered writing up space-pirate Karjan, sea-pirate Karjan, and hyper-dhole Kaias and throwing them together, just to see the space-pirate and sea-pirate posture while the dhole tries to get them to play nice and have fun with him.

[Shard]

In most of my fantasy world uses, I hardly ever assign last names unless there is a lineage important to show off. I mean heck, the entirety of Zekira generally doesn't use them - but I have an assortment of families that have them because they've become important to their history.

I don't think I've actively tried re-using a *character*, but I have a couple duplicate names (first names) because that just sometimes happens. I mean I have what, like 3000 characters out there right now, there's BOUND to be some duplications.

I figure if the name is an appropriate one for the character that's all that matters.

[delyar]

I tend to only use last names if the culture encourages it. This usually means that the only dragoning characters I make with last names are from some version of Earth (so the All Earth clutch, a couple self-clones, etc). Now that I've moved them off of Pern onto a planet with last names as the default, I'm trying to tack on last names that make sense (usually job-related but sometimes parent-related if they're second generation or partner's last name if they so choose). It's proving difficult to come up with a workable system.

I usually don't get that attached to names. Some of my self-clones had similar names (Shayniie, Shailey, Semmal) but I've largely outgrown that phase. I've never really felt the need to re-use a name. I'd say adding a last name but using the same first name would be fine, or having a different long-form but the same short-form, etc.

[Cy]

Most of my curiosity came from the fact that I have characters with family names, because they're 2 or 3 generations in, or siblings, & then I have a good deal that I received from Myrror in the Chaos of Color rounds that have last names.

The re-using names is because I have a few that I made when I first started out that I was like "omg, awesome name!" but now I'm all like "Damnit, that name would be perfect for this character, but I already have one D:" & the original character with the name has kind of been lost & re-found & re-written so often.

I may re-use some older ones & just tack on different last names... Or hell, make them related to the original character & now they can be "So & So the II" XD