Character Name Generators

This is mostly a call for assistance.

Having seen several posts on these boards about character names and plot generators, I've gained the idea that there's not much out there in the way of software to randomly create names and the like. I therefore thought- why not write a set of generators for character names for different Star Wars species and planet of origin- Corellian names, Rodian names, Huttese names and so on. Actually creating a generator of that kind is relatively quick. You can see a quick Tatooine Male Name Generator I created here in the space of about half an hour.

What DOES take time is collecting the data to go in the generator, and that is time I don't have. What I'm looking for, then, is someone, or more than one person, who'd like to help by coming up with the generator contents. It will need some research into the sorts of names, naming conventions, name structure and name components (typical syllables, for example) for each generator.

The result should be a useful resource for writers; if successful, there could also be scope for other generators- random alien gibberish, for example, or new alien species. I'm not going to be able to do it on my own though. So- anyone up for it?

 

I'd love to pitch in over my holidays HaiGan...

That is, if you'd have me!

Kithera

 

Yes, I'd like to over the holidays too! I love thinking up names and sifting through all the name sites!

 

Well, I'm a write-a-holic so I'd be glad to help in any way I can. Besides which, part of my actual job in real life is compiling the list of most popular names in Scotland each year so it's something I think I'd enjoy.

 

I'll do what I can to help! I'm usually on during the week and surfing around. Just let me know what I need to do!

 

I'll help! Names are my specialty...I love researching names and combining them to make new ones...the names make the character, and this will be a great resource for any writer.

A problem I see, though, is this: What if the generator gives the same name twice and you end up with two characters and the same name? Just a thought.

Anyway, any help you need, I'll provide.

And would you mind sharing exactly how you made that generator? Send me a PM or something.

EDIT: I like the names in that generator, and how you use the compound names that are reminiscent of "Skywalker" and "Darklighter", etc. The first names are interesting too...mostly from the Old Testament, right?

 

Thanks for the offers, everyone! It's much appreciated. I'll put together a bit more detail on exactly what's needed soon-ish, and PM everyone a copy (it won't be for a week or so).

That should also explain the mechanics of the thing as well, but basically it works by picking combinations of words or syllables at random from several different sets of lists. The example is very simplistic, to give a flavour of what's possible. It's based on the same code as my Jedi Mission Generator, which was in turn based on a generator created by Steven Savage. If you've done any programming then you could look at the source code for the page.

 

Okay, here's a quick breakdown of what the name generators will do, because it will help to explain what's needed to create them.

A generator takes elements at random from one or more lists, and displays them in sequence. The order of the sequence could itself be picked at random from another list.

To give an example, let's build a two-syllable name generator. We'll have two lists of syllables, one starting with consonants, one with vowels. We'll have a third list for the order in which the syllables will be displayed.

List one might be: ba, ce, di, fo, gu
List two might be: ae, ei, io, ou, ua
List three could then be: vowelvowel, consonantconsonant, vowelconsonant, consonantvowel.

The generator picks randomly from list three and comes up with, say, vowelconsonant. It then picks a random item from list two (vowels), one from list one (consonants), and adds them to make, for example, 'eifo'.

For the very rough-and-ready Tatooine generator, I decided to base it very broadly on human characters from Tatooine that are seen in the films. Surnames seemed to be either compound words (Darklighter, Skywalker) or vaguely Scandinavian (Lars). First names I cheated on a lot, and trawled a list of biblical names- it was only intended as an example, not a finished product.

I put together five lists: first names, composition of second names, second name starting elements, second name ending elements, and Scandinavian second names.

The generator picks a first name, the toddles off to list 2 which either tells it to pick one element from list 3 and one from list 4, or to instead pick a single element from list 5. Then it slaps it all together and displays it in the box.

Hopefully that makes everything clear, and not overly complicated!

For culture- and species- specific generators, I'm going to need help in lots of areas:

<b>1. Collecting existing names</b>
Firstly, it means going through the available material- the Star Wars Databank, TheForce.net's online encyclopaedia, books or compendiums of books to find the names of characters from a particular group (such as, say Rodians).

<b>2. An initial name analysis</b>
Do names all start or end with a particular letter? Do they vary depending on gender, and if so, how? Do names seem to be flowing and poetic, or harsh and abrupt? Do the names have any perceptible pattern to them at all? Do they have to be pronounceable by humans?

<b>3. Putting together a list of typical name structures</b>
The first generator list to produce is usually the one for the name structure/composition, covering all the possible variations, because that then makes it easier to see what other lists are needed. So that needs someone to go through and analyse the typical structure of the names: Are they all a first name and a last name? Just a single name? Three names connected by hyphens? A single letter, an apostrophe, then a longer word?

<b>4. Putting together a list of any typical whole words</b>
For example, Earth-type first names in common use, common clan names, or likely name elements for names like 'Darklighter' and 'Skywalker'.

<b>5. Collecting typical syllables</b>
Are any letters or syllables particularly common? Do any seem not to be used at all? Do vowels always follow consonants? Are there frequent repetitive syllables?

From that lot it's then possible to construct a fairly detailed name generator. It's not possible to create one that will never produce the same result twice (at least, I don't know how to do it if it is), but the more data there is in there then the less likely it is that repeats will appear.

If anyone would like to help out with the boring grind of assembling some of that information, yes please! Post your offers here, that way everyone can co-ordinate, and hopefully the final result will be a useful writers' resource. Suggestions for a species or culture to start with might also be useful. Wookies, anyone?

 

Those of you who are into gaming might find this appealing.

My brother (by far the gamer of the house) told me today that Star Wars: Galaxies, a role-playing game, will have a character name generator that will create character names for various species. While I prefer making up the character names on my own, I'm very curious to see how this name generator works.

Mel

 

There is a site called PC Gen that may be of some assistance. It mainly is for RPGing, but there is a name generator on a program that you can download. (it is actually a way to make a character for a RPG.)

I don't know if that is of any help- but you could check it out if you felt like it.

 

So the selector will have an option for gender and species/planet? That would be good.

Which species though?

 

That was the idea, Imzadi, although if anyone's done the work for an online planet/species specific generator already I'd love to know! As to species, it's really down to the available data. As many as can be done.

Thanks for the info, Melyanna and Sheleigh. That PC Gen site's quite large, I haven't managed to track down the name generator there yet . I'm sure one of my gaming mob will be picking up the new SW RPG, so I'll have a peek at it.